Letter From The Editor: How The $20K Grant Article - With Conflict Of Interest Implications - Got Written

The genesis for Beacon’s Community Investment Grant "Beacon Recreation Committee and City Face Scrutiny For Allocating 37% of $20,000 Community Investment Grant To Committee Member's Global Organization, Denying Food Benefits To Farmer's Market And More" did not start out as a hunt for details about the recipients, or about who didn’t get funded. It started out as a positive low-hanging-fruit piece, to announce the recipients. That was it. Something happy. Everyone wants something happy from A Little Beacon Blog, right? Right. This was an easy delivery.

Being that I missed my opportunity to share the announcement that the awards opened up for applications because we were in the throws of the genocide of Israel murdering Palestinians in February - we were trying to still publish Beacon content via 14 Days of Valentine’s Day Gift Guide - while publishing awareness pieces of the genocide.

In trying to find something easy and positive to publish, the Community Investment Grant seemed a no-brainer. But during the City Council Meeting announcing the awards, strange things happened. City Administrator Chris White began the presentation by throwing the Parks and Recreation Director Mark Price under the bus when Mark was not in attendance (Mark is normally a very punctual, well-spoken person). Chris announced: “I think Mark forgot.” Then, Chris definitively told us: “About half the Committee really was not interested in this task,” referring to vetting and recommending grant applicants.

Then, after Chris announced the winners - which he named by organization only - one Councilmember, Paloma Wake, asked him to describe on of the winners - The Sports Bra Project - because, she said: “It's not totally clear to me what the program does. Probably helpful for the community to hear how they can access this if it applies to them.”

Councilperson Amber Grant quickly flew in to vouch for the organization, saying she had Googled it, and it came up in an article at the local newspaper the Highlands Current that was published 2 months before the opening of the grant applications, of which one of the committee members Heidi Kitlas is married to a reporter there (Jeff Simms, but he did not write that article). Heidi had voted on the Sports Bra Project, but its founder Sarah, did not vote at all.

Amber encouraged viewers of the City Council meeting, and writers of the titillating Meeting Minutes, to also Google the article. Mayor Lee then also vouched for the organization, saying “I know it's a Beacon-specific organization.” I didn’t think about it until later, but neither of them, nor Chris, mentioned the name of the founder of the organization.

Ok. So all seemed legit, right? City Administrator Chris impatiently hurried this part of the meeting to close so that the City Council could vote on, it, which they did. Done. Money allocated.

But…that part about the Recreation Committee not being “interested” stuck. Who was on the Recreation Committee? Who are these people who are not interested in awarding money to community groups, when they are tasked with helping the City of Beacon serve people through recreational activities? It didn’t make sense. Thankfully, I had childcare for the evening. So I was able to continue on with research. Otherwise, I would have disappeared into Kid Land and forgotten all about it.

Off to Google I went. Found the Recreation Committee member names. Great. Next: Google the article about the Sports Bra Project like Amber told us to. Check. Name of Sara Dwyer-Shick was in the article. Went to the Sports Bra Project website. There were no names there. But exciting PR about them being featured in Australia! Then I read about their deliveries to Namibia. Great concept!

My article shifted to become about City Administrator Chris White’s quote that threw Mark Price and the entire Recreation Committee under the bus. Usually this happens in the basement of Town Hall in the meeting rooms, where people in different departments just rip each other apart. I witnessed it when I was Chair of the Spirit of Beacon Day. Being accustomed to cis white man patriarchal banter, I knew that people were just surviving down there around the meeting table and in the hallways. But when it makes its way up to the courtroom during City Council Meetings, it’s like…gross.

But whatever. Is is what it is. I went to copy/paste the names of the Recreation Committee into the article, and that’s when I recognized Sarah Dwyer-Shick’s name, as being the founder of the Sports Bra Project and a Recreation Committee Member.

I did a double-take. I basically did a quadruple take. I wanted to call someone to confirm, but who is there to call. Chris White has everyone on lock-down from answering questions to ALBB. I was on my own. I deep dove, and published the article.

The next night at a sports event, I heard from people who read the article. They said that their friends asked them about the findings in the article: “Is it true?” I said to the reader: “Even I (ALBB) had to ask myself 5 times if it was true! I couldn’t believe it!” I got more questions from people, asking what the Conflict of Interest Policy was for the Beacon Recreation Committee. I didn’t know!

Next day, I heard from more people. More than one person said: “I miss Randy. I voted for Lee, but I miss Randy.” Former Mayor Randy Casale was a gruff but firm person. Many were rubbed the wrong way with him. He got voted out to Lee. But. He usually duked it out with whoever to arrive at the answer that seemed correct. I liked that about him. I voted for him each time he ran.

Back to the article research. I went looking for the office on Henry Street of the Sports Bra Project that was pictured in the article, and I still haven’t found it. Maybe it’s being sublet from someone else in the only office building on Henry Street. Maybe it’s in a cute house or apartment there.

And that’s how this story happened.

Descriptions Of Organizations Denied Beacon’s $20,000 Community Investment Grant So That Committee Member Could Receive $7,550 To Ship Globally

Picking one or three or eight local organizations in a small city town to receive grant money will always be hard. Scrutiny will exist no matter what the choice. Jealousy will be around every corner. But the awarding of Beacon’s 2024 Community Investment Grant was just odd. Brazen, in fact. Of the $20,000 Community Investment Grant, $2,450 was left un-awarded. Saving the money for a rainy day? Two applicants were farmers. Farmers can use rain.

Let’s take a look at the five other organizations who applied for the City of Beacon’s $20,000 Community Investment Grant, but were denied. But first…

Background On The Scrutiny

(If you didn’t read yesterday’s article covering this in depth, a recap is below)

The following five Beacon local organizations applied for and were denied funding for this hyper local grant. The three organizations who were awarded funding by the City Council at the recommendation of the Parks and Recreation Committee either share an office with the Recreation Department, or are on the Recreation Committee itself who made the award recommendation.

Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White said half of the Recreation Committee members were not “interested in this task” of vetting and recommending organizations for awards. Yet, they recommended Recreation Committee Member Sarah Dwyer-Shick to get $7,550 for her organization The Sports Bra Project that a newspaper article says has an office in Beacon, but mainly ships sports bras to people all over the world. Sarah’s name was nowhere on the Application Log, nor on her organization’s website, nor brought up during the City Council Meeting, despite City Administrator Chris, Mayor Lee Kyriacou and Councilperson Amber Grant vouching that this was a Beacon-specific organization. The Sports Bra Project’s impact to adults and children living in Beacon, or how it exceeds the other applicants, has yet to be determined.

City Administrator Chris agreed with Beacon’s attorneys at Keane and Beane that Common Ground’s application, on behalf of its markets, which include the Beacon Farmer’s Market by way of the food benefits program Green4Green, which gives people with low income money to shop farm fresh produced and baked goods, would serve people outside of Beacon. It is not clear how the Sports Bra Project, which seems to ship product manufactured elsewhere to people primarily in other countries, is not not serving people “outside” of Beacon. If it is because the organization’s founder might live in Beacon (not confirmed), then it should be noted that the other leaders of the organizations who applied also live in Beacon, so this qualification does not seem dominant.

After City Administrator White pushed to close this part of the meeting so that it could move to a legislative vote, he mentioned that the Recreation Department needed to get back to bigger projects, like South Avenue (by Loopers basketball and tennis courts) and Wee Play (the tot park at Memorial Park that received City investment for upgrades). Of the applicants, both Land to Learn and Compass Arts work with kids and teachers at South Avenue Elementary in their programming. The financial diversity Parks and Recreation Director Mark Price speaks of doesn’t seem to be represented here, when published in his 2024 CIG Application Memo: “We have selected three applicants that we would recommend awarding funding to in 2024. This recommendation, I believe, allows for a diversity of funding across several initiatives.”

Organizations On The Recreation Department Cutting Room Floor

Bannerman Castle Trust
The Trust is dedicated to bringing together resources and funding to stabilize the buildings on Pollepel Island. The Trust raises awareness and educates the public and government organizations on the value and history of the island. The Trust raises funds for repairing the island, and creating a master plan and eventually stabilizing the structures.
Contact: Kelly Ellenwood
Purpose: 30th Anniversary Community Cruise to Bannerman Castle
Proposed Use Of Funds:
Community Outreach, Flyers, Postcards, Bulk Mailing, Community Outreach, Programming Tour guide
Requested Amount: $2,000

Common Ground Farm
Common Ground Farm supports and engages the community by fostering access and connection to fresh food and local agriculture through farming, education, and farmers’ markets. Common Ground runs the Beacon Farmer’s Market, located on Main Street in Beacon.
Contact: Sember Weinman
Purpose: Common Greens Partnership
From Common Ground’s website: “Greens4Greens is a food benefit incentive program, started in 2016, that creates greater food access for shoppers at the Beacon Farmers’ Market, the Newburgh Farmers’ Market, and the Common Greens Mobile Market. Eligible state funded food benefits are matched dollar for dollar through Greens4Greens, making the farmers’ market more accessible to a wider base of consumers. The program has been completely community funded through contributions made by local businesses as well as the annual 'Soup4Greens' event. Our 2024 Soup4Greens event raised over $8000 thanks to the generous soup and pottery donations.”
Proposed Use Of Funds:
Greens4Greens coupons to be redeemed across our markets, doubling the purchasing power of many people who use benefits
Requested Amount: $6,400

Compass Arts
The mission of Compass Arts is to create healthy, just, equitable, and resilient communities through arts based classes, performances, and events rooted in exploration, collaboration, creation, and play.
Contact: Gina Samaridge
Purpose: Free Community Arts Activities Table Program
Requested Amount: $6,500

Land To Learn
Land to Learn is growing a movement for food justice and community wellness through garden-based education. Land to Learn’s in-school program brings garden-based education to 2,000 k-2 students in 10 public elementary schools throughout New York’s Hudson Valley region.
Contact: Stefan
Purpose: SproutED Program for Beacon Schools
Proposed Use Of Funds:
South Avenue Garden Revitalization Spring/Summer 2024
Requested Amount: $5,000

Roll Out FBS
(Assuming this is Foundation For Beacon Schools (FBS), but it’s not indicated on the Applicant Log)
Foundation For Beacon Schools (FBS) vision is for Beacon’s public schools to be at the leading edge in creating a learning environment in which all students are able to find and cultivate their talents, live purposeful, fulfilling, and vibrant lives, and carry their gifts into the future.
Contact: Lauren Adelman
Purpose: Community Art Event
Proposed Use Of Funds:
School workshops, community workshops, public event, teaching artists, supplies
Requested Amount: $3,500

Grant Winners

Sports Bra Project
The Sports Bra Project increases access to sports for women and girls by removing barriers to participation. They provide sports bras to athletes who don’t have access to such a basic piece of equipment.
Contact: The contact on this was an email for the generic admin@thesportsbraproject. But we we now know is Recreation Committee Member Sarah Dwyer-Shick, thanks to a newspaper article mentioned by Councilperson Amber Grant. However, Councilperson Amber did not mention Sarah’s name when she referred to the article. No one spoke Sarah’s name during the meeting.
Purpose: Sports Bra Bank
Proposed Use Of Funds:
Storage bins, bras, support and outreach materials
Awarded Amount: $7,550

Beacon Repair Café
(Located inside of the Recreation Department Office)
The Repair Café idea was born in Amsterdam in 2009 and was brought to New Paltz by volunteer organizer John Wackman in 2013. His dedication, enthusiasm and success inspired others to launch Repair Café events in their communities.
Contact: fromer@sustainhv.org (Repair Café’s fiscal sponsor is Sustainable Hudson Valley)
Purpose: Repair Café
Proposed Use Of Funds:
Materials and Supplies, lunch for volunteers, outreach
Awarded Amount: $1,000

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County
(aka Green Teen, located inside of the Recreation Department Office, but nowhere in the Applicant Log does it specify Green Teen…This was only stated in the City Council Meeting…So it is not confirmed if this is going to Beacon’s Green Teen, or Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Positive Youth Development Program at large)
Contact: jr825@cornell.edu
Purpose: Positive Youth Development Program
Proposed Use Of Funds: Youth wages, Staff wages
Awarded Amount: $9,000

Beacon Recreation Committee and City Face Scrutiny For Allocating 37% of $20,000 Community Investment Grant To Committee Member's Global Organization, Denying Food Benefits To Farmer's Market And More

During Monday’s combined Workshop/City Council Meeting, where the Council blends two meetings into one night during the summer months (first the brainstorming Workshop meeting, followed by the voting in of some of those items discussed), the Council was presented with recommendations from the City of Beacon’s Parks and Recreation Committee on who to award $20,000 of the City’s Community Investment Program to, a program in its third year.

According to the City Administrator Chris White, half of the Recreation Committee was disinterested in this vetting and voting process, yet did award one of their own committee members 37% of the available funds. To announce the recommendations of which organizations should be awarded during Monday’s July 1st City Council Meeting, the Park and Recreation Director Mark Price, who led the process, was not in attendance. When Mayor Lee Kyriacou mentioned Mark, City Administrator Chris responded: “I think Mark forgot.” Mayor Lee asked if Chris wanted to delay the presentation, to which Chris answered: “No. We were going to award these in April or May, so we are well beyond that. I don't think this is that hard.” Chris then presented the recommendations.

The three recommended organizations were awarded just shy of the total available ($17,550):

• Beacon Repair Cafe, which shares an office with the Recreation Department, received $1,000.

• Green Teen, which shares an office with the Recreation Department at 23 West Center Street, received $9,000.

• Sports Bra Project, run by Recreation Committee Member Sarah Dwyer-Shick, received $7,550.

The Recreation Department’s memo from Recreation Director Mark Price to City Administrator Chris states that it is up to City Council to make the final decision: “Ultimately, we know the decision to which applicants are funded lies in the hands of the Beacon City Council. In a review of all of the applications, we have selected three applicants that we would recommend awarding funding to in 2024. This recommendation, I believe, allows for a diversity of funding across several initiatives.”

City Administrator Chris told the Council that half of the Recreation Committee was disinterested in this vetting and voting process. He stated: “The Council asked that the Recreation Committee vet these applications and come back with recommendations. They did that this year. We did have trouble getting them engaged in this. About half the Committee really was not interested in this task. I do want to let the Council know. People who signed up for Recreation were probably more thinking about how to direct the future of Recreation, rather than a grant program.”

Those who did vote, voted for Committee Member Sarah Dwyer-Shick’s organization, the Sports Bra Project, which received 37% of the grant, totaling $7,550. Sarah herself did not seem to vote, according to the Applicant Log. The Sports Bra Project aims to help girls all over the world receive sports bras.

Listed on the Sport Bra Project’s website is an address of 369 Main Street #1082, Beacon NY 12508, which is the Beacon Post Office. The organization’s summary for what the money would be used for was “storage bins, bras, support and outreach materials.” City Administrator Chris stressed: “Their goal is to facilitate participation for females in sports and physical actives by making accessible sports bras. This [grant] would be for storage containers and the actual bras themselves.”

It was not clear if the organization makes sports bras, or accepts donated sports bras and ships them all over the world. Sarah’s name is also not on the Sports Bra Organization’s website.

Sarah Dwyer-Shick of The Sports Bra featured in the Highlands Current.

Councilperson Paloma Wake asked: “Can you just describe the sports bra project a little bit more? It's not totally clear to me what the program does. Probably helpful for the community to hear how they can access this if it applies to them.”

City Administrator Chris answered: “Their goal is to facilitate participation by females in sports and activities for accessibility.” On the Sports Bra Organization’s website, girls from all over the world are holding bras in pictures.

Councilperson Amber Grant stated: “I will also say that this program was featured in the Highland Currents for their work in Beacon. I just looked them up. I was like: ‘Is this a Beacon based organization?’ And they are. If anyone wants to see the article in the Highland Currents, I'm sure you can Google it.”

The article, which was published in December 2023 and the grant application process opened 2 months later in February 2024, shows Sarah in a photo with storage bins in what the newspaper says is her one-room office in Beacon in a building on Henry Street. There is one office building on Henry Street. The Beacon Post Office, which is listed as the Sports Bra Project’s address, also abuts Henry Street. Mayor Lee Kyriacou also weighed in on the Beaon-ness of the organization, by saying: "I know it's a Beacon-specific organization." Neither Councilperson Amber, nor City Administrator Chris, nor Mayor Lee mentioned at this point, or at any point during the meeting, that the organization they were asking about was founded by Beacon Recreation Committee member Sarah.

City Administrator Chris was eager to end the discussion and move on to vote on it. “We have a proposal that we have a Resolution lined up for you to vote on this. We have $20,000. We didn't quite award the whole thing. I think at this point, our Rec Department needs to move on.”

Who Serves On The Recreation Committee These Days?

Serving on the Recreation Committee are Benjamin Swanson (Executive Assistant for the City of Beacon), Larry Clark, Justin Lynch, Christina Ricottilli, Heidi Kitlas (Executive Director of Soul Ryeders, married to Highlands Current reporter Jeff Simms and hiking buddy of Sarah’s over at Soul Ryeders ), Jim Eve, Hayley Richardson, Sarah Dwyer-Shick (Founder of The Sports Bra Project and DOC of East Fishkill Soccer Club (recreation).

Of this Committee, it was not mentioned who may not have voted at all, which seems to be half of the Committee not voting. From the Recreation Committee’s Applicant Log, not voting were Sarah Dwyer-Shick, Hayley Richardson, Justin Lynch, and Jim Eve. The Applicant Log was included in the Council’s packets, but not read aloud to the public.

How Many Organizations Applied?

City Administrator Chris did not mention how many applicants applied, nor did he name them. Even though they were in the Council’s packet and on the City’s website. Only people who were digging for this information would have to find this on the City’s website and click to download it. Normally, when the Council wants to make sure something is heard, they read it to the public.

City Administrator Chris stated: “We did get enough responses, that Mark Price is recommending that we fund 3 projects.” Eight applications came in total.

Which Organizations Were Denied?

Applicants who were not awarded were organizations heavily invested in Beacon, especially the youth, and included Bannerman Castle Trust, Common Ground Farm, Compass Arts, Land to Learn, and Roll Out Of FBS.

Common Ground was voted for by those in the Committee who voted, but City Administrator Chris said that Beacon’s attorneys deemed Common Ground ineligible because it “benefits people outside of Beacon.” However, Common Ground manages the Beacon Farmer’s Market, which sets up in the heart of Beacon on Main Street each Sunday.

Common Ground’s application stated that the funding would double the food benefits that people with low income use at the Beacon Farmer’s Market. They stated: “Greens4Greens coupons to be redeemed across our markets, doubling the purchasing power of many people who use benefits.”

But, City Administrator Chris added another reason for why Common Ground was denied: “Also, this was just a gift to people.” It is not clear what a “gift” is and why a gift of farm fresh food at the Farmer’s Market landing in the hands of many people wouldn’t count, since storage bins to one person are certainly a gift to anyone, especially ones that can be purchased for $7,550.

Initially, City Administrator Chris did not mention that it was Common Ground which was denied. Councilperson Dan Aymar-Blair asked which one it was. At that point, City Administrator Chris moved to wrap up the discussion.

The Council voted unanimously to award the three organizations that the Recreation Committee recommended.

Community Potluck & Picnic for Palestine - Open To All - Tuesday 6pm

A Statement from the Beacon Ceasefire Coalition:

Picture of picnic spot at Long Dock Park.

Dear HV Neighbors,

We would like to warmly invite you to a community potluck in support of Palestine this Tuesday July 2nd at the picnic tables at Long Dock Park. We will share food, conversation, and convene in solidarity with our siblings in Palestine. Come and meet your neighbors, contribute funds for mutual aid in Gaza, and learn other ways to get involved. Please bring your loved ones too - whether they are brand new to this work or have been at it for years, all are welcome!

What: Community Potluck & Picnic for Palestine
When: Tuesday, July 2nd at 6PM
Where: Pavilion (covered area with picnic tables) at Long Dock Park, Beacon
Access: The event will be fully outdoors. Masks are welcome but not required, and people will be eating unmasked. Free parking with accessible spaces available at the Long Dock parking lot, and the Beacon Free Loop bus or the Metro North services the nearby Beacon Train Station. Our gathering area is accessible from the paved parking lot via a wide, paved pathway. Seating available at picnic tables, or BYO chair. The pavilion area is covered. Family friendly. Porta potties are available at Long Dock.

We also wanted to share a statement below from the Beacon Ceasefire Coalition about who we are and our experiences organizing for Palestinian liberation in Beacon this year, as well as some pictures! Thank you for all the ways in which you’ve shown up for Palestine thus far, and we look forward to being in community together on the 2nd.

Statement From The Beacon Ceasefire Coalition Regarding A Permanent Ceasefire and Land Back In Gaza

A few Regulars of the Beacon Ceasefire Coalition.

We are the Beacon Ceasefire Coalition, a diverse group of local individuals who are united in our support of an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We celebrate that on March 4th, 2024, the Beacon City Council voted to pass a resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. As our work for a safe and free Palestine continues, we would like to introduce ourselves, and to share more about why this resolution is important to us.

The Beacon Ceasefire Coalition is a diverse, multicultural, and multi-ethnic group of individuals from Beacon and the greater Hudson Valley. We are Palestinian, Arab, Indigenous, Black, Asian, and white. We are Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Sikh, spiritual, non-religious, and atheist. We are 3rd generation Beaconites and recent transplants. We are LGBTQIA+. We are disabled. We are parents and grandparents, mentors and caregivers. We are students and professionals, business owners and day laborers.

Our beliefs are as varied and complex as our different identities, yet what unites us is the shared conviction that Israel’s war on Gaza since the Oct 7th attacks is unjust, inhumane, and must stop immediately. Our coalition’s common goal is to do everything in our power to end the death and destruction currently happening in Gaza.

Since the October 7th attacks, Israel has bombed, shelled, sniped and otherwise attacked Palestinian civilians and their way of life in Gaza. Israel has destroyed Palestinian homes, religious buildings and institutions, schools and universities, roads, bridges, desalination plants, bakeries and all other infrastructure. In addition, since Israel controls the borders of Gaza by land, sea and air, it has stopped food, water, fuel, medicine, humanitarian supplies and other aid from entering Gaza.

Currently every person in Gaza suffers from food insecurity, and people in the north of Gaza are already experiencing famine. The number of Palestinians who have been killed (over 37,000), injured (estimated over 100,000), and displaced (1.9 million) as of June 2024 horrifies us, and our work is in their honor.

We condemn the carpet bombing of Gaza, the forced displacement of its people, their forced starvation and blockade of food, water, medicine, electricity, and humanitarian aid, the constant shelling and targeting of civilians, and the humiliation and abuse of their abandoned homes by IOF. Most importantly, we believe there must be an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the establishment of safety and security of all Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and the right of Palestinians to return to their homes in Gaza. It will take action on the world stage, including the cessation of military and financial support from Israel’s many allies, to stop and sanction Israel’s war on Gaza.

We see our coalition’s work as twofold: to send a local message to our national leaders that they have a moral and professional imperative to act, and to build a community and solidarity with those locally impacted by the violence in Gaza.

In January, our coalition began working with the community in Beacon and our City Council members to draft a concise resolution that would send a strong message to our electeds that the people of Beacon want the United States to stop funding Israel’s war on Gaza. We are appalled that Beacon alone contributes an estimated $200,000+ in taxpayer revenue to arming Israel. In working towards this resolution, many of us testified at City Council meetings, sharing how our personal experiences led us to the shared goal of an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

While this process built solidarity and community, we also endured injustice as a result. During public comment at City Hall many citizens who spoke against the resolution were permitted to use dangerously racist, violent, Islamophobic and xenophobic rhetoric. In contrast, several times, the Mayor called out our group’s impassioned speeches as violent or inappropriate even though our group was following the Council’s guidelines. The unfair treatment was jarring, and through this process, we were given a window into the Palestinian experience of invisibility and degradation.

Our goal since the beginning of this effort has been to work towards an immediate and permanent ceasefire, with the right of Palestinians to return to their homes in Gaza. We do not value one people over another, nor are we advocating for a particular solution to the Israel/Palestine issue. We utilized the democratic process towards passing a resolution with the Beacon City Council – and together we made it happen. We are grateful that the majority of the Council met the moment and voted for the resolution. We see Beacon’s ceasefire resolution as an expression of our community’s conviction that people everywhere from the Levant to the Hudson Valley have the right to live in peace, safety, and security. Together, we will continue our work for Palestinian liberation.

A Little Beacon Blog Goes Global - Changes Mission Statement

“You know……in this life. What can I say,” says Katie Hellmuth, publisher and creator of A Little Beacon Blog, about the change in direction A Little Beacon Blog is taking, again.

When A Little Beacon Blog started covering global news, some in Beacon weren’t having it. “Weren’t” is the key word here, because while some protested at their keyboards, clicked their Unsubscribe buttons, and returned to vomit in Comments, they have largely settled down and stayed at A Little Beacon Blog, refreshing their Browsers, Instagrams and Facebooks to check for the latest post. Some do so in secret, under new online aliases. They are there.

So let’s talk about it. ALBB interviews Katie Hellmuth about her decision to incorporate global news into A Little Beacon Blog, beginning with Palestine.

ALBB: How did people react when you first started covering Palestine?

That depends on which “people” you are referring to. I’ve learned, or, I’ve really felt for the second time, that there are different communities within one community. As a white lady, when I tend to say “we,” I suppose I mean “we, this group of white people.” And with my coverage of Palestine, I’ve entered into this different community from where I came. I love it. So embracing and warm.

But to your question, the original “we” from whence I came generally was/is upset. I remember when I changed my logo for ALBB, and my mother was upset. The logo started off as something like a patchwork quilt of letters. Inspired by those blocks of cement that were down at the entrance of the train station. Those cement blocks were all painted/crafted by different artists.

Eventually, I wanted something more uniform, and I loved the sidewalk chalk signs of businesses on Main Street. So I changed my logo to be mainly black. My mom was a little sad about it. She missed the “cute” look. But she eventually came around. I even tried begging the local firm Rabe & Co. do design my logo. I did a “mockup” of the direction I wanted it, showed it to them, and Ken Rabe, the lead designer, looked at it, and said: “It’s done. This is your logo. You don’t need us.”

BTW: Those cement blocks are gone now. They were on private property of a friend of then Councilperson George Mansfield, who donated the empty lot to the art project. The property owner was finally ready to develop it. You can imagine how upset people were when the blocks disappeared, and the land under them dug up. Some people. Other people were really looking forward to living there! So close to the train station in brand new townhouses.

ALBB: But isn’t it called “A Little Beacon Blog?” Why would you go outside the boarders of Beacon?

“When I wrote the post on Target, this one lady unsubscribed right away. Saying she couldn’t believe A Little Beacon Blog would write about such a damning thing as a big box store like Target. Meanwhile, she probably had several receipts from Target swimming around in her purse.”

— Katie Hellmuth

Fair. You know…when I experimented stretching the limits here at this tiny blog, I started with All Sport. I knew I needed to get advertisers outside of Beacon or I would never survive (got to earn the money from the publication! even though I came to learn that All Sport notoriously doesn’t pay for advertising, they do “trade” with editors and give them a free gym membership and maybe a few free weeks of camp if you negotiate hard, which I agreed to for about a year, and then I pulled out because banks don’t look at free gym memberships and free summer camp when you try to get a mortgage). So I did a positive blog post about All Sport, and this one guy commented something negative about it being outside of Beacon. That the blog dare to blog about anything outside the borders.

That’s when I realized that some people really do live in this Beacon bubble. And while they do drive outside of the borders, and that guy probably was a member of a gym somewhere outside of Beacon and probably did not pay for classes or membership at the local boutique fitness brands here in Beacon, he still felt like slinging a punch at me/the blog.

As for Big Box stores, some people couldn’t handle that either. One time Target dropped a bunch of new organizational bins. You’re just not going to find that many organizing bins on Main Street. So I did a round-up of them. Oooooh! This one lady unsubscribed right away. Saying she couldn’t believe A Little Beacon Blog would write about such a damning thing as a big box store like Target. Meanwhile, she probably had several receipts from Target swimming around in her purse.

ALBB: But why go global? Why bring politics into this?

Right. So that’s another thing that I learned, in the…14 years I’ve been producing this blog. ALBB is as old as my first child. I started it because I couldn’t keep track of all of these fliers telling me what was going on. Somebody asked me: “Are you going to the Easter Egg Hunt?” and I was like “What Easter Egg Hunt?” Not that I really wanted to go. But that I didn’t know about it bothered me.

Years later, I got a reader request to do a shopping guide on where else to buy Easter Egg stuff on Main Street other than Target (see!! the readers really do go to Target!). This other lady had gone to Target, and then basically ODed on everything she bought and threw away her plastic Easter Eggs. I mean…I don’t know why Easter is celebrated with plastic eggs and candy anyway. I did a shopping guide for that year, but no other years because I had other things to blog about.

ALBB: But why global. Why politics. Answer the question.

“My pro-genocide stalker also strongly wants Beacon! I have 1 or 2 stalkers now. Both of them - or they are the same person - want me to remove Beacon from this blog title, I think because being pro-Palestine is branding they don’t want for Beacon.

But why wouldn’t Beacon want to be Pro-Palestine! That’s like…why would you want to be Pro-Psychopathic Killer? Which has made me very frightened, to be honest with you. ”

— Katie Hellmuth

Sorry. Global. Another thing I’ve learned is that people are very selective with their “politics.” If you write about something they don’t like, they say: “Don’t write about politics. Keep this free of politics.” But they really only say that when I write about racial things. Otherwise, they say “thank you for the election coverage.”

Speaking of racism in Beacon. When I identify a skin color in a story, some people also write in and say “Why does skin color matter? You are creating hostility!”

So you can imagine how they felt when I began blogging about Palestine, Islamaphobia, Islamaracism, anti-Arab behavior, revelations of how often Arabs are called “terrorists” in the world and in Beacon, etc. Some people in Beacon were/are beside themselves. It’s like the secret is being revealed that Arabs are not terrorists and they don’t know what to do with themselves. This isolated, mean narrative that they have let shape their lives and justify their behavior is being shattered.

Global. So, as we know, things that happen in the world shape and touch our little lives here in our communities. If things are going to happen here locally - like a School Board debate, or a vote by a Congressman, or a protest - we need to know why and where it’s coming from.

ALBB: But “Politics”…That’s So Boring

I know. And I’m very selective about it. And I also don’t have a lot of time. So ALBB is (probably) not going to become the source for the roundup of interviews of everyone running during an election. I just don’t have the time to produce an interview series like that. Plus, I get allergic to speeches of talking points. I don’t like ALBB to be a place of press releases where very long, puffy quotes of sugar plum fairies get published to make a politician look good. Sugar coats. Glossy, hardened, sugar glaze. Tastes good. But causes cavities.

ALBB: Isn’t this CNN’s job? To report on these global issues?

Yes. Yes it is. And one of ALBB’s hawkish readers asked that very question. I told him that if CNN was doing their job, ALBB wouldn’t have to take up the slack. CNN and the rest of them are feeding us mis-information, and I’ve had enough. I was a teenager during the Iraq war, and it never felt right to me. Now I know why. I’m upset about that. I’m in the media business. So I’m going to use the skills I have to not let that happen again. Even though it is happening again.

ALBB: How have your readers felt about this?

They are not all the same readers. I’d say that some of the traditional, hard core readers who tend to lean white, have not been so happy. They want Beacon coverage only. They are a little jealous of all of the attention ALBB has been giving Palestine.

My pro-genocide stalker also strongly wants Beacon! I have 1 or 2 stalkers now. Both of them - or they are the same person - want me to remove Beacon from this blog title, I think because being pro-Palestine is branding they don’t want for Beacon.

But why wouldn’t Beacon want to be Pro-Palestine! That’s like…why would you want to be Pro-Psychopathic Killer? Which has made me very frightened, to be honest with you. These readers have also shown their true colors. Correction. Their true colors have always been on view. I have simply accepted their true colors, and become completely OK with rejecting them.

For the readers who are Pro-Palestine, which means anti-oppression, anti-occupation, anti-our-USA-federal-and-state-governments-being-a-bank-for-funding-murder (um…isn’t that traditionally called terrorism?) these readers are “refreshed” with the global, Palestinian content. They are happy to see and read it. They feel relief and a sense of hope.

Sky Diamond Jewelry One Of Several Jewelry Stores Targeted By Burglars; Suspects Have Been Arrested

“We are saddened by the hit to our business, but grateful to a local resident whose swift action to call to the police helped to mitigate further loss and damage to our store. We appreciate the support from our community during this challenging time.”

— Sky Diamond Jewelry

On Thursday, June 13, 2024 at 4:30am, City of Beacon Police were called about a burglary in progress at Sky Diamond Jewelry at 226 Main Street, as reported by the Daily Voice. According to the article, the front door glass was broken, which is how investigators thought they got in. Sky Diamond has written in to thank the Beacon community: “We are saddened by the hit to our business, but grateful to a local resident whose swift action to call to the police helped to mitigate further loss and damage to our store. We appreciate the support from our community during this challenging time.”

According to the Highlands Current, the vehicle of the burglars was already speeding away when they approached. According to the articles, Beacon Police pursued the vehicle through town to the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge, and then stopped because they were going at high speeds.

That same morning, burglaries were also reported in at Jaymark Jewelers in Cold Spring, and at Jewelry Designs in Danbury. “According to police, two suspects were arrested in Newark, New Jersey in connection with the break-ins. Officers also recovered several pieces of stolen jewelry,” reported the Daily Voice.

Police Arrest Suspect In Murder Of Lionell Pittman at Forrestal Heights From 2022

On a spring Saturday evening on May 14, 2022 at 6:50pm, shots rang out from the parking lot at Forrestal Heights, next to the Beacon Recreation Center on West Center Street. Lionell Pittman age 32, who reportedly had a brother who lived at Forrestal Heights, was outside and was fatally shot, as reported by ALBB at the time.

Lionell’s murder was one of at least 3 in Beacon that have remained unsolved: Rene “Scout” Vivo, who was stabbed while walking down Main Street to get to his home at Forrestal Heights on Christmas Day in 2021, and a murder at South Davies Terrace apartment complex, where a 25 year old man was visiting from New York and was shot and killed.

According to a press release from the police, a suspect named Naije Perrette, 24, of Beacon was arrested at a traffic stop on Fishkill Avenue. He was charged with second-degree murder, arraigned in City Court and taken to the Dutchess County Jail.

The police credited the Dutchess County Drug Task Force with assistance on the arrest, and for the investigation conducted by Dutchess County District Attorney’s office. Because of the ongoing investigation, police said they would not release further information.

A Google search shows that a person named Naije Perrette of the same age has been arrested other times in Beacon:

• “Beacon teen charged for allegedly fleeing police in stolen vehicle” In 2015, this Naije was allegedly “driving erratically at high speeds with headlights off on Matteawan Road in Beacon. As the Beacon police officer initiated the traffic stop, the vehicle sped up and attempted to flee toward Matteawan Road and Prospect Street. The vehicle crashed about a half-mile from where it was originally spotted, and the driver fled towards the woods behind the Fishkill Correctional Facility, police said. Police apprehended Perrette later at Red Schoolhouse Road in Fishkill.” Reportedly the vehicle had been stolen from a Beacon address days before the incident.

• “Three men accused of robbing, pushing woman out moving vehicle: police” In 2019, this Naije and Julian Rivera were arrested after a reported robbery in the area of Liberty Street and Bridge Street. Police said they canvased the area after “three men robbed and pushed a woman out a moving vehicle on Friday morning around 4:45 a.m.,” according to the City of Beacon Police Department. Police say officers responded to the area of Liberty Street and Bridge Street for a reported robbery. After canvassing the area, police brought Naije Perette and Julian Rivera into custody.

• “Beacon residents arrested in Putnam County after violent domestic dispute.” In 2023, Naije Perette was arrested after his girlfriend Jaznia McCrae followed him after she learned that he took his new girlfriend to a Nets game, as reported by MidHudsonNews. The two got into a fight, damaged each others cars, and were both arrested.

Beacon Police Issue... Warning? Advice? Shooting Manual? On How To Avoid Police Calls When Playing Water Gun Game

Toward the end of the school year, Beacon City School kids could be seen at school’s dismissal running from the areas of the Beacon High School and Rombout Middle School through Memorial Park with water guns, shooting at each other. Variations of the game have extended to elementary school students at the Skate Park who gather there during parent baseball games, and shoot plastic pellets that resemble Orbeez (which never decompose) all over the blacktop.

The Beacon Police have issued a warning, or advice, or a manual, on how not to have the police called on them. ALBB has not confirmed who runs the police department’s Facebook page, but Chief Tom Figlia (formerly Lieutenant until this month’s promotion), is well known for his verbose writing skills.

As published by the Beacon Police

“The Beacon Police Department recently became aware of a High School Senior game which involves finding other players and shooting them with water guns in order to eliminate them from the game. We’re not kidding ourselves into thinking that many high school seniors are spending a lot of time on our Facebook Page, but on the off chance that some might see this, we would like to offer a couple of suggestions for avoiding police contact while playing the game, because everyone knows that most of the time, the fun ends when the cops show up. This list isn’t all inclusive, so use your head but…”

1. Keep the game out of the road.
”Creating dangerous situations by running into the road or, worse yet, involving moving cars may create a situation where people get injured or where officers have no choice but to issue tickets or make arrests.”

2. Use water guns that don’t look anything like real guns.
”When people see someone running around with what might be a real gun, they usually call the police and tell us someone is running around with a gun. When that happens, we have to respond as if someone is running around with a gun until we know otherwise. We’re sure you can see why that’s a problem.”

ALBB Editor’s Note: The Beacon Police have recently proven themselves to take down people with threats of guns, as in the case of the Sunday Morning “He’s Got A Gun” Police call, when a person relaxing with his dog near a doughnut shop didn’t like when another man went to pet his dog, told the man such, and then the man threatened to shoot him. The Police later identified the threat-making man, who is a known person in Beacon to make such aggressive comments, and indeed, was taken down with two Use Of Force techniques: a rifle and a hand to the neck. Participating Officer Sirrine, however, said he had never seen the man before.

Additionally, you’ll remember Tamir Rice, the child who was playing with a toy gun and was shot and killed by a police officer in Cleveland, OH. “On November 22, 2014, Tamir Rice was throwing snowballs and playing with a toy pellet gun in a Cleveland park when a police car rolled into the snowy field. Within two seconds of getting out of his squad car, officer Timothy Loehmann shot and killed the 12-year-old.” That officer was fired 2.5 years later, with no criminal charges, as reported by Vox.

3. Stay off of the property of non-participants.
”When people see someone, they don’t know lurking around their property, they tend to get concerned and call the police.”

4. Again, use your head.
”If you’re doing something that makes it look more like you’re a murderer than a high school kid playing a prank, someone is probably going to call the police.”

Burglaries Reported In The Area Of S. Chestnut, Vine Street and Teller Avenue Friday Evening

A reader wrote into A Little Beacon Blog to say they were one of the victims of theft in Friday evening’s (6/28/2024) reported string of burglaries in the area of S. Chestnut, Vine Street and Teller Avenue (the area west of Libby’s Funeral Home and The Beacon Daily). The reader suggested that people turn their cameras on. On the Beacon NY Facebook page, one group member advised people to load their guns (ALBB does not advise this…cameras turning on, yes).

The ALBB reader said that they had gone to their car to drive to a friends house to deliver tickets for the School of Rock show at City Winery. “I saw that I left my windows open, but then saw that my center console was open and the tickets were gone - nothing else was taken.” The resident then drove to the police station to report it. “Police at the station took my info and confirmed that between S. Chestnut and Teller Avenue, several people reported something stolen…Police suspect 2-3 juveniles and have a video but not very clear.”

When asked if the envelope was marked, the reader responded: “The tickets were in an envelope with my name on it, resting on my center console. I gather they figured the envelope had SOMETHING good in it, and just grabbed it and ran.”

Maybe the people enjoyed the show?

Days before, on Sunday, June 23, 2024, a reader wrote into ALBB warning that they had seen two people rummaging through their neighbor’s car. “They were young, maybe teenagers. Wearing all black and hoodies,” the reader said.

Reports of bikes stolen from driveways and yards persist.

June's End :: Things To Do Guide 6/28/2024

And just like that, it's the last weekend of June! We're officially in Summer! The Beacon Pool at the Settlement Camp is opening July 1st. The first week will be free (free of money, and free to walk in without making an online reservation).   The pool schedule is here, and a new admissions website is launching July 8, 2024. Registration is open for the Great Newburgh to Beacon Swim happening July 27, 2024, the fundraiser for the River Pool in the Hudson River.                                           THE EVENTS + RETAIL THERAPY GUIDE   The Howland’s Open Mix Night Fourth Fridays Music Series Day: Friday, June 28, 2024 (and every fourth Friday!) Time: 7pm-9pm (sign-up at 6:15pm) Location: Howland Cultural Center, Beacon, NY All are welcome to perform and/or sit back and listen to Open Mic Nighters from Beacon and the Hudson Valley. $5 cover at the door to help the historic 1872 Howland Cultural Center keep the lights on and the doors open. Information > Pride Open Mic Day: Saturday, June 29, 2024 Time: 8pm-10pm Location: Stanza Books, 508 Main St, Beacon, NY Bring a piece of writing that inspires your pride. Your own writing, someone else's. Pride, refreshments, community. Information > Cómo Converstirse en Ciudadano Dstadounidense How To Become A US Citizen Day: Saturday, June 29, 2024 Time: 11am Location: Howland Public Library 313 Main Street, Beacon NY Únase a nosotros en la Howland Public Library en Beacon para una sesión informativa gratuita sobre cómo convertirse en ciudadano estadounidense este sábado 29 de junio a las 11 a.m. Conozca el camino hacia la ciudadanía, cómo obtener una Tarjeta Verde, cómo solicitar asilo, la solicitud de ciudadanía y la entrevista. Consultas individuales gratuitas de 10 minutos disponibles después de la presentación. Regístrese en beaconlibrary.org. Enlace en biografía. Join us at the Howland Public Library in Beacon for a free information session on becoming a U.S. citizen this Saturday, June 29 at 11 a.m. Learn about the path to citizenship, how to obtain a Green Card, how to apply for asylum, the citizenship application and the interview. Free 10-minute individual consultations available after the presentation. Register at beaconlibrary.org. Information > Carter's Restaurant Catch & Craft Bash Day: Sunday, June 30, 2024, Time: 12-5pm Location: Carters Restaurant, Beacon, NY It's Here! The Catch and Craft Bash. Find all of the details below for this can't miss event! Spring Music Festival Day: Sunday, June 30, 2024 Time: 12pm-10pm Location: City Winery, 23 Factor St, Montgomery, NY A full day of musical entertainment performed by the talented students from School of Rock Beacon NY Information > Raquel & The Wildflowers Day: Sunday, June 30, 2024 Time: 12:30-4:30pm Location: Hudson Valley Renegades, 1500 NY-9D, Wappingers Falls, NY Acoustic performance pre-show performance. Raquel will be throwing the 1st pitch. Information > Raquel & The Wildflowers Day: Sunday, June 30, 2024 Time: 12:30-4:30pm Location:  Behind the guardrails at the intersection of Route 211 & Dunning Road From the Organizers: 🗣️ We MUST keep the momentum up and increase our presence to bolster our collective message for a permanent ceasefire. It is through our community effort that we escalate pressure to divest from systems of oppression and colonialism! This Sunday, June 30th, from 12:00-1:30pm, join me behind the guardrails at the intersection of Route 211 & Dunning Road, closest to Orange Plaza (for GPS, you can use Red Lobster, 450 NY-211, Middletown, NY 10940). Information > Cold Spring Farmer's Market Saturdays @ Boscobell from 8:30am - 2pm Beacon Farmer's Market! Sundays from 10am-3pm at 223 Main Street Beacon Flea Market! Every Fair Weather Sunday from 8am-3pm at Henry Street (behind the Post Office). Check our Calendar and Events Guide regularly for upcoming events throughout the week! Book an Event Promotion Advertising spot here. You can sponsor this Event Guide with your event, for extra promotion of it! If you'd like to guarantee to see your entertainment event listed here, click here for more info >       HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL 288 Main Street, Beacon, NY Website > It's Taco Tuesday every day at the Hudson Valley Food Hall! Dulce Cielo Mx is serving up delicious tacos & other authentic Mexican food with a 'street' concept. Vegetarian options available! Follow HV Food Hall's foodies: Miz Hattie's BBQ: Southern Style BBQ, from North Carolina. Order ahead via their Toast-app menu! El Nica: Nicaraguan Food Roosevelt Bar: Cocktail Bar Dulce Cielo Mexico: Authentic Mexican street food with vegetarian and vegan options. Tara Fusion Cuisine: Fusion cuisine of Bangladeshi, Indian, Sri Lankan and Middle Eastern food. Old Dhaka Coffee House: Coffee shop! Moreish: Serving British classics Five Pennies Creamery: Homemade Ice Cream Follow Hudson Valley Food Hall on Instagram > Hudson Valley Food Hall is a Sponsor, thank you! CARTERS RESTAURANT & LOUNGE 424 Main St. This weekend! Carter's Catch & Craft Bash! This seafood dilled event will be happening on Sunday, June 30th from 12-5pm featuring live music, many different oyster choices, little neck clams, lobster sliders, and colossal shrimp! PS: Happy Hour is from Monday-Friday PPS: You can book the Carters Restaurant space for a private party and enjoy delicious spreads made by the Carters Crew! Book ahead. Follow Carter's on Instagram > Carters Restaurant & Lounge is a Sponsor, thank you! BEACON BREAD COMPANY 193-195 Main Street, Beacon, NY You must remember to always save room for one of Beacon Bread's famous salted chocolate chip cookies! They're the perfect addition to any brunch or lunch option and of course, by itself too! We sure love to dunk it into our cappuccino ;) PS! OPEN MIC IS BACK! Every Tuesday weather permitting. In the back patio! PPS: BBC is open everyday 7 days/week! PPPS: Wholesale, special orders, and events/catering available. Follow BBC on Instagram > Beacon Bread Company is a Sponsor, thank you! ZIATUN 244 Main Street, Beacon, NY Just incase you missed it... The Watermelon Feta Mint salad is BACK at Ziatun and is available all summer long... A super refreshing and delicious salad to enjoy during this time of the year! Keep cool and nourished. Support your local Palestinian Restaurant PS: Ziatun is open everyday. Monday-Saturday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Follow Ziatun on Instagram > Ziatun is a Sponsor, thank you! Feature your business each week in A Little Beacon Blog's Newsletter, Blog pages, and Instagram. People often use this newsletter to tell their friends where to go, and get ideas for themselves on what to order. This is a very hungry guide to put together each week. Learn More & Start Now >     Eggbert’s Free Range Farm @ Cold Spring Farmer's Market Saturday's Website > Instagram > You can always count on Eggberts... rain or shine! And if you don't want to leave the house to hit the Farmers Market for your free range goods, you can always order for free delivery! FARMERS MARKETS: Saturdays: Cold Spring Farmer's Market 8:30am-1pm Sundays: Beacon Farmer's Market 8:30am - 2pm DELIVERY: Delivering to Cold Spring, Cornwall, New Windsor, Newburgh, Beacon, Fishkill, and Wappingers Falls. Eggbert's Free Range Farm is a Sponsor, thank you! BINNACLE BOOKS 321 Main Street, Beacon Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique - Sa’ed Atshan... “Sa’ed Atshan’s sophisticated work captures the nexus of a scholar-activist, offering an authoritative account of the challenges and trajectory of the Palestinian LGBTQ movement. A tour de force and a remarkable book.” - Amaney A. Jamal. Available at Binnacle Books along with many other fantastic reads! PS have you heard about the Beacon Prison Books Project? See more here > Follow Binnacle on Instagram to keep up with their new reads and to get them right away! Learn More about Binnacle Books > THE STATION 463 Main Street, Beacon The Station is a local cannabis shop situated in a renovated police station in Beacon, NY. Stay tuned to what they will offer with their updates in the shop and for events/opening date by following The Station on Instagram. Follow The Station on Instagram > The Station is a Sponsor, thank you! Feature your business each week in A Little Beacon Blog's Newsletter, Blog pages, and Instagram. Readers love seen the magazine-like spread of what to buy inside of your shops, or if you have special classes or events going on. Learn More & Start Now > JUST ADDED! Beginner Skateboarding with Andrew Singh- The Summer Session Days: 1 week evening session from July 15 to July 19 Time: 6pm – 7pm Location: RAMPS @ Memorial Park Ages 6-12 Information > Summer Basketball League 2024 Developmental and Instructional Summer Youth Basketball League for youth ages 6 to 18. Information > Summer Tennis Clinic 2024 Two Sessions: August 8/5 – 8/9 and August 8/12 – 8/16 Times: High School Clinic 8:30am to 10:30am & Junior clinic 10:30am to 12:30pm Location: BCSD Highschool Tennis Courts Information > Multi Sport Clinic 2024 One More One Week Session: August 5th to August 9th Time: 8am-12:30pm Location: Memorial Park & Rombout Middle School depending on weather Information > JUST ADDED! Garden Time with Land to Learn Days: Every Wednesday Time: 10:30am-11:30am Location: Green Teen Garden at the Rec Center Information > JUST ADDED! Aqua Zumba At The Beacon Pool Days: Saturdays 7/20, 7/27, 8/3, 8/10, 8/17, 8/24 Time: 9:45 am – 10:45 am Location: The Beacon Pool, Beacon, NY Seniors Chair Yoga Stretch, move and strengthen your body! Gain physical awareness and balance! Reduce stress and have fun. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY When: Mondays and Fridays Time: 9-9:45am Price: FREE Dutchess County Office for the Aging Exercise Class The Dutchess County Senior Exercise Program offers workout sessions for senior citizens in an effort to retain balance as well as bone density. Through strength training, seniors can shape their body and lose unwanted inches. Classes are conducted in a circle of 15-20 people using a chair for support and free weights. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY When: Tuesday and Thursday Time: 10am Pre-Registration is Required. Call 845-486-2555 Tai Chi and Qigong Beginner and Advanced levels available. Gentle movements to cultivate your mind and body. Tai Chi and Qigong are easy vitalizing exercises you can learn  to restore and maintain your health. You can practice them regardless of your age or health. The postures and movements are natural, balanced and simple. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY Times: Sunday Beginners 9-10:30am Sunday Advanced 10-30-12pm Thursday Push Hands 9-10:30am More Info > Beacon has a growing number of beauty salons and professional pampering to take advantage of - you can even book a transforming appointment at a lash bar! Be it a totally new hair style, makeup lessons, or a facial, you have options in Beacon. Check out ALBB's Beauty Guide here > Special Message For Businesses: Click here to advertise in ALBB's Beauty Guide with a picture, logo and weekly promotions that will be featured here and on our Instagram. BEACON DENTAL 1020 Wolcott Avenue, Beacon, NY (845) 838-3666 At Beacon Dental, they are dedicated to providing you and your family with quality dental care tailored to your individual needs. They welcome patients aged 4 and older and provide a full range of dental services to help you achieve and maintain excellent oral health throughout your life. When you visit their dentists and team, you can be certain that your health, comfort and smile are always their highest priorities. Beacon Dental is also happy to announce that they now accept Medicare health insurance! Call them for a free cleaning & check-up and refer your family & friends!  Explore all services > Beacon Dental is a Sponsor. Thank you!                         KATIE JAMES, INC. Stop worrying about what you're going to post on Instagram and when... Katie James, Inc. will go deep and get into the zone of your business month to month. Using our experience as one of the top local media outlets in the Hudson Valley, we can apply our gift of finding story ideas that people love, to your business. Your customers need to know what is going on in your creative business and/or inside of your storefront doors and we cannot wait to tell/show them with you! Reach Out to tell us about your goals! Katie James, Inc. is a Sponsor. Thank you! TIN SHINGLE Tin Shingle a training platform and community for businesses, artists and makers who are getting the word out about their business. Tin Shingle teaches PR, social media and content marketing tactics to regular people to help make their pitching and brand story telling smarter, engaging and more appropriate for the media to consider for article features. Tin Shingle produces weekly webinars called Training TuneUps, which offer free access to niche classes, as well as one-on-one training opportunities. The Research Team is constantly updating our easy-to-use Media Contact Library and Editorial Calendar Collection, which serve as an inspiration center when discovering story angles and best people to connect with about where to pitch about your business. Start with free articles and classes by subscribing to our newsletter. Next, dig in to go bigger with your outreach with our Membership Program that gives you Media Contacts, Editorial Calendars, Templates for emailing the media as well as plotting out your PR and Marketing plan. Tin Shingle is your support system as you're getting the word out about your business. Tin Shingle is a Sponsor. Thank you! BUSINESSES IN THE BUSINESS DIRECTORY ART > ANTIQUES Hudson Valley Auctioneers > BEAUTY The Luminous Bride >  Makeup By Jenny Magliano > BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES See them here > BRANDING  >  MARKETING & PR Tin Shingle Katie James, Inc. DENTAL Beacon Dental EVENT SPACE > CO-WORK SPACE The Main Office at Beacon Digital  HEALTH AND WELLNESS > MASSAGE River Therapeutic Massage  HISPANIC OWNED BUSINESS See them here > MUSIC Miss Vickies Music PHOTOGRAPHY Megan & Kenneth List Your Business In The Business Directory >  LIST YOUR BUSINESS IN THE BUSINESS DIRECTORY Got your running shoes on? We have a list of 5K races coming up for 2024! See all of the upcoming races > AVAILABLE GUIDES TO SPONSOR: These Guides really need the ongoing support from businesses or individuals in order for us to continue them! This sponsorship is intended for businesses who are not in the Guides mentioned above. City Council Meetings Guide Second Saturday Art Gallery Guide Food Pantry & Soup Kitchen Guide Kids Sports Guide (Seasonal: August - April only) BCSD Happenings, Fundraisers, PTO/A Announcements Guide Kids Summer Camp Guide (Seasonal: March - July only) Click here to find out more and Sponsor a Guide >  Read Our Latest Articles Advertise With Us! Stay Up To Date With City Council Meetings

SIGN UP FOR THIS NEWSLETTER JOIN THESE ADVERTISERS: We create ad packages that work for different types of businesses. Click here for ways to advertise on A Little Beacon Blog and accomplish your goals. We look forward to highlighting your business and show your support!

Fourth Of July Fireworks At Beacon’s Memorial Park Thursday July 4th - Free Palestine

The City of Beacon is hosting the community’s fireworks on Thursday, July 4th at dark in Memorial Park. There may be vendor trucks and things to do. You’ll have to show up to find out.

There will be the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence by Dennis Pavlock and Committee (Anne Thomas, Clara Lou Gould (former Mayor of Beacon) and Emily Murnane) at 11am at Town Hall 1 Municipal Plaza.

In protest of the United State’s ongoing participation of the genocide of Palestinians and people in Middle Eastern countries, by way of the funding of Israel with Made In The USA weapons that are destroying families and shredding children, A Little Beacon Blog will not attend either event. We will not be sitting under those falling ashes.

“Gypsy Moth” Renamed To "Spongy Moth" Because “Gypsy” Is Racially Offensive To Formerly Enslaved Romani People In Romania

Photo Credits: Left is a screenshot from the Smithsonian Magazine website; Right is a screenshot from Europeana website.

When the news broke about those spongy moth caterpillars dropping from the sky, research revealed that they were the moth traditionally known as the “gypsy” moth. So is “spongy moth” a new moth? No. Thanks to an ALBB reader pointing it out, a decision was made in 2021 by the Entomological Society of America (ESA), where there was discussion about equity in naming. They announced the renaming with the launching of the organization’s Better Common Names Project, as reported by the Washington Post.

The term “gypsy” was a racially offensive term given to the The Romani people, who were enslaved in Romania for more than 500 years. According to Europeana, it is unknown how this group of people ended up in Romania, but some believe they were from India. “The main hypothesis is that they left the Punjab region of Northern India either as nomads or victims of unfavorable circumstances, such as war or natural disaster. Some theories state that the Roma population arrived in the Principality of Wallachia (the southern part of today’s Romania) as free people, but they were soon enslaved by the princes of Wallachia and Moldavia, who needed a workforce.”

As the Washington Post reports: “They were victims of persecution and genocide during the Holocaust, and the community still faces human rights abuses and marginalization. ‘Roma are dehumanized in so many ways: being associated with insects, being associated with animals,’ said Margareta Matache, director of the Roma Program at Harvard University’s FXB Center for Health and Human Rights. ‘And that is really how structural anti-Roma racism is justified.’”

The origin of the word “gypsy” came from England, who apparently mistook the Roma people to be from Egypt. A study was conducted in 2020, titled “Romani Realities In The United States: Breaking The Silence, Challenging The Stereotypes” led in part by Margareta.

They were victims of persecution and genocide during the Holocaust, and the community still faces human rights abuses and marginalization. Both the moth and the ant known as Aphaenogaster araneoides were named with the word “gypsy” in them to indicate a wandering nature.

But the person who came up with the name, Terry McGlynn, who had been studying this species for more than 20 years, wrote a blog post in 2019 titled: “Fixing a racist common name that I coined.” said it wasn’t until years later that he became aware of the implications of the name, according to the Washington Post.

According to the Smithsonian Magazine, “The new name, ‘spongy moth,’ refers to the insect’s light brown, fuzzy egg masses that resemble sponges. It stems from France’s common name for the Lymantria dispar— ‘spongieuse,’ per the ESA. Other countries like Germany and Turkey, also reference sponges in their common names for the moth.”

Watch For Wandering Joggers And Zig Zagging Flying Gypsy Moths While High School Track Is Closed

Picture of the Track Closed sign during renovations, which a scheduled completion to be August 31.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth

During this season of the Track Upgrade, where the Beacon High School track is being replaced as a planned infrastructure project from the school’s 2021 Capital Project, as announced by Beacon’s Superintendent Landahl in early May, joggers and walkers who used to circulate on that track are forced to explore other areas of Beacon, often taking paved and unpaved trails they have never traveled on before. The track is heavily used by community members as well as students and faculty. “The work should take the entire summer,” Dr. Landahl explained, “but we will update the community when it will reopen in late August.”

That, coupled with the new wave of emerged spongy moths (formerly racially offensively known as '“gypsy moths”) from that storm of sponge moth caterpillars dropping from the sky on silk webs, makes joggers and walkers have much to avoid while outside. Vendors from farmers markets are noticing that they are also now dropping poop onto the vendor tents.

The old track that was dug up in preparation for a new track.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth

While A Little Beacon Blog will not make public where the alternative jogging paths are in wide open spaces in Beacon, we will give you advice on how to live amongst these flapping moths flying all over the place, including, possibly, into your face.

It was reported earlier that the mating behaviors of the moths is that the females sit still and cannot fly, while the males fly “erratically” trying to find the females by following the females’ pheromone trails, as described by Cornell University. Essentially, you are walking through waves of love hormones. If you are listening to love music, like ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimmie! Gimmie! (A Man After Midnight),” then you may want to jog with your mouth closed, as a flying male moth may land right inside of it.

Several predators exist for the gypsy moth, which is a introduced and invasive species, including some bird species at this stage. Mice are important for eating the caterpillar version, as are wasps and even the Calosoma beetle.

Next step will be finding the eggs laid after the mating ritual, and destroying the eggs. Apparently fire wood is a source for eggs. Natural mitigation methods include recommending not moving firewood to new locations in order to contain the outbreak. Squishing the moths on contact can be gross, as you will hear their bodies break. Try catching them and flushing them down the toilet. Like with stink bugs.

Good luck.

Things To Do In Beacon Guides 6/21/2024

Good news for this hot Friday slip and slide into the weekend! Columbia University has dropped trespassing charges against several protesters who took over a building on campus to rename it Hind's Hall. Hind was the little Palestinian girl who was trapped in her family's car after Israeli IDF killed everyone in it, as well as the Red Crescent EMS workers who tried to save her. The news was begrudgingly shared by past Dutchess County Executive, Marcus Molinaro, who was quite bummed about the trespassing charges on Columbia students being dismissed. Marcus is one of several New York Congresspeople who have accepted money from Israel's lobby in the United States, AIPEC, as reported for ALBB by Arvind Dilawar months ago. Stay tuned to our sister company, Tin Shingle, for an upcoming TuneUp with the photojournalist Alexa Blair Wilkinson, who was based in Beacon and then moved to Newburgh. With the rising cost of rent and all. Tin Shingle will also be interviewing Katie's cousin, Sarah Alami, the Palestinian American actress and activist who was in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. On ALBB's Instagram, Sarah commented: "Systemic racism is so deeply hard wired many people don’t even know that this is why they find brutal acts like this acceptable or justifiable. The good news is there is evidence that the brain can be adaptable. People can unlearn behavior. Even if it’s racism. However, we don’t have time for people to adapt to being better humans. This is why we need to educate now. " While you read all the things, you also have a new movie to watch tonight to decompress! Summer is here and we are loving every bit of enjoying the Hudson Valley festivities. The Beacon Sloop Club held their annual Strawberry Festival and will be hosting their Annual Corn Festival soon too! Plus, Beacon's Second Annual Juneteenth Festival was great. So many fun and cool events happening in and around Beacon! Keep our Events Guide open for Things To Do in Beacon and the Hudson Valley.                                            THE EVENTS + RETAIL THERAPY GUIDE   Beacon Flow Music & Wellness On The Solstice Day: Friday, June 21, 2024 Time: 4-9pm Location: Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, 2 Red Flynn Drive Beacon, NY Celebrate the summer solstice with an evening of music and wellness on the magnificent Hudson River. Bring a blanket to enjoy a gorgeous closing concert at sunset by Beacon bassist and composer Dassi Rosenkrantz. Local vendors will be on site, including artisans. The event is organized by Dassi Rosenkrantz, Amy Soucy, and a team of volunteers. Beacon Flow is FREE and open to all! Cold Spring Farmer's Market Saturdays @ Boscobell from 8:30am - 2pm Beacon Farmer's Market! Sundays from 10am-3pm at 223 Main Street Beacon Flea Market! Every Fair Weather Sunday from 8am-3pm at Henry Street (behind the Post Office). Check our Calendar and Events Guide regularly for upcoming events throughout the week! Book an Event Promotion Advertising spot here. You can sponsor this Event Guide with your event, for extra promotion of it! If you'd like to guarantee to see your entertainment event listed here, click here for more info >       HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL 288 Main Street, Beacon, NY Website > Introducing the perfect summer refresher: Organic Elderberry Hibiscus Iced Tea from Old Dhaka Coffeehouse. This sweet & tart blend combines hibiscus, blackberries, elderberries, and rosehip for a burst of natural goodness. Sip, relax, and enjoy! Follow HV Food Hall's foodies: Miz Hattie's BBQ: Southern Style BBQ, from North Carolina. Order ahead via their Toast-app menu! El Nica: Nicaraguan Food Roosevelt Bar: Cocktail Bar Dulce Cielo Mexico: Authentic Mexican street food with vegetarian and vegan options. Tara Fusion Cuisine: Fusion cuisine of Bangladeshi, Indian, Sri Lankan and Middle Eastern food. Old Dhaka Coffee House: Coffee shop! Moreish: Serving British classics Five Pennies Creamery: Homemade Ice Cream Follow Hudson Valley Food Hall on Instagram > Hudson Valley Food Hall is a Sponsor, thank you! CARTERS RESTAURANT & LOUNGE 424 Main St. Save the date for Carter's Catch & Craft Bash! This seafood dilled event will be happening on June 30th from 12-5pm featuring live music, many different oyster choices, little neck clams, lobster sliders, and colossal shrimp! PS: Happy Hour is from Monday-Friday PPS: You can book the Carters Restaurant space for a private party and enjoy delicious spreads made by the Carters Crew! Book ahead. Follow Carter's on Instagram > Carters Restaurant & Lounge is a Sponsor, thank you! BEACON BREAD COMPANY 193-195 Main Street, Beacon, NY We know you've seen the shady sidewalk seating out front at Beacon Bread, but don't forget they've got a bright and sunny patio out back! Grab some takeout and enjoy your time! Pictured here is the salted caramel iced latte... tis the season! PS! OPEN MIC IS BACK! Every Tuesday weather permitting. In the back patio! PPS: BBC is open everyday 7 days/week! PPPS: Wholesale, special orders, and events/catering available. Follow BBC on Instagram > Beacon Bread Company is a Sponsor, thank you! ZIATUN 244 Main Street, Beacon, NY Just incase you missed it... The Watermelon Feta Mint salad is BACK at Ziatun and is available all summer long... A super refreshing and delicious salad to enjoy during this time of the year! Keep cool and nourished. Support your local Palestinian Restaurant PS: Ziatun is open everyday. Monday-Saturday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM Sunday: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Follow Ziatun on Instagram > Ziatun is a Sponsor, thank you! Feature your business each week in A Little Beacon Blog's Newsletter, Blog pages, and Instagram. People often use this newsletter to tell their friends where to go, and get ideas for themselves on what to order. This is a very hungry guide to put together each week. Learn More & Start Now >     Eggbert’s Free Range Farm @ Cold Spring Farmer's Market Saturday's Website > Instagram > The recipe for this beef brisket is dropping soon at Eggbert's Free Range Farm's Instagram! Be sure to follow them if you haven't yet! Prepare to get hungry. And remember, the Cold Spring Farmer's Market hours on Saturday changed to 8:30am for all you early birds. FARMERS MARKETS: Saturdays: Cold Spring Farmer's Market 8:30am-1pm Sundays: Beacon Farmer's Market 8:30am - 2pm DELIVERY: Delivering to Cold Spring, Cornwall, New Windsor, Newburgh, Beacon, Fishkill, and Wappingers Falls. Eggbert's Free Range Farm is a Sponsor, thank you! BINNACLE BOOKS 321 Main Street, Beacon Binnacle specializes in used and new literature, poetry, literary nonfiction, political history, art, drama, philosophy, graphic novels, and children's books. Is there a particular title you're interested in? Let them know. If they don't have it, they'd be happy to order it for you. The bookstore is a collaborative endeavor by four partners, who have collectively been writers, editors, musicians, producers, organizers, teachers, filmmakers, and booksellers. If you love books, they welcome you. If you don't, they'll do their best to convince you otherwise. PS have you heard about the Beacon Prison Books Project? See more here > Follow Binnacle on Instagram to keep up with their new reads and to get them right away! Learn More about Binnacle Books > THE STATION 463 Main Street, Beacon The Station is a local cannabis shop situated in a renovated police station in Beacon, NY. Stay tuned to what they will offer with their updates in the shop and for events/opening date by following The Station on Instagram. Follow The Station on Instagram > The Station is a Sponsor, thank you! Feature your business each week in A Little Beacon Blog's Newsletter, Blog pages, and Instagram. Readers love seen the magazine-like spread of what to buy inside of your shops, or if you have special classes or events going on. Learn More & Start Now > Summer Tennis Clinic 2024 Two sessions: August 8/5 – 8/9 and August 8/12 – 8/16 Times: High School Clinic 8:30am to 10:30am & Junior clinic 10:30am to 12:30pm Location: BCSD Highschool Tennis Courts Information > Seniors Chair Yoga Stretch, move and strengthen your body! Gain physical awareness and balance! Reduce stress and have fun. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY When: Mondays and Fridays Time: 9-9:45am Price: FREE Dutchess County Office for the Aging Exercise Class The Dutchess County Senior Exercise Program offers workout sessions for senior citizens in an effort to retain balance as well as bone density. Through strength training, seniors can shape their body and lose unwanted inches. Classes are conducted in a circle of 15-20 people using a chair for support and free weights. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY When: Tuesday and Thursday Time: 10am Pre-Registration is Required. Call 845-486-2555 Tai Chi and Qigong Beginner and Advanced levels available. Gentle movements to cultivate your mind and body. Tai Chi and Qigong are easy vitalizing exercises you can learn  to restore and maintain your health. You can practice them regardless of your age or health. The postures and movements are natural, balanced and simple. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY Times: Sunday Beginners 9-10:30am Sunday Advanced 10-30-12pm Thursday Push Hands 9-10:30am More Info > GEMMS Growing and Empowering Myself and My Sisters Inc. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY When: Mondays Times: 6-7pm, Rombout Middle School 7:15-8:15pm Beacon High School gemmsinc.info@gmail.com Beacon has a growing number of beauty salons and professional pampering to take advantage of - you can even book a transforming appointment at a lash bar! Be it a totally new hair style, makeup lessons, or a facial, you have options in Beacon. Check out ALBB's Beauty Guide here > Special Message For Businesses: Click here to advertise in ALBB's Beauty Guide with a picture, logo and weekly promotions that will be featured here and on our Instagram. BEACON DENTAL 1020 Wolcott Avenue, Beacon, NY (845) 838-3666 At Beacon Dental, they are dedicated to providing you and your family with quality dental care tailored to your individual needs. They welcome patients aged 4 and older and provide a full range of dental services to help you achieve and maintain excellent oral health throughout your life. When you visit their dentists and team, you can be certain that your health, comfort and smile are always their highest priorities. Beacon Dental is also happy to announce that they now accept Medicare health insurance! Call them for a free cleaning & check-up and refer your family & friends!  Explore all services > Beacon Dental is a Sponsor. Thank you!                         KATIE JAMES, INC. Watch this space for website launches coming out of Katie James, Inc. for local clients. Learn More & Reach Out > We have spots open! Katie James, Inc. is a Sponsor. Thank you! TIN SHINGLE Alexa B. Wilkinson (they/them) is an independent Photojournalist and a digital media strategist, capturing the Pro-Palestinian movement along with working in the Democratic political marketing world. They have been on the front lines - and in the front seat - of the students protests in New York, in court rooms for City Council Meetings during Ceasefire Resolution pushes, and at a shipping location for Economic Blockade Day. Alexa will talk with Tin Shingle's host Katie Hellmuth about their experience, and how they connected. Learn More > Tin Shingle is a Sponsor. Thank you! BUSINESSES IN THE BUSINESS DIRECTORY ART > ANTIQUES Hudson Valley Auctioneers > BEAUTY The Luminous Bride >  Makeup By Jenny Magliano > BLACK OWNED BUSINESSES See them here > BRANDING  >  MARKETING & PR Tin Shingle Katie James, Inc. DENTAL Beacon Dental EVENT SPACE > CO-WORK SPACE The Main Office at Beacon Digital  HEALTH AND WELLNESS > MASSAGE River Therapeutic Massage  HISPANIC OWNED BUSINESS See them here > MUSIC Miss Vickies Music PHOTOGRAPHY Megan & Kenneth List Your Business In The Business Directory >  LIST YOUR BUSINESS IN THE BUSINESS DIRECTORY Got your running shoes on? We have a list of 5K races coming up for 2024! See all of the upcoming races > AVAILABLE GUIDES TO SPONSOR: These Guides really need the ongoing support from businesses or individuals in order for us to continue them! This sponsorship is intended for businesses who are not in the Guides mentioned above. City Council Meetings Guide Second Saturday Art Gallery Guide Food Pantry & Soup Kitchen Guide Kids Sports Guide (Seasonal: August - April only) BCSD Happenings, Fundraisers, PTO/A Announcements Guide Kids Summer Camp Guide (Seasonal: March - July only) Click here to find out more and Sponsor a Guide >  Read Our Latest Articles Advertise With Us! Stay Up To Date With City Council Meetings

SIGN UP FOR THIS NEWSLETTER JOIN THESE ADVERTISERS: We create ad packages that work for different types of businesses. Click here for ways to advertise on A Little Beacon Blog and accomplish your goals. We look forward to highlighting your business and show your support!

Fighter Jet Parts Manufacturer Ametek Rotron Disrupted In Woodstock, NY By Activists Opposed To Israeli Genocide On Palestinians

by Arvind Dilawar

On May 7, activists opposing the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza — which has killed more than 36,439 Palestinians, including 15,000 children, according to Al Jazeera at the time of this writing — blockaded the Ametek Rotron manufacturing facility in Woodstock, New York. For 9 hours, more than 30 activists physically obstructed the facility’s two entrances using “lockboxes,” pipes allowing them to securely fasten themselves to one another. They maintained the blockade until law enforcement from local, county and state agencies, armed with riot gear, K9 units and angle grinders to saw through the lockboxes, arrived to forcefully remove and arrest them.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Photo Credit: Zachary Schulman

“Activists made it clear that there will be no business as usual while these facilities are enabling massacres occurring in Gaza.”

— Woodstock Activists

“Police proceeded to forcefully drag protestors backwards, still hooded, out of the driveway,” said an activist in their press release, referring to hoods that officers had thrown over activists’ heads.

Disruption of the F-15, F-16 and F-35 Fighter Jets In Woodstock

Photo Credit: AlexA BLAIR WILKINSON

Ametek Rotron produces fans, blowers and cooling systems for a variety of military aircraft, including the F-15, F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, per the company’s website. The three fighter jets have been identified by Palestinian activists as some of the primary weapons systems being provided by the United States to the Israeli military. According to Workers in Palestine, a coalition of Palestinian labor unions and professional associations, Israel has a fleet of F-15s, F-16s and F-35s, all of which are being deployed in Gaza.

Disruption of the F-35 “Joint Strike Fighter”

Photo Credit: AlexA BLAIR WILKINSON

Production of the F-35 in particular has been targeted by activists worldwide, due its development as a “Joint Strike Fighter” produced by Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. Since February, a Dutch court has blocked shipment of all F-35 parts from the Netherlands to Israel due to the ongoing genocide, as reported by Reuters.

World-Wide Actions To Block Weapons Facilities

As the activists in Woodstock acknowledge in their press release, the blockade of the Ametek Rotron facility occurred within the context of similar actions around the world. Since 2020, activists in the United Kingdom, particularly those with Palestine Action, have targeted the facilities of Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems, permanently shuttering multiple sites. Stateside, activists have also demonstrated at the headquarters of Colt’s Manufacturing Co. in West Hartford, Connecticut, due to the company supplying M41A assault rifles and accessories to the Israeli military, as reported by Stamford Advocate.

Huge Amounts Of Money That Israel Spends On US Manufacturers Of Weapons

As reported in the article: “Colt’s Manufacturing has secured several major Army deals in recent years, including a $26.7 million contract awarded on May 1 for M4A1 carbines, suppressors, and flash suppressors, with the work to be done in West Hartford. ‘Fiscal 2024 Foreign Military Sales (Israel) funds in the amount of $26,675,000 were obligated at the time of the award,’ reads the announcement on the Defense Department website.”

Additionally, activists have blockaded a manufacturing facility of Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale, California, due to its production of F-35s and other weapons used by the Israeli military in Gaza, per Democracy Now.

“This action is in solidarity with a global moment exposing the terror manufactured at facilities such as Ametek Rotron,” said the Woodstock activists in their press release. “... Activists made it clear that there will be no business as usual while these facilities are enabling massacres occurring in Gaza.”

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Photo Credits: Alexa Blair Wilkinson