Happening This Weekend 12/30/2016 - Happy New Year!
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Beacon Fundraisers Raise Over $13,000 for Refugees Settling in Hudson Valley, and In Mountains Abroad
/The beacon of light and hope that people refer to when describing Beacon, NY, the city named for fires burning atop Mount Beacon during the Revolutionary War to send signals warning of British advancement, extends beyond the City of Beacon to reach refugees locally and in warring countries abroad. Today, Beaconites have organized to send money to people displaced by war, with the culmination of three such fundraisers from 2015 to 2016 having raised over $13,000 to be sent to nonprofit groups who help refugees, or to organizers who have a direct connection to a refugee camp and deliver and distribute the donation themselves.
Lemon bars with olive oil and sea salt from the artist Anna Bergin, for sale at the Beacon of Love bake sale.
Photo Credit: Beacon of Love Facebook Page
On December's Second Saturday this year, a local group called Beacon of Love, whose group type in Facebook is a category called "Get Things Done," raised $4,476.60 during a pop-up bake sale organized by Julie Shiroishi. Held in Open Space, an art gallery on the east end of Beacon, the pop-up benefited 80 refugees relocating to the Hudson Valley from the Middle East and Africa. Proceeds went to Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley for the #BeaconofLove project, and will be used to help the people coming over.
In 2015, just before Thanksgiving, a pop-up bake sale called "Bake Love Not War" was hosted by Shannon Brandt of Shambhala Yoga Center, Anna Sullivan-Youatt, and Nisreen Nasser. That sale raised $3,500, which was personally delivered by Nisreen to a Lebanese refugee camp located on the border with Syria. The fundraising organization is now known as Solidarity Through Humanity and continues to raise money and document the use of donation efforts through an online campaign platform, IndieGoGo, and has raised $5,271 from 82 people in the last 23 days (as of this publishing), and the donating continues here for the next delivery to Lebanon. Solidarity Through Humanity's goal is to deliver fuel for heating, water management techniques to keep water from seeping in under tents, and other supplies to help the 600 refugees living there through harsh conditions. The first death at the camp was a child.
Pictures taken by the contact and distributor Nisreen Nasser after the "Bake Love Not War" pop-up bake sale fundraiser at Shambhala Yoga Center last year. Nisreen's goal was to distribute fuel to the refugees who otherwise have no heat in the winter in the mountains of Lebanon on the Syrian border. learn about that camp here.
Photo Credit: Solidarity Through Humanity Facebook Page
Bake Sale Fundraisers That Persuade Through Sweetness
Perhaps first to demonstrate the great impact of a bake sale fundraiser are the ladies behind For Goodness Bake, Kristen Pratt and Tara Tornello. They're known for organizing pop-up bake sales straight out of a Martha Stewart magazine spread, and they dedicate 100 percent of the proceeds to one cause per year. So far, they've benefited the Beacon Community Kitchen, Green Teen, and Kids R Kids Feeding Program, raising a few thousand dollars each sale for the causes. Veterans of this art, they have advised others on how to make their bake sales a success.
Bake Sale Fundraising Takes a Community
The effort behind such a bake sale involves a community effort, with sometimes more than 100 citizen bakers volunteering to get their bake on by breaking out their most favorite dessert cookbook, and trying a recipe that will impress and tempt donors into purchasing a single piece or an entire pie or loaf of bread. Professional establishments have been known to donate baked goods as well. What often accompanies such fundraisers is the build-up to the event, with citizen bakers posting pictures of their accomplishments, and bake sale organizers thanking each baker in social media posts. The anticipation, and the unique notes from the bakers, such as this one shown below, help make the events a success: "Pear-Pecan-Vanilla Tart: Full of gluten, nuts, butter, super fattening. YOU WANT THIS TART. Sooooo good. - Enid"
Citizen baker Enid Zentellis tempts donors with her Pear-Pecan-Vanilla-Tart.
Photo credit: Beacon of Love's Facebook Page.
Stepping up the game can also be a raffle with prizes, as was the case with the Beacon of Love fundraiser, which offered a number of prizes from local and national brands.
These fundraisers are easy to participate in - both as a baker and as a buyer - making community stronger all around. They're a spoonful of sugar in spotlighting problems that may otherwise find fundraising slow-going.
Happening This Weekend - 12/23/2016
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Christmas Lights On Houses In Beacon - 2017
/Driving around Beacon to hunt for Christmas lights is a treasured pastime of many. The first time a roundup of light displays was published on this blog, people's comments recalled childhood memories of neighbors, who may or may not still live in those houses. Driving home at night in December is truly a festive experience. Here are a few of the many houses elaborately decorated for the holidays. And bonus "holiday feel" points for us this year - it has snowed already!
The Classic look.
Taken by graphic designer Stacie Merrill during the nights of the spooky moon in December 2016.
Ribbons, trimming and garland. Bring more snow!
Yard art is really hard to resist. This van with the laser lights is something special.
Taken by graphic designer Stacie Merrill on one of her nightly walks.
Setting the scene.
Each year, these row houses on East Main just past Dogwood always dress up.
More yard art! The blow-up scene.
A naturally decorated house, with its gingerbread trim.
Each piece has its place.
Epic every year.
But needs two photos, because of the side yard.
A sparkler.
Same house as above, but captured differently. See the orbs in this one?
Aww, what a friendly porch!
Photo Credits: All photos taken by Katie Hellmuth Martin, except those taken by Stacie Merrill as indicated.
Santa Letter Delivered In Beacon - Did You Write Him?
/Have you ever written a letter to Santa and sent it to the North Pole? I don't think I ever did. Maybe at Higbee's when we visited Santa one time, you needed to write something. My 6-year-old this year asked if she could write a letter to Santa. Correction: She didn't ask, she declared she was doing it. And now that she has just learned how to write, she can accomplish this.
One letter was written to Santa, the envelope was addressed, and the whole shebang was sent with a real U.S.P.S. stamp to give the post office the extra Christmas cash. The next day, she checked the mailbox, and the letter was indeed gone. Unlike the Elf on the Shelf, it wasn't anything I had anything to do with. The letter had been whisked away to the North Pole. The job was done.
Until December's Second Saturday, when we were out and about. My daughter and I hit two pop-up markets on the east end of town, then shopped our way up Main Street at Utensil, Echo, and Style Storehouse (where we saw carolers!). We stopped into Rite Aid to contemplate Big Gigantic Bears, and made it allllll the way to the new boutique, Bellus on Main, to try on their amazing boot selection. Hunger overcame me, so we needed to head straight to Dogwood for an emergency burger. But not before stopping by our own mailbox to check on an Elf on the Shelf that appeared there. Lo and behold, we also found a mystery letter, decorated in stickers and lollipops! I assumed it came with the Elf, which had been offloaded by a friend whose child had condemned it to live in her car's glove compartment.
Ho ho ho, this letter was not from my friend.
It was from Santa! The note thanked my daughter for sending him her Christmas list. He told her that he checked it, saw that she was on his Nice List, and would be paying a visit, but only if she did not peek. The note was pre-typed on Santa stationery, with her name hand-written in purple marker. The outside of the envelope was decorated with multicolored markers, with glitter stickers and a super-special gingerbread lollipop that - at her own insistence - has been stored in a special place by my daughter until Christmas.
None of us had ever seen a letter from Santa, and we were all shocked, extremely excited, and very warmed to the heart to live in Beacon.
The only clue to the letter's origin - not that one needed a clue, because it was signed "Santa" - was the return address and stamp. Of which there were none, except for the logo of the United States Postal Service, and a pre-paid postage placement. Well, heck. There are some elves out there!
Speaking of elves, I saw one in Accuprint the other day when I was shipping gifts. He'd asked me, while he waited to take away my packages and a bunch of others: "Did your daughter get the letter I brought?" YES, I said. According to this elf, he'd delivered my daughter's letter and others to a woman in the post office. Every year, she answers children's Christmas letters to Santa. No one knows why she does it, he told me. And it's not her official job to do so. She just does. Rainbow markers, glitter stickers and all. Leaving the rest of us speechless.
Making magic happen.
Two 2-Hour Delays and 2 Sick Kid Days Equals Blogging Logjam
/When the school district calls for a two-hour weather delay for snow one day and subsequent rain the next, I've learned to let it go. It used to rile me up, being that I'm from the snow belt of Cleveland. That got me used to actual snow or frozen boilers being the reason for delays or closures. But after experiencing a reverse tizzy last year, when the district did not call a snow day on the one day that it actually did snow toward the end of the season, when all of the other districts around us did call a snow day, which compelled me to make a complaint appointment with the superintendent, I've learned to let. it. go.
Which leads us to this post, letting you know that last week's two 2-hour delays, and my son's double sick days at the start of this week, has led to a delay of some pretty good articles coming out. Normally, I'd take the 2-hour delay as bonus time for getting writing and picture uploading done, but (surprise!) I'm also newly pregnant, so I took the time to sleep in because in these early weeks, I've actually felt quite unwell when hungry! You'll find me at any grocery store re-stocking up on food, like Stouffer's Mac 'n' Cheese and a really amazing frozen chocolate mousse pie at Key Food, or the ready-made healthy food bar at the Beacon Natural Market. (One must balance the diet, after all!)
But know this: There is a Holiday Decoration Special blog post coming up — got a picture of your house all lit up? Email it to editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com for consideration! Also on deck are a couple more articles you'll like.
Stay tuned! In the meantime, I'll be over here co-engineering Hot Wheels tracks.
Happening This Weekend: 12/16/16
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Classified Listing: Writers' Group Looking for Professional Writer(s) for New Writers' Workshop Group
/Submitted by:
Liesa Goins
Twitter @liesago
Instagram Liesa_go
Looking for a writer or two to join a small local writers' group. Current members are professional writers with bylines in many national publications, including Marie Claire, Slate and The New York Times Magazine.
We are looking for a place to discuss ambitious projects (of any length) and some healthy deadline pressure to keep us honest. We're hoping to find some other serious/professional writers to join the fray. Fiction or non-fiction projects welcome.
We'll be meeting once a month to offer feedback, brainstorm ways to work through challenges, provide accountability and act as readers for projects in the works. We'll be meeting once a month (ideally) at a member's home - we'll rotate the venue.
If you're interested, please send an email introducing yourself and your writing background to liesago@gmail.com.
To place your own Classified Listing, click here for booking and pricing information >
'Tis The Season at All Sport Health & Fitness (Sponsor Spotlight)
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It may be cold outside, but All Sport will keep you sweating all winter long! And we're not just talking about their sauna, although they have that too and it's one of our favorites. Today is the first day of Member Appreciation Week, from December 12 to 15, and All Sport is showing its members a little extra love with events for adults and kids, including a mini Wellness Workshop and photos with Santa! See dates below and more information here.
There are so many ways to enjoy All Sport, we maintain an All Sport Guide here at A Little Beacon Blog. At the beginning of every month, we throw the spotlight on the dates you don't want to miss.
Holiday Entertaining in Lobby - Live Music from Beacon High School choir
In honor of the holiday season, All Sport is hosting a variety of musicians in the lobby throughout the month to get you in the spirit. Don’t miss a serenade from members of our own Beacon High School Orchestra on Wednesday, December 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm! And the Costellos will also be playing during All Sport's Member Appreciation Party on December 15. If you're used to the band lineup around the pool during the summer at All Sport, then you won't be disappointed at this social schedule. Plus, Santa is coming during the Kids Craft Party on Tuesday, December 13!
School's Out Holiday Vacation Camp
You could occupy the kids for the entire week of Winter Break, or you could treat them to a day (or three) of All Sport Camp in the Winter. From 8 am to 5 pm on weekdays from December 23 to January 2, your children ages 5 to 12 can spend their days swimming, playing sports and games, doing arts and crafts, and more. Holiday Camp is available for members and non-members, but members get a daily discount. See more details here, and call the Front Desk at 845-896-5678 to register.
DING DING DING! Kids Class Registration Opens
Registration for Winter I kids activities, from fencing and gymnastics to swimming, opens on December 14 for members and two days later for non-members. The phone lines light up for Swimming Class registration, and others. See our breakdown of all kids classes, and find out how to make a workout for you happen at the same time as a sports class for your child.
Challenge Yourself
The next Small Group Training Transformation Challenge starts on January 9, just in time to get through the holiday leftovers and start working on your New Year’s resolutions! The program runs through April 4 and includes unlimited small group training sessions, progress tracking, nutrition seminars, and more. Even better: The Transformation Challenge is only $299 for members.
Plan For Holiday Closings
All Sport will close early on the following days this month, but don't worry, if you are one with your inbox, you'll see the reminders they send:
Dec. 24: Club closes at 3 pm
Dec. 25: Club is closed
Dec. 31: Club closes at 5 pm
There is a lot more going on at All Sport, so see our All Sport Guide for special classes, themed classes, and much more.
Editorial Note: All Sport is a Sponsor Spotlight of A Little Beacon Blog, and this post has been a part of our Branded Content Partner Program. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us!
The Story Behind Beacon's Bicycle Tree, Lit Every December Second Saturday (Sponsor Spotlight)
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This year will mark the fifth year for the Bicycle Tree, which has grown in size and complexity. During its first year, the tree was smaller and stationary. Last year, visitors of all ages were delighted when they found they could interact with the tree by spinning wheels, using pedals, and climbing around its larger structure. Originally an initiative conceived by the artist Ed Benavente and sponsored by BeaconArts, the City of Beacon now also supports the event. Activities including a children's craft begin at 3:30 pm, Santa arrives at dusk, and the tree is lit at 5 pm. Bring a mug for hot chocolate.
Photo Credit: BeaconArts, by Ethan Harrison (@Wolfingtons)
The Bicycle Reindeer that brings Santa to the tree lighting each year.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
The Second Saturday Tree Lighting happens at Polhill Park next to the Beacon Welcome Center. Last year, in 2015, a record 750 people attended and 200 children sang, according to Kelly Ellenwood, Vice President of BeaconArts. During the day of the tree lighting, the program includes singers and dancers from various local schools, traditional Christmas carols, free hot chocolate and of course, Santa Claus himself, who is delivered by a Bicycle Reindeer to the tree. The menagerie of bicycle constructions has also grown to include a Bicycle Menorah for Hanukkah, and now a New Year’s Ball made of bicycle wheel rims. The latter will be dropped in the last seconds of 2016 for the second time at Dogwood (on the East End of town just over the Fishkill Creek).
Ed's sculptures are all around town. Most notable may be the tall fork and spoon that went up outside Café Amarcord during a Beacon 3D summer outdoor show. You also may have seen Ed peddling around town on his Santa Cab/Bike, aka the Bicycle Reindeer. Ed's work can also be seen in Marion Royael Gallery (speaking of which, have you been in to see the Doors exhibit, "Mr. Yard Presents Knock Knock Underground Emoji" yet? Today is a good day to go). To learn more about the tree, we asked the artist to tell us about it in his own words. Here's what he had to say:
Why the Bicycle Tree? How did this become an annual symbol in Beacon?
"First of all, this project was conceived in 2011 to help give a focal point for all of the various holiday activities being supported by the city, local businesses and volunteer groups. As is often the case, money was the biggest obstacle to having a large, central holiday display. When it comes to making something out of nothing, ask an artist. I am an artist, and a local resident and sculptor, and I volunteered to create a town Christmas Tree as an art project.
"As an art piece, the tree is not perfect. It is ever-evolving just like the community we live in. That’s one reason I chose the bicycle as a symbolic component. Bicycles are powered by people. I feel very fortunate to live in a place that knows how to keep things rolling.
"Taking a half-dozen or so junk bicycles, I fashioned a tree-shaped display and installed it on the empty lot at the corner of Main and Cross Streets (between River Winds Gallery and Hudson Beach Glass) under the sponsorship of the Beacon Arts Community Association (BACA). The location has since moved to Polhill Park."
How did it go? This bicycle tree? How was it received?
"It’s one of those things you just don’t know what people will do or how they will react. I was overwhelmed by the positive responses from people walking by as I was setting this thing up. It made them happy."
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The Bicycle Menorah
Photo Credit: Ed Benavente
This tree lighting is an annual tradition, and Ed's work and BeaconArts' organization and promotion of the event are integral to the holiday season in Beacon. See you this afternoon/tonight at 3:30 pm! Santa arrives at dusk (about 4:30 pm) and the tree is lit at 5 pm. Bring a mug for hot chocolate. Then return to this spot on December 24, 2016 for the lighting of the Bicycle Menorah to celebrate the first night of Hanukkah, and let's gather at Dogwood on New Year's Eve for the dropping of the Bicycle Ball.
The Bicycle Ball for New Year's Eve at Dogwood.
Photo Credit: Ed Benavente
This article is a Sponsor Spotlight post with our partnership with BeaconArts, but what makes the partnership so great is that we would have written about it anyway! Thank you for supporting businesses and organizations who support us.
Draught Industries Isn't Leaving - It's Re-Ownering - But Drink it All on December 10th!
/Draught Industries is the most narrow bar, located slightly east of the middle of Main Street, and chances are, you pass right by it every time you're trying to find it. Inside, you'll find a tightly curated and very creative list of beers, and you're allowed to bring your own food!
So when the news came that Draught was selling, bier lovers shivered, hoping they wouldn't lose their barstool in this eclectic nook. And we've just confirmed that they won't. December 10, 2016, marks the final night with Draught Industries' original owners. Their words: "Thanks for a great 2 years! Final weekend! All glasses $5, flights $10 and growler fills $15 until it's gone!! Come see us in Fishkill at The Dutchess Biercafe where we'll be adding a beautiful Biergarten next year!" Draught will re-open the following Thursday, with the same hourly schedule that it has now.
Draught's motto will give you an indication of what's it's like inside this little bar, and why it should top your list for beer: "Some people collect art. We drink it. 20 rotating Draughts & 2 rotating Beer Engines." You can't miss the apparatus inside that makes the beer pour so perfectly from each keg. It is mounted on the wall and looks like an antique telephone switchboard, but it's really a beer switchboard of some kind...
To prove that Draught is passionate about beer, we'll leave you with a typical rundown from Draught's Instagram feed:
Happening This Weekend - 12/9/2016
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Homespun Now Open Daily for Breakfast from 8am-5pm
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Photo Credit: Homespun Foods' Instagram (@homespunfoods)
Weekend foodies, your week just got a lot better. Homespun has taken a reverse approach to shortened winter hours. (Many restaurants tend to shorten their hours to match the missing daylight.) Homespun has decided to brighten all of our days by opening earlier, daily, for breakfast starting at 8 am! Their full hours will now be daily from 8 am to 5 pm. The menu is still being decided, but we put in a vote for the deep-dish vanilla french toast to be available daily. Sometimes you need the extra warmth in your body, rather than a breakfast sandwich. But their oatmeal bowls and yogurt plates are a pretty spot-on way to start your day right.
For a full listing of restaurants in Beacon, see A Little Beacon Blog's Restaurant Guide.
Beacon of Love Bake Sale Fundraiser for 80 Refugees Settling in the Hudson Valley
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Sixty bakers have gotten out their mixing bowls to raise funds for 80 refugees settling into the Hudson Valley from various countries in war distress. You'll recognize names from local businesses like Ella's Bellas and Five Hens Baked Goods, as well as rising independent bakers from Beacon bake sale fundraisers like Tessa Dean, Jill Corson, Kate Donahue Daley and Stacie Merrill, Additionally, 30 raffle prizes have been donated from Beacon businesses including Hudson Beach Glass, Artisan Wine Shop, Quinn's, and local artisans. Even Random House and Penguin Classics books have sent in donations for the raffle, all of which happens on Saturday, December 10, 2016, which is Beacon's Second Saturday, from 11 am to 7 pm at 510 Main St. (Open Space Gallery) Beacon, NY 12508.
Says the event's organizer, Julie Shiroishi: "As the longtime home of folk legend Pete Seeger, the people of the city of Beacon cherish the late musician’s message of love, tolerance, and inclusion. In that spirit, citizens of Beacon are banding together to celebrate his enduring legacy by raising funds for the 80 refugees soon to be resettled in the region."
Julie says that the money raised at the Beacon of Love fundraiser will be donated to the Mid-Hudson Refugee Welcome Fund to help with the costs of the goods and services that the new settlers will need to ease their transition to life in America.
Donations can be made directly by clicking here, and and local, state and national leaders can be contacted here.
Comment Period for 43 Proposed Barge Anchorage Berths in Hudson River Ends December 6, 2016
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The Coast Guard is considering a proposal to establish up to 2,000 acres of new anchorage berths for commercial barges along 70 miles of the Hudson River, which faced major public opposition from citizens and public officials this summer when it was introduced. The Public Comment period was originally slated to end in September, but was extended to December 6, 2016, due to efforts put forth by U.S. Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Reps. Eliot Engel, Chris Gibson, Nita Lowey, and Sean Patrick Maloney. Officials opposed to the proposal include Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (whose 18th district includes Beacon), N.Y. Sen. Terrence Murphy (representing northern Westchester and Putnam), N.Y. Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, N.Y. Assemblyman Frank Skartados, Beacon Mayor Randy Casale, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, Hastings-on-Hudson Mayor Peter Swiderski, Dobbs Ferry Mayor Hartley Connett, Kingston Mayor Steve Noble, and more.
Between Kingston and Yonkers, up to 43 vessels as long as 600 feet each would be able to drop anchor in the following ports, followed by the available acreage and number of barges allowed to anchor there at one time:
- Kingston Flats South Anchorage Grounds: 279 acres; 3 vessels
- Port Ewen Anchorage Ground: 37 acres; 1 vessel
- Big Rock Point Anchorage Ground: 208 acres; 4 vessels
- Roseton Anchorage ground: 305 acres; 3 vessels
- Milton Anchorage Ground: 74 acres; 2 vessels
- Marlboro Anchorage Ground: 154 acres; 3 vessels
- Newburgh Anchorage Ground: 445 acres; 5 vessels
- Tompkins Cove Anchorage Ground: 98 acres; 3 vessels
- Montrose Point Anchorage Ground: 127 acres; 3 vessels
- Yonkers Extension Anchorage Ground: 715 acres; 16 vessels
Quoted in the Highlands Current in July 2016, Beacon City Council member George Mansfield said the Newburgh anchorage grounds “would certainly be an eyesore for us [in Beacon], as it would affect our viewshed. It also would affect our access to the river, kayaks, fish habitats, and the levels of noise and light pollution.”
Members of the public are encouraged to share their views with the U.S. Coast Guard by submitting a comment here:
https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=USCG-2016-0132-0001
Who Put Forth This Proposal?
The proposal for new anchorage zones, or barge "parking lots," as Scenic Hudson refers to them, in 10 municipalities, comes at the urging of the American Waterways Operators (AWO), the national trade association for the tugboat, towboat, and barge industry; the Hudson River Port Pilots Association, and the Maritime Association of the Port of New York and New Jersey.
One of the proposed sites would allow five commercial barges to occupy 445 acres (over 400 football fields) of the river in Newburgh, clearly visible from across the river in Beacon. Since there are currently no legal anchorage sites in the area, this would be a significant change for local residents and tourists alike.
Vessel operators say more anchorage grounds will make navigating the river safer because they will allow crews to rest or wait for weather conditions to improve before continuing their journey. Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Allyson Conroy said, “Just like truck drivers have rest stops, there needs to be a safe place for crews experiencing fatigue to drop their anchors and rest… When a commercial vessel needs to stop and anchor, they are required to anchor at federally designated anchorages.”
However, as Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino points out: “In the language of the proposal, ‘long-term’ is defined as 30 or more days. That’s not stopping by, that’s moving in. It’s classic federal-government vagueness: Today’s ’30 or more’ could be tomorrow’s 'in perpetuity.' ” Federal regulations already make an exception for “cases of great emergency,” during which a vessel can anchor outside a federally designated anchorage as long as the crew notifies the Coast Guard.
Vessel operators can face fines for anchoring outside designated areas in situations that are not considered emergencies. Captain Ian Corcoran, president of the Hudson River Pilots Association, told NBC New York, “These anchorages have been used for years – the problem is, they were never designated.” Commercial vessels have indeed been anchoring illegally in some of the proposed sites, and the Coast Guard actually used many of them during Superstorm Sandy. What many residents are concerned about, however, is the prolonged and regular use of the areas, especially by barges carrying crude oil.
The increased traffic and vessel size on the Hudson River may be due in part to the lifting of the federal ban on exporting American oil overseas. In a letter to the Coast Guard, the Maritime Association referred to the Port of Albany as a “leading export port” for Bakken crude oil and ethanol from North Dakota, and Newburgh as a “major petroleum distribution center and prime deep-water port on the Hudson River.” Although Conroy did not provide any specifics on what types of cargo the anchored vessels might be carrying, it appears likely that at least some of them will be transporting crude oil.
Proponents of the new anchorage sites claim that the barges will be dark and silent at night, but residents near some common, though not legal, anchorage grounds claim otherwise. According to Riverkeeper, barges had been anchoring illegally between Rhinecliff and Port Ewen from 2012-2015, until nearby homeowners complained to the Coast Guard about the generator noise and stadium-bright lights emanating from the vessels.
View of the Hudson River from Bannerman Island.
The Hudson River's Ongoing Cleanup Improves Way of Life
Picturing the kayakers and recreational boaters enjoying sunny afternoons on the river just a few months ago, it can be hard to imagine the days when the river was a chemical dumping ground along a heavily industrial corridor. Newburgh, Beacon, and many communities along the Hudson River have spent the past 60 years pouring time and money into rejuvenating their waterfront areas and building a significant tourism industry. An ongoing reminder of this effort is the Beacon River Pool, a floating pool with a netted bottom and benches placed into the Hudson River. People are only allowed into it when daily tests reveal that the water is clean enough.
The Recent History of the Hudson River's Massive Cleanup
The late musician and activist Pete Seeger, whom many consider the savior of the Hudson River, founded Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. in 1969 to raise awareness of the dire conditions of the river and revolutionize environmental education. When Seeger started the organization, the river was so full of raw sewage, toxic chemicals, and oil pollution that some areas had no fish left at all. Today, what was once an industrial highway is now home to recovering ecosystems, science and education centers, recreational tourism, and historic landmarks. The sloop Clearwater was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, and the Hudson River itself was designated an American Heritage River by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1997.
Several organizations including Clearwater, Scenic Hudson, and Riverkeeper have been instrumental in the push to made General Electric remove some of the 1.3 million pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) its plants dumped in the river until 1977. The EPA concluded that the concentration of PCBs was hazardous to human and environmental health, and GE started dredging the contaminated sediment from some areas. Two hundred miles of the river are still on the National Priority List of hazardous waste sites because of this contamination.
Fear of Billions of Dollars Spent in Environmental Setbacks
Along with cleaning chemicals and and sewage, communities along the river have spent billions of dollars turning their scarred industrial ruins into waterfront hotspots. “Beacon alone is considered one of the best examples of a revitalized and repurposed waterfront,” said Althea Mullarkey, Public Policy and Special Projects Analyst at Scenic Hudson. “Some of the scars are still there, but they’re healing.”
Beacon’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP) was originally approved in 1992 and was updated in 2012. The LWRP serves as a framework that has attracted public and private investment to several waterfront projects, including the Dia:Beacon art museum, Long Dock Park, and the Beacon Shoreline Trail pedestrian walkway. One of the earliest initiatives under the LWRP was the rezoning of industrial areas, like the abandoned brick factory at Dennings Point, as waterfront parks and developments. Millions of dollars have gone into building the amenities at Long Dock Park alone and turning Dennings Point into an educational and research facility.
The proposed anchorage sites would by no means destroy the new parks and waterfront businesses, but as Mullarkey put it, “New York state has a vision for the future. It’s looking forward, and this is going backwards.” The presence of thousands of acres of metal barges, while a potential boon to the commercial shipping business, would undoubtedly detract from the views and recreational opportunities that bring billions of tourism dollars each year to the Hudson Valley.
Aside from the potential for spills and explosions that comes with transporting petroleum products in any way, environmentalists are concerned about the destruction that anchors and large, heavy barges will wreak on fragile river habitats. Two federally endangered species of sturgeon live in the Hudson River estuary, and several of the proposed anchorage sites are in areas designated as Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitats by the New York Department of State. “The proposed anchorage grounds could disrupt already delicate ecosystems,” according to Scenic Hudson, “impeding their recovery from other industrial uses of the River, and disturbing the natural rhythms of the River.”
Public Comment
Any members of the public are encouraged to share their views with the Coast Guard by submitting a comment here, with the deadline of December 6, 2016:
https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=USCG-2016-0132-0001
Additional Sources Used For This Article:
http://www.cityofbeacon.org/Pdf/Local_Waterfront_Revitalization_Plan.pdf
https://www.dos.ny.gov/opd/programs/WFRevitalization/LWRP_Monitoring/Beacon%20Monitoring%20Report.pdf
http://www.scenichudson.org/ourwork/environmentaladvocacy/anchorages
http://www.riverkeeper.org/campaigns/river-ecology/anchorages/
https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=USCG-2016-0132-0001
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/16/nyregion/plan-to-let-barges-park-on-the-hudson-meets-resistance-in-river-towns.html?_r=0
http://www.clearwater.org/ea/pcb-contamination/
http://www.riverkeeper.org/patrol/fact-check-industrys-false-claims-hudson-river-anchorages/
http://www.riverkeeper.org/patrol/6-things-know-proposed-hudson-river-anchorages/
http://wigwameconomy.com/long-term-barge-anchorage-off-beacons-dennings-point/
This article was written and reported by Kayleigh Metviner, with additional edits and contributions from Katie Hellmuth Martin.
Photo Credits: Katie Hellmuth Martin
