Happening This Weekend - 12/28/2018
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The Highlands Current Needs Your Help! Seeking Fundraising To Continue Covering Beacon
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The Highlands Current is a local newspaper you’ve seen around town, stacked in storefronts, and now in the blue boxes that keep popping up on street corners. The paper is a nonprofit organization, and while they do rely on advertising, they count on individual donations more - 75% of publishing costs come from donors! The paper, which is distributed for FREE, is in the final, heated days of their big fundraising appeal, and needs Beacon’s help! Beaconites are so important to the publication, that the paper has invested in an ad campaign here at A Little Beacon Blog to help them get the word out. And you know we love helping to spread the good word.
Years ago, the Highlands Current was launched and covered Cold Spring, Garrison, Nelsonville and North Highlands. In 2015, they expanded their coverage to include Beacon by dedicating at least two reporters, Jeff Simms and Brian PJ Cronin, to cover the Beacon “beat” (newspaper term), as well as Alison Rooney to feature stories on the arts, Michael Turton with some articles (he also delivers the papers all around town) and Pamela Doan, the editor of the Calendar section that includes Beacon events in their roundup. And now I too have joined the ranks as a columnist with my “Kid Friendly” column over there. If you attend City Council or Board of Education meetings, you stand a good chance of seeing Jeff or Brian in the unofficial “press box” (aka somewhere in the front rows).
Highlands Current Quick To Report On Important Issues
Thanks to this dedication, The Highlands Current is often the first to report on big changes coming out of our City Council - changes that impact your daily life here in Beacon. Also because of this investment, their reporters follow different events each week at these meetings, so are super familiar with the twists and turns the issues make, and often weave these significant details into their articles for better context. Because they print on paper, a newspaper doesn’t get to use as much space as a blog does, so often they have to select their words so carefully, and cram hours’ worth of events and pages of supporting documents into three tiny paragraphs!
The paper published this picture to show how two Beacon Reporters work from the Telephone Building through Beahive’s shared office space.
Beacon Newspaper Reporters Work From The Telephone Building
Little known fact to bolster your Beacon trivia base: The Highlands Current stations their reporters out of the Telephone Building in Beahive’s shared work space. A Little Beacon Blog also has our office in the Telephone Building! It’s fun to be in a communications hub like this.
Fundraising Opportunity - Double Match Going On Now ’Til December 31!
Thanks to a grant from NewsMatch and an anonymous donor, any contribution from $1 to $1,000 will be matched two times until December 31! Even if you gave just $10, it matters!
Yes, the dollars help, but new donors are equally important. New donors signal to the newspaper that you care, and you want their coverage to continue. If you have already donated to the Highlands Current this year, consider asking your spouse or best friend to also donate if they haven’t yet. #NewDonorAlert!
PS: If you are reading this article after December 31, 2018, you can still donate! Every little bit helps.
Store Closing: Howling At The Edge Of Chaos Owner Diagnosed With Ovarian Cancer; Seeks Peace
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Howling at the Edge of Chaos is closing on Saturday. Valerie J. Mitchell opened in Beacon a year and a half ago, and created a store that showcases artists' creations that "howl their truth," which is the store's motto. Valerie was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer in June. Less than three months after her treatments ended, she has learned that the cancer is back. It is in her liver and colon and she is considered terminal. Valerie says that she has chosen quality of life, and is not pursuing treatments. She will be traveling with family and being at peace with her next steps.
The lights have been on in the store hit or miss, in between doctor's appointments. We stopped in and made a few purchases (pictured above) yesterday, making sure to get in while she was open, pushing aside any other commitments that were on the calendar. Howling at the Edge of Chaos is at 428 Main Street in Beacon, NY, which is that tiny sliver of a store next to the Beacon Hotel, just down the block from Ella’s Bellas.
Two Lessons Here
A first impulse for some has been to reach out to help. Valerie’s passion is spreading truth and awareness, and so far she is doing both: about ovarian cancer, but also about supporting local businesses.
First: Valerie wove into her shop's mission to get out the truth. Her storefront window was dedicated to ovarian cancer awareness, as it is one of the most silent and swift of the cancers that often goes undetected. She wants more people to be aware of their bodies and to stay in front of them. A Little Beacon Blog will be sharing an ovarian cancer awareness post to help spread the word and educate about early signs.
Second: After Valerie and I hugged and laughed a lot about anything and everything at all, Valerie made sure to tell me about the “Just A Card” campaign. She's very eager to sell everything in the store, so do go in. The shop is very festive, with her sparkly Christmas trees and music (see our Instagram video). The "Just a Card" campaign is one that sends the message that if every person who walked into a shop and expressed their love and appreciation for it just "bought a card" - however small the purchase - it helps the store continue and prosper.
A personal regret of mine has been not buying more from Howling at the Edge of Chaos. Many times, I have walked past the store and seen her posts of rings and necklaces on Instagram from different artists she carries, and each time I thought: “Beautiful! I want that! But I'll treat myself to that later when I deserve a treat."
Later may never come. Out of this entire galaxy of time, we only live for 100 years of it, if that. Some of us only have 36 years, or 17 years, or 9 years, or 2 years. Don't wait for later. If you want this beauty in your life - these shops, these people who set up the shops and take big risks to be here - go inside. Treat yourself. Make someone happy with a gift.
Happening This Weekend - 12/21/2018
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Holiday House Lights In Beacon For 2018!
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Thank you to everyone who submitted pictures of their decorated homes! It has become a tradition each year for us at A Little Beacon Blog to go “Holiday House Light Hunting,” where we literally drive up and down Beacon (quite literally, when we drive up Mount Beacon into those neighborhoods) to find exciting holiday house light decorations.
While there are several pictures in this roundup, it is just a sampling of the many house lights decorating Beacon right now. Where possible, we indicate where a house is. Otherwise, we encourage you to drive or walk around on your own self-guided tour!
Here is a home going with a fun minimalist pop-art look. If this looks familiar to anyone, this house was featured on HGTV’s House Hunters with Richard Blakely and Lindsay Kaplan. Watch the episode - it is hilarious, and you’ll even see Richie from Max’s on Main in it!
Photo Credit: Richard Blakeley (Richie’s son-in-law)
Celebrating their first holiday season in Beacon, Allison and Chris built their house from scratch. You’ve probably seen it on 9D on the way to the train station just after the Southern Dutchess Country Club. Next year they promise MORE lights to outline the entire house.
Lauren and Brent just moved to Beacon at the end of this past summer, and were excited to decorate their new home for the holidays!
New life in the former Halvey Funeral Home as the new residential homeowners are settling in. (The funeral home business has relocated to Bank Street, near Dia off Wolcott.)
A nice “I’ll be home for Christmas” vibe is coming from this home.
Oooh! Glittery and sparkly!
Brightly lit trees on front porches emerged as a theme early on. In order to capture these white lights on the tree, we had to sacrifice the rest of the house in the dark. #iphonechallenged
Props to anyone who got lights onto their roof!
Traditional and festive!
The sparkly laser lights look like snow for a minute.
While not over the top, this very classic look had us wanting to live there.
Awwww! We love the big polar bear!
This corner of Tompkins Terrace has some serious cheer!
This house is a professional Griswold. Wait for the other side...
It’s a good thing we had our Christmas music playing, because it felt like music was coming out of the lights! And BTW, this design is so elaborate and well-done, we had driven around the block to go somewhere else, but actually got lost and thought we had driven up to a new house when we approached this one from a different angle! People come from all over to take pictures of this house.
Being a neighbor of the above house might serve as a Holiday House Light Challenge, so we tried to show some love for the neighbors. Fist bump to this little Vader across the street.
It’s the “Fa La La La La La La Death Star” house on Overlook Ave.
As we stopped to take this photo of this charming display, one of the wreaths got sucked back into the window! We wondered if we were in Whoville while the Grinch was stealing Christmas? No, the decorators were just putting on finishing touches as we drove by.
Quite elaborate around the yard!
We liked the illuminated nativity scene with the snowman.
Always a good one. This house is near Dogwood and gives us a beach-house vibe each year when they light up with Christmas.
Certainly a warm glow! There was a cute snowman table spread scene out on the front porch at this house near the mountain.
More lit up trees on the front porch of this house near the mountain. We are definitely putting a Christmas tree out on the front porch next year!
Tricky picture, but this house, on Mountain Lane, which travels up Mount Beacon, overlooks the city below and over to Newburgh. It’s really neat over here, as several roads twist and turn up the mountain.
Charming. Can we move in? This one is also slightly up Mount Beacon.
If your house was gift-wrapped as a package, this is what it might look like.
Santa in a web!
Candy canes in the front yard on DeWindt.
Gratitude Alert: Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency As Lead ALBB Sponsor
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During this holiday season, we’re sending out a simple message of gratitude to one of our first and longest sponsors: Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency. I first met Susan Antalek Pagones during a joint BeaconArts / Beacon Chamber Member Mingle at St. Rocco’s, and it is an evening I will always remember for its illumination of how history is handed down in Beacon.
Right after introducing myself and saying I had just moved here and where my house was, Susan turned to her colleague, Terry Williams, to ask her: “Whose house is that?” Now, I knew whose house it was from the young family we bought it from (they bought it years ago, and opted to move closer to the mountain), but Susan and Terry knew it from the two generations of the family who had lived there prior.
I have since heard about this other family from our first plumber who could identify the pipes in the basement as his own among the other pipes that were not his work. The next person who knew our home better than me was a handyman I hired for my office to hang an OPEN sign from the ceiling. It turns out he was friends with the son of the family who owned our home decades ago. They have since both turned into professional home improvement professionals, which makes sense when I notice the creatively custom-built details around our home.
Susan teaches me about community-centered business all the time. Susan, her partner Vince Lemma, and their team of dedicated agents can help make it easier for you to decipher insurance, whether home, condo, renters, business, health, car, etc. Learn about how they do it in this exclusive interview with Susan Antalek Pagones here, and the interview we did with Vince here.
Thank you Team Antalek & Moore for supporting local media and A Little Beacon Blog!
3 Public Hearings Tonight: Arcade Law, Signs Law, Municipal IDs - Tonight's City Council Meeting
/Tonight, there are three Public Hearings scheduled for the 12/17/2018 City Council Meeting, in which you are invited to contribute your opinion and feedback about drafts of laws put before the City Council. This is your chance to speak in public to the City Council, so that they may consider your thoughts before signing proposed legislation into law.
Usually what happens at the meetings is people attend - sometimes it’s just one - then they have a chance to voice their opinions at a podium, and the City Council considers what they said. The City Council may then take the draft of the law back into a “Workshop” session where they meet again to talk about it in detail, and/or the City Attorney may take notes from the City Council and make changes to the draft law, and present it again. If no one shows up to a Public Hearing, the City Council has what it needs in the draft law to vote on the proposed new law or change to an existing law, and possibly sign it into new law that night if they get majority votes from themselves.
Here’s What’s On Deck Tonight:
“SIGNS” - HOW SIGNS HUNG OUTSIDE IN PUBLIC VIEW ARE TREATED
From the City’s Agenda: “A continuation of a public hearing to receive public comment on a proposed Local Law to delete Chapter 183 entitled “Signs” and to amend Chapter 223 Sections 15 and 63 of Code of the City of Beacon, concerning sign regulations in the City of Beacon”
Background: Highlands Current reporter Jeff Simms has been covering this signage development that was triggered by a large white political sign hung on a building on Hanna Lane that can be seen on Route 52. You can read about that here from June 2018, and here from November 2018. According to the November article: “The law was called into question after the city repeatedly clashed with Jason Hughes, a business owner who hung politically topical banners on the side of a warehouse he owns that faces Route 52. The draft of the new regulations would require permits for certain signs but not others… Real estate and construction signs, for example, would be allowed in residential zones without a permit, as would lawn signs (not exceeding 3 square feet) for elections, yard sales and other events as long as they were removed within seven days after the event took place.”
MUNICIPAL IDs
From the City’s Agenda: “A public hearing to receive public comment on a proposed local law to create Chapter 42 of the Code of the City of Beacon to establish a Municipal Identification Program in the City of Beacon”
ZONING LAW TO ALLOW ALL ARCADES, NOT JUST VINTAGE ARCADES
From the City’s Agenda: A public hearing to receive public comment on a proposed local law to repeal Chapter 223, Article III, Section 24.8 and to amend Chapter 223, Attachment 2 of the Code of the City of Beacon concerning amusement centers containing only vintage amusement devices
Background: Proposed new business offerings at a property at 511 Fishkill Avenue (which is in Beacon but just outside of downtown Beacon, past AutoZone), include a brewery, an arcade, and an event space. The property owners are seeking the allowance of an arcade, without being restricted to offering vintage games/machines that were built prior to 1980.
Deep Dive: We took a Deep Dive into this one, to see what it was all about, and you can read about it here.
Drafts of the laws, emails from people, and other supporting documents that are to help educate everyone before a Public Hearing are linked with each agenda on the City of Beacon’s website. To help with the ease of use, we have republished those here in our format to help keep things easy to find. (We love our Search bar!)
Many other items are on the agenda for the City Council to discuss among themselves, but in public. A Little Beacon Blog has published the entire agenda for tonight here to help you keep up. We do this for all of the City Council Meetings (started doing it about a year ago). When a video of a City Council Meeting has been published, we re-publish it with its dedicated meeting web page as well.
Brewery, Arcade and Event Space Proposed for 511 Fishkill Avenue As Industrial Arts Brewing Co. Looks To Expand To Beacon
/The large property at 511 Fishkill Avenue (aka Route 52), which is between AutoZone and the Healey car dealership, has been acquired by Diamond Properties, a commercial real estate and property management business located in Mount Kisco, New York. This is the old Mechtronics building on 9 acres of property; technically it’s in Beacon, but it’s outside of downtown Beacon. The property is a 147,500-square foot, two-story flex/industrial warehouse and office building and includes loading docks, warehouse, office, and on-site parking, according to the website of Diamond Properties.
The vision is to transform part of the space into a warehouse, brewery, accessory office, arcade and event space, to accommodate Industrial Arts Brewing Company, who would be a tenant in the building, according to the application submitted by the applicant, DP 108, LLC.
Industrial Arts Brewing Company, who is based in Garnerville, NY (over to the southwest of us, in Rockland County), is looking to expand in Beacon by way of this location. The plan would be a new brewery production space with warehouse capacity, and an event space on the second floor of the building, which could include arcade use. The architect for the project is Aryeh Siegel, who is the architect behind several projects under construction in Beacon, as well as completed projects.
While the intent of use for an arcade is there, Beacon has an older, or vintage if you will, zoning requirement on the books that does not allow for arcades in Beacon, unless they are offering vintage machines.
An excerpt from the arcade zoning law reads like this (which was posted with the 12/11/2018 Planning Board agenda): “Such amusement center shall contain only vintage amusement devices that were built prior to the year 1980 or noncomputerized devices with the exception of first generation computerized games such as those manufactured prior to 1990.”
The requirement also has provisions for noise levels, and that windows are to be kept closed, and doors “open only during ingress and egress,” as well as a calling for no vibrations to occur off the premises. Children under the age of 18 years old would also not be allowed to be in before 3 pm (school release time), and that age range cannot operate the machinery after 10 pm.
The Public Hearing was triggered after a representative from the project came before the Planning Board during a Planning Board meeting on 12/11/2018 to review the application to amend an existing Site Plan Approval and needed zoning law changed to allow amusement centers that include more current games, not just vintage.
During the 12/11/2018 Planning Board meeting, it was explained this way: “Right now, amusement centers are prohibited unless they are vintage amusement centers. In which case they are allowed by special permit. We are taking that distinction away and just saying ‘Indoor Commercial Recreation is a permissible use.’” The Planning Board discussed amending the old zoning requirement, and then sent their unanimous recommendation of “Yes, Amend” to the City Council for a vote.
In order to vote, the City Council must hold a Public Hearing to hear opinions from the public, which is scheduled for today, Monday December 17, 2018. An email from a Beacon business owner, Paulette Myers-Rich, who owns No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works on Main Street in Beacon, is on file to be present during the Public Hearing, in which Paulette asks that the special permit remain in the legislation in order to give more selection to which business opens where.
According to the proposed draft change of the law, the only proposed change coming from the City Council’s attorney seems to be to the vintage aspect of the zoning requirement.
Screenshot of the proposed Draft Change of the arcade law, which is what is being discussed at a City Council Public Hearing Monday, December 17, 2018.
Holiday Hours for Beacon's City Hall
/From the desk of Beacon’s City Administrator, Anthony Ruggiero, the Holiday Schedule Hours for City Hall are as follows:
Monday, December 24 – Christmas Eve, half day
Tuesday, December 25 – Christmas Day, closed
Monday, December 31 – New Year’s Eve, half day
Tuesday, January 1, 2019 – New Year’s Day, closed
As for upcoming City Council meetings:
“The next meeting is Monday, January 7, 2019, which is our reorganizational meeting and both a Workshop and a Council Meeting.”
Happening This Weekend 12/14/2018
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Where to Buy a Christmas Tree Near Beacon, NY
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Your hunt for a Christmas tree in or near Beacon is going to be a satisfying one. Below, you’ll find different local Christmas tree lots from which to purchase your live tree. The lots will smell heavenly, as the aroma is bursting from the trees. If you are totally out of decorations, and need a place to start, you could go to Brett’s Hardware in Beacon for the Christmas tree stand and an entire galaxy of light options (choices for your house, your tree and for other outdoor decorations like a mini-light show).
You could also go to Home Depot in Fishkill for Martha Stewart brand shatter-proof ornaments and other staples for indoor and outdoor decorating. If you change your mind on a real tree and instead opt for an artificial tree, you could head back to Brett’s or read our faux tree roundup.
SUNNY GARDENS NURSERY
Sunny Gardens Nursery is the nearby nursery located on 9D a little ways past Stony Kill Farm as you head toward Poughkeepsie. The regular plant nursery is open in spring, summer and fall. Once frosty winter days hit, Sunny Gardens opens its lot for the Christmas trees, wreaths, and decorated wreath balls.
Drive into the parking lot and step out, and it smells. so. good. The pine fragrance is accented with a slow-burning fire as the staff keeps warm around a fire-pit off to the side while you search for the exactly-right, perfect-for-you, favorite tree.
CHRISTMAS TREES FROM BEACON'S FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Christmas tree shed from the Beacon Engine Fire Company next to Dogwood's parking lot.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
The Beacon Fire Engine Company’s Christmas tree lot usually keeps hours consistent year to year.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
Beaconites can also buy a tree that benefits the Beacon Fire Engine Company, which is one of three fire companies in Beacon that respond to fires. To buy a tree from these firefighters, look for them in the lot next to Dogwood's parking lot (a single rope separates the two parking lots), at East Main Street and Liberty Street, on the east end of town, over Fishkill Creek, near the mountain.
A perfect December day might include a late lunch or dinner and a beer at Dogwood, followed by a Christmas tree pickup.
Location: 60 East Main Street
OPEN:
Wednesdays to Fridays, 5 to 9 pm
Saturdays and Sundays, 10 am to 6 pm
FISHKILL FARMS
Wow, what a beautiful location to go buy a Christmas tree! Fishkill Farms is just a short trip east on I-84. In addition to the fragrant trees, you may also smell the homemade donuts being cooked up fresh every morning. Don’t miss their store stocked with their apples and homegrown organic veggies, eggs, and fresh-pressed cider. Plus, Santa is visiting on Saturday, December 15, 2018.
VERA’S MARKETPLACE & GARDEN CENTER
Speaking of homemade donuts, more homemade donuts are in Cold Spring at Vera’s Marketplace & Garden Center, and they are famous. The garden center is located in a strip on a rural part of Route 9, and it shares its location with The Pantry and Marbled Meat Shop. You will not leave hungry from this tree hunt when you get yours from Vera’s. Getting there from Beacon is easy.
ADAMS FAIRACRE FARMS
And of course, you can buy your Christmas tree from Adams Fairacre Farms on Route 9 in Wappingers Falls. Adams offers a big selection of small and large trees, and walking through their tree nursery at night is always a lovely, fragrant experience. In years past, they’ve had real. live. reindeer.
CHOP YOUR OWN CHRISTMAS TREE
If you’re the real adventurous type, and want to cut down your own Christmas tree, you could try Battenfelds, up in Red Hook in the arctic reaches of northern Dutchess County. They offer wagon rides, Santa sightings and do sell other Christmas decorations. Just a heads up, though: They open at the end of November, so you may need to go early in the season if you want more of a selection. You could also visit TJ’s Tree Farm in Highland, which opens on Black Friday. They offer pre-cut trees, as well as trees you can cut yourself.
BIG STORE OPTIONS - HOME DEPOT AND PARKING LOT NEAR WALMART ON ROUTE 9
If you're a recent transplant from NYC, then buying a Christmas tree from Home Depot on Route 9 (to the right off the ramp from eastbound I-84), or from the parking lot across from Walmart on Route 9 (to the left off the same ramp) won't feel that much different from picking a tree from a pop-up Christmas tree lineup on Broadway.
Where To Buy A Faux Christmas Tree - And Could It Cure Your Cold?
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Faux Christmas trees were the answer to this family’s recurring sniffles and chronic coughing.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
Most of you are searching for where to buy a real Christmas tree in Beacon right now. And why wouldn’t you be? 'The hunt for the live Christmas tree is the most fun part of the start of the holiday season! But did you know that your Christmas tree, and any live-greens garland, might be bringing on that mystery “cold” you just can’t kick?
I know - I’ve been a denialist for years about this, until I went to the ER in Poughkeepsie two Christmases ago with a really bad asthma cough, and actually got better at the ER, surrounded by goopy, miserable people. Hear me out:
The Christmas Tree Can Bring On Allergies, Causing Asthma, Runny Noses, Prickly Skin
Pretty much every year, I get really sick. We all do, right? It’s normal. While at an in-law family Christmas dinner down South years ago, where the halls are decked with loads of garland, I basically had to sit outside in the cold fresh air for most of the dinner preparations, while my head calmed down and I could breathe again. I called home to my mom, telling her of my symptoms. “You’ve always been allergic to the Christmas tree!” she said. Oh yeah… I forgot.
I forget every year. Two years ago, while pregnant with my third child, my asthma was really acting up. But it wasn’t like an asthma attack, it was a simple tickle-cough. Totally normal, right? Doesn’t everyone have a tickle-cough? At the Holiday Family Fun Night in the school cafeteria, PTA parents were handing out the wreaths that families bought as part of a fundraiser. I was slowly fading away into a head fog, but just thought I was tired. Eventually I couldn’t speak to people anymore, without coughing. I was whispering.
The next morning, I called my midwife to ask her if it was safe to take my kid’s inhaler while pregnant. My kids both have asthma coughs, so I’m a professional nebulizer person. Her response? “I can hear you not breathing. I can hear you pushing the words out. Take yourself to the ER to measure your oxygen.”
Great. So off my dad and I went to Vassar. The waiting room was overflowing with the flu. As my dad Googled how to fix the computer board on our broken washing machine (Darn that thing! Pro tip: Buy the cheapest washing machine with the least amount of bells and whistles!!!), my lungs started clearing up in this germ-infested room. After half an hour, we left. And I remembered about the Christmas tree.
Therefore, out went the live Christmas tree, and so began our hunt for a fake Christmas tree!
The Hunt For The Fake Christmas Tree
We went to #allthestores to find the perfect faux Christmas tree, and wowzers, there are fun selections. Clearly we will be having several different trees because it’s too hard to pick just one. Great news, though: We have many options for artificial Christmas trees here in Beacon and around the Hudson Valley:
Faux or Artificial Christmas Trees In And Around Beacon
BRETT’S HARDWARE - 18 West Main Street, Beacon, NY
Brett’s Hardware (True Value)
Your closest and friendliest option is Brett’s Hardware at 18 West Main Street in Beacon, NY, down toward the train near the Hudson River. There, you’ll find all the things you need for a faux Christmas tree Christmas. With rainbow pre-lit trees, prices start at $89 for a 7-foot tree that has plugs for the lights running down the tree, and $149 for a 7.5-foot tree without plugs to fiddle with, so just piece it together and it works once plugged in at the bottom. BAM! You’re done.
But maybe you want more lights, so more lights you shall have. Brett’s has different colored Christmas lights, and those neat laser lights that all the neighbors are getting. You want some instant holiday stars? You got ‘em. There are different styles and prices of the laser light spinner as well. Brett’s Hardware also has plastic bin containers to store your ornaments and decorations.
Brett’s Hardware is open until 8 pm every weeknight, so if you’re commuting home, just stop on by. Brett’s is open ‘til 7 pm on Saturdays and 5:30 pm on Sundays. Brett’s is in the True Value family, so they can get in on good group pricing.
Pier 1
Way up Route 9, you’ll find Pier 1. Luckily, it’s right near a Starbucks to help fortify you through the afternoon shopping. There are beautifully bushy white artificial Christmas trees there, but they start at $400. If you weren’t planning on investing in a faux Christmas tree this year, you might want to put this on your wish list for Santa for next year. (Or check back after Christmas - maybe there’ll be a big sale?)
Target
Target in Poughkeepsie is where I found the smallish silver tinsel tree (about $80) that graces my office here at A Little Beacon Space. To be honest, I was looking for a pink tinsel tree, like the one Howling At The Edge Of Chaos has in her storefront window. But this fun one will work for now!
Rite Aid
Located in the middle of Main Street in Beacon, you may find some short (about waist-high) faux Christmas trees that could fit in a small window - with white frosting on the tips. After three years, the white “frost” on one of ours just turned yellow. Soooo… time to check on these options!
Happy decorating!
SPONSOR SUPPORT: Brett’s Hardware supported this article with an Article Sponsorship! We can bring you stories and ideas like this with the help of all of our advertisers at any level. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us!
Holiday Present To Yourself: 119 Howland Avenue
/Just because this InstaStory photo turned out so cute, we’re bringing it up to the blog!
Why not give a house as a holiday present to yourself? This home at 119 Howland Avenue is in a charming area of Beacon, giving you real mountain-side living. This side of town is very hilly, so even driving around on the back-roads will debut new views for you. If you like getting lost exploring, that’s totally possible here.
See all of the pictures and pricing in the full listing here in A Little Beacon Blog’s Real Estate Listing.
This house is represented by JonCar Realty, and we thank them for their support! Call them for a showing: (845) 831-3331.
Stock Up Sandwich Shop To Close; Owners Expanding Marbled In Cold Spring
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Photo Credit: David Ray Martin
Chris and Lisa, the owners of Stock Up, the sandwich shop in Beacon, as well as Marbled Meat Shop in Cold Spring, announced their intentions to close their Beacon location by Sunday, December 30, 2018. The location, at 29 Teller Ave., had long been the home of Beacon favorite, The Copper Roof Deli. Stock Up opened in early 2016 with the intention of making responsibly sourced meat and a variety of vegetables more accessible to Beaconites.
Closing a business is always a difficult choice, filled with many variables leading up to the decision. According to their announcement made on Instagram, the main reasons were the need to spend more time with their young family, and the reluctance to raise prices or change their high-quality offerings in order to increase profit margins.
Stock Up’s Announcement via Instagram:
Hey Neighbors,
December 30 will be our last day in Beacon. We gave it everything, met some incredible people on both sides of the counter, and really enjoyed our time here. We can no longer put our energy into 29 Teller Avenue. Our kid misses us and we are spinning our wheels to keep our doors open week after week. So many of you want to know what happened. The truth is, we could not make this space and this overhead work without a significant increase in menu prices or a complete overhaul of the program. We weren’t up for either. We’ve taken side jobs and cut our team in half. 2018 saw a significant drop in sales across the Hudson Valley and we’ve fallen too far behind to make it through another Hudson Valley winter. We can go on and on. Instead, let us focus on the positive. Come see us in the next three weeks, share a sandwich, a beer, a story. We will miss being part of the neighborhood but know that this is the best thing for our family.
Other Beacon businesses like Hudson Valley Vinyl, Tito Santana’s, Ella’s Bellas, The Studio Beacon, Artisan Wine Shop and Echo rallied around the restaurant in the announcement’s Comments section, and even Black Vanilla from across the river in Newburgh, as well as Signal Fire Bread and Industrial Arts Brewing voiced their support and respect for such a hard decision.
Stock Up Devotees Lament And Vow To Eat As Much As Possible Until Last Day In Beacon
Stock Up started as a promise to people who loved good, clean, food. They sprouted their own quinoa in their basement. They cured their own meat. Important to them was offering serious cuts of responsibly sourced meat and poultry, paired with seriously-good-for-you vegetable and grain options.
Customers’ reactions to the closure announcement were swift, with many mentioning immediate cravings for menu staples like:
The Big Bird (fried chicken, Stock Up sauce, natural pickles, crisp greens, on organic Bread Alone brioche)
The Breakfast Bird (fried chicken, bacon, fried egg, Mike’s Hot Honey and crisp greens on organic Bread Alone brioche)
Downstate BEC (two fried eggs, house-made heritage bacon, cheddar, and spicy ketchup on organic ciabatta)
Over 220 comments have been made so far to say goodbye on the announcement post, including these:
@icicles2 “I’m so sad. Stock Up is our favorite place. This is going to leave a huge void.”
@pipsqueeaak “Literally in tears. You guys will be missed so freaking badly.”
@thyme_co “I’m so sorry to hear this. Thank you for your wonderful food! You’re an inspiration. Good luck on your next adventure!”
@janellefelder …”I will forever be craving your fried chicken sandwich. Best ever! Will get a couple of more in during your final weeks. Best of luck to you in the future.”
@laur1025 “Barry will definitely miss the smell of cured meat when he plays in the backyard.”
@huggyhbomb “We will just have to get in the car and come see you at Marbled Meat Shop.”
The Good Food Dream Continues In Cold Spring at Marbled Meat Shop
Some of Stock Up’s offerings can be found in Chris and Lisa’s original shop in Cold Spring, Marbled Meat, which involves a beautiful drive down a wooded section of 9D, and then crossing over to the rural section of Route 9 (a good excuse to get to know the differences between these closely named roads!).
While the full menu of Stock Up will not be available, the couple is offering a small lunch menu and more prepared foods in Marbled. Said owner Lisa Marie Hall in the Instagram comments of the announcement: “We will be going back to our meat shop roots.”
Marbled Meat Shop opened in Cold Spring in 2014 in the compound of shops on Route 9 that include Vera’s Marketplace (famous for their homemade donuts, mozzarella, produce, and amazing everything) and The Pantry (famous for their expanding line of roasted coffees). This is quite a delicious strip of food heaven!
According to an e-newsletter from their neighbor The Pantry on November 8, 2018, Marbled Meat Shop expanded to offer more: “As new ideas continued to develop, Chris and Lisa were unsure if an expansion would be possible at Route 9 or if they would need to relocate. The Giordano family (who owns Vera's Marketplace & Garden Center) graciously designed new larger space for Marbled so that they could have more retail and production space. Come on by and see their new special space, located between Vera's entrance and our storefront.”
Chris and Lisa have explained on their Marbled Meat Shop website that they considered moving their Cold Spring location in order to expand their business in the direction of a wholesale sausage, house-made cured meats and charcuterie options. Their landlord responded with a plan. Says Chris on Marbled’s website: “Dominic called us in to hear their proposal. He stood in the center of Vera’s market, and said ‘you’re not going anywhere, we will make this work.’ What came next was a plan that kept us, The Pantry and Vera’s operating under the same roof while giving us the space we need to grow.”
Beacon Destinations For Responsibly Sourced Meats and Vegies
While there is a void with Stock Up gone (most of the renters of A Little Beacon Space like edible Hudson Valley would get their catered lunch from them!), there are other options for high-quality, creative food. Barb’s Butchery is extremely selective with their meats and is known for constantly inventing new flavors of their sausage, which are celebrated during their annual Sausage Fest. Homespun is a Beacon staple (with a second location down at Dia) and Kitchen Sink and Meyers Olde Dutch offer farm to table - some of which is from their own family farm. Beacon Pantry is known for their European selection of cheeses (and recently expanded in their location to make cheese and their sit-down cafe exclusive of each other). Beacon Natural has a daily selection of freshly prepared foods for a quick but healthy lunch or dinner, and Ella’s Bellas is the destination for gluten-free baked goods and cafe experience. Beacon’s Farmers Market, which has moved to its inside winter location at the Memorial Building (aka the Veterans Building), also makes available fresh produce, meats, poultry, fish, pickles, baked goods, and even home goods from a variety of vendors and farms.
Even more delicious restaurants are available in Beacon. Just check A Little Beacon Blog’s Restaurant Guide to learn more about them.
Wishing Chris and Lisa all of the best as they grow in new directions!
Christmas Trees For Sale From Beacon Engine Fire Company
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Christmas trees for sale in the Beacon Engine parking lot.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
In case you wanted more warm and fuzzy feelings about where you are getting your Christmas Tree this year, the Beacon Engine Fire Company has gotten their X-MAS TREES sign back out, and filled the lot with plump trees - all just waiting to be strapped to the top of your car.
The Christmas trees are sold from the Beacon Engine parking lot at 60 East Main Street, right next to Dogwood’s parking lot. A single rope divides the lots. Open hours are Wednesday to Friday, 5 to 9 pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 6 pm.
Speaking of, you can make an easy night of it with dinner at any of the restaurants on the east side of Beacon, like Dogwood, Melzingah Tap House, or Sukhothai. See A Little Beacon Blog’s Restaurant Guide for more dinner ideas.
Looking for other places to get your tree? See our updated article, ”Where To Buy A Christmas Tree in Beacon NY.”
Share your pics of which tree you take home! Tag A Little Beacon Blog in your Instagram photo - we’re @alittlebeacon.
P.S.: While we’re mentioning the Engine Co., we should share an important public-service announcement: The City of Beacon Fire Department reminds you to not leave cell phone chargers plugged in! They are a fire hazard.
