How's That Weather? | Retail Therapy Guide 12/23/2022
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Certification Course
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL
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Recap Of City Council's Workshop This Week Includes Budgeting Proposals, Operating Budgets, Planning Board Review, And The 2023 City Council Meeting Schedule
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City Council’s Workshop for this week contained the 2023 City Council Meeting Schedule along with Planning Board Reviews and Operating Budgets. An overview below.
Beacon High School Students' Participatory Budgeting Proposals
Appointment of James Cottrell to the Position of Motor Equipment Operator
Appointment of Edison Tenesaca to the Position of Motor Equipment Operator
Appointment of Christopher Egitto to the Position of Heavy Motor Equipment Operator
Appointment of Zachary Ross to the Position of Heavy Motor Equipment Operator
Reappointment of John Stella to the Board of Assessment Review
Agreement with Brown & Brown, Inc. for NYMIR Insurance Services
Bid Award to United Safety, LLC for the Beacon Fire Station Abatement Project
Go to the entire agenda here, and watch the replay of the meeting.
You're Invited! ALBB's Holiday Pop-Up Party At Main Office's Co-Space - Bring Your Cheer, Enjoy Wine and Cheese
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Details about the party are below, but first…
Everyone!
A Little Beacon Blog used to have an office on Main Street back in The Before Times - before the pandemic - known as A Little Beacon Space. We hosted community events, Vision Boarding sessions, and everyone’s favorite, Pop-Up Shops. Some of you popped up in our space, and it was a way for us shoppers to reach those artists and creators who otherwise were hard to find.
One of the things we did was rent out our space for business retreats and client parties. One of our first clients was Beacon Digital, the local digital marketing firm doing work for clients all over the nation. The owner, Whitney Parker Mitchell, booked The Space, as we called it, for her client party.
Soon after, Whitney expanded onto Main Street by moving into the renovated space that used to be Vogel Pharmacy next to Homespun. You’ve walked past it a zillion times, but may not have noticed it. Until. Now. Have you seen our holiday tree?!
Post-pandemic, with everyone working remotely, Whitney craved the community, and opened her space to a co-work model called Main Office. She advertised in A Little Beacon Blog’s Business Directory, and that is how we found out about her newly opened co-work space.
Even though ALBB works remotely now, by working out of our shed and living room, we needed a clean and inviting space to get back out there on Main Street. We missed it! So we joined Main Office as a regular co-worker.
Holiday Pop-Up Party - You’re Invited!
Whitney of Main Office and Beacon Digital has partnered with A Little Beacon Blog as a co-sponsor of this event, and agreed to open up her space to all of you - the entire Beacon community. And some visitors if you’re here on a Thursday! And of course you if you’re in Newburgh and Fishkill and Wappingers. And what the heck, Poughkeepsie, come on down!
This is a Holiday Pop-Up Party because we decided to do it last minute. Amid your other holiday parties, work parties, friend parties, family travel prep. All of the things we have not been able to do for two years.
It is also a pop-up party because we hope to have vendors you can shop from! If you have a store, or only appear at markets, then please come be a vendor. Past and present advertisers of A Little Beacon Blog can have a vendor table for free. As well as past pop-up shop clients. Details on vendor tables and sponsorships are below.
WHEN: Thursday, December 15th, 2022
TIME: 5pm-8pm
WHERE: Main Office, 234 Main Street (next to Homespun)
BRING: Yourself! Yourself and a friend if you wish!
PHOTO WALL: There will be a festive photo wall with props for you to take photos with yourself and/or friends.
FREE: Thanks to the generous co-sponsorship of Main Office and Beacon Digital, this event is free. Kindly RSVP here.
SWAG: There will be swag bags! Free Khiel’s skincare product for the first 30 attendees. Khiel’s apothecary skincare is some of the finest around.
FOOD & DRINK: Enjoy catering from Homespun, Pastries from Newburgh Flour Shop, and Wine and Local Craft Beer (until it runs out!).
RSVP: Kindly RSVP here so that we know you might be coming! We know your night is busy, so RSVP to give us an idea, even if your plans change.
Vendor Tables and Sponsorships
You may purchase a vendor table or sponsorship directly from this page. See details and cart button below. Tables and sponsorships are limited.
Set up shop in A Little Beacon Blog’s Holiday Pop-Up Shop Party! Open to the community. Open from 5pm-8pm. Setup is 4pm. If you are a past or present advertiser of A Little Beacon Blog, this table is free for you this time. If you have done a past pop-up shop with us, this Holiday Pop-Up is also free for you this time.
Sponsors of this event make it possible to be open to the community for free. This is an opportunity for people to come together to network and mingle, for whatever their needs are during this long winter season.
INCLUDED:
This sponsorship is a 2-for-1 holiday special: We are having a Business Bash Networking Event in January, where your business will be a lead sponsor. When you buy this sponsorship, you will also be promoted at this holiday event.
Photo Selfie Backdrop: Logo on our Photo selfie backdrop at January and December events. Guests can take their own photos for free with fun props. Guests can keep their photos and share on social media.
Flyer: Logo on event flyer to be posted in Beacon.
Speech: Opportunity to address the guests for the January Business Bash to share about your business and how you can serve them.
Vendor Table: Free vendor table. ($150 value)
Article: A dedicated article published on A Little Beacon Blog about your business to translate the message you gave at the event. ($2,600 value)
This package is on sale now for the December Holiday event, and will go to regular price after.
Interview With Local Muslim Women On Their View of Iranian Protests, Hijab, Free Will & Support of Iranian Women
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In writing the article covering the performance protest from Iranian born Beaconite, Maryam Mehrjui, the protests of which are based on the killing of the 22-year old Kurdish woman, Mahsa Amini while in Iranian “morality police” custody for wearing her hijab improperly, the question arises: “How will the world see the hijab as a practice, and the women wearing the hijab (also called ‘hijabis’) both locally and in the world? Will this damage the safety they feel walking around, and create more misunderstanding? Will this embolden places like France to complete their different steps of legislation to ban the hijab? Will hijabi women who love wearing their hijabs - as opposed to those who are forced to by their governments - need to take up scarves to protest to save it?”
That was 4.75 questions. To answer these questions, A Little Beacon Blog interviewed two local Muslim women - one from Beacon and one from Orange County - one who wears the hijab and one who does not - both of whom are Palestinian.
ALBB: Can the protests against forcing women to wear the hijab in Iran harm women here in Beacon or Wappingers or Newburgh who do want to wear hijab by choice?
“It is already happening,” said Sereen El Jamal, a Palestinian New Yorker living in Orange County who participated in the pro-Palestinian march in Newburgh in 2021 and wears hijab. “It is being taken like that by a lot of people. Take your scarf off and burn it. Very different.”
Sereen was recommended to ALBB to interview by Khitam Jamal Nakhleh, sister to Kamel Jamal, an outspoken restaurant owner in Beacon. Sereen is their cousin. Said Sereen to ALBB: “I haven't really spoken out about it because the way that everybody is looking at it is if you wear hijab, you are supporting the oppression of Iranian women.”
How does Sereen feel about that sentiment? “I don't have the energy to think like that,” she said. “The only thing I said was in a repost. This isn't a protest on hijab. Not necessarily. Not a protest against religion. It's a protest against the government.”
Sereen went on to explain: “That's not how Islamic law is enforced. What they [the Irani government] are doing is anti-Islamic. It is nobody's job to force you to cover your hair. We are born with free will.”
As Sereen was speaking her feelings, she expanded upon what was being protested: “I can't force people to do what I feel is right. The way that government enforces it is wrong. In no way is it right to kill a woman for not covering her hair properly. To say something badly about the religion itself, or to burn a hijab, is also wrong. We have to find a balance, to say OK, I am protesting for human rights. Not against a religion.”
Khitam, on the other hand, does not wear hijab. She explained: “In Islamic religion, you wear hijab and modest clothes. You leave it to the imagination. I'm a religious person, I try to do things good enough. My mother didn't wear a hijab until her late 40s. Her husband, my father, can't force her to wear it.”
“I'm Muslim. I don't cover my hair. I give to charities. I do everything. It is a choice for me. It is a choice for a woman to wear it or not. No one should judge you if you wear it or not. I'm going to wear it when I'm ready to wear it. If I'm ever ready to wear it.”
Feelings From Wanting To Wear Hijab By Choice
Sereen volunteered explaining how she feels wearing hijab. “For me, wearing a hijab is feeling. No one will look at me and judge me and based on ‘oh, she is really pretty.’ I know I'm really pretty. When people look at me, it's purely who I am that makes people like me.”
She continued: “I'm not looked at in people's opinion's based on my looks. Obviously I make myself presentable, and I dress modestly. Me dressing modestly - that being my choice - frees me from thinking that the whole world is thinking whatever they are going to think. It is purely who I am.”
It's more about your inner beauty. We see - most women who wear hijab - we see it in a freeing way. We see it as empowering. It's a shame that people are forced into it, to the point where they don't see the beauty behind it. They get no chance to understand why they are wearing it. What the beauty behind it is. It's wrong. For the government to do that.”
Islam and Women
“Islam as a religion is very supportive of women,” reflected Sereen. “We are given rights as Muslims...that nobody is obligated to give us. Our religion gives us rights and support and empowerment. I can't even...,” Sereen begins to express her feelings, but can’t. “People just take it and twist it most of the time.”
“A woman is so valuable because the rest of the human race would not exist without a woman. This whole ‘the women are oppressed’ - that is a patriarchal government that is oppressing women. They hide behind the religion. They say it is because it is religion but that's not how it is enforced.”
In the book “Secrets of Divine Love: A Spiritual Journey Into the Heart of Islam,” by A. Helwa, the author describes it as: “Men and women are not physically identical, but they are equal in value in the eyes of God, for the soul has no gender. As the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) says, ‘Verily, women are the twin halves of men.’ In fact the word for ‘Eve’ in Arabic is the same as the Hebrew word Hawwaah, which comes from a root word that means ‘source of life.'“
Sereen continued: “I don't believe in what you believe in, nor do you have to believe in what I believe in. You are entitled to your own religions. And I'm entitled to mine*
*Surah 109 of the Qur’an
It is un-Islamic to force anyone to do anything. The whole premise of our religion is intention. If I am forcing you to practice - oh you’re doing it because I'm telling you - then you're not doing it for the right reason.”
Sereen concluded: “God gave people free will. It is not any government’s job to force them. Let them come to that point by themselves. Rather than bringing people closer to the religion, they [the Iranian government] are pushing them away.”
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Serious. Comedy Theatre: The Big Night
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL
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World Watches Tyler Adams Answer Tough But Honest Question In Qatar World Cup
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In the months between Dutchess County sending out a simple press release featuring the leadership of Wappinger’s Fall’s own Tyler Adams as captain of the USA soccer team in the FIFA World Cup in Qatar this year (2022), the world was watching as he answered a tough question about discrimination against Black Americans by America, and a pronunciation correction of Iran from an Iranian reporter before the USA vs Iran match on November 29, 2022.
While many in Beacon were just hearing about this person named Tyler who is from Wappingers Falls and in the World Cup, suddenly he was on CNN and other media outlets regarding the tough question scenario.
The situation presented an opportunity for Tyler to talk about his own experience growing up with a mixed-race heritage, as well as his living in different countries because of soccer, and his awareness of how he navigated through living abroad and state-side (this might be known as codeswitching, but Tyler did not use that word).
Local articles here in Dutchess County have not typically addressed his mixed-race experience, but this global media situation presented a new opportunity to include it.
CNN, Yahoo Life and other American media outlets picked up on the press conference prior to the match, and in defense of and praise for Tyler, peppered it with negative light on the Iranian reporter. Tyler, however, graciously answered the statement and question with honesty and respect for the reporter.
The linguistic observation made by the reporter was cited so that a global audience could hear the correct pronunciation, followed by a discomfortable question.
Global events are platforms for dialogue to begin. This article explores this issue.
Who Is Tyler Adams?
Tyler Adams during the press conference before the USA vs Iran match.
Tyler Adams is currently 23 years old and plays professional soccer for the Premier League Club, Leeds United, and is the captain for the United States national team, who played in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
At age 16, his first professional signing happened with the New York Red Bulls II, a United Soccer League Team owned and operated by Major League Soccer. Said Tyler to the Poughkeepsie Journal back in 2015 when he was signed: “They host these mini-camp type things," Adams said of the Red Bull’s Regional Development School. "They noticed me there. It's what started this all. I think it benefited me because it's a lot more competitive."
You can see the opportunity for summer soccer camp with the Red Bulls in ALBB’s Summer Camp Guide.
As reported by the Poughkeepsie Journal, Tyler was attending Roy C. Ketcham High School in the Wappingers Falls school district when he signed. According to USASoccer.com, Tyler was raised by his mother, Melissa Russo, where he “grew up in a single-parent household before she reconnected with old high school classmate and now step-dad, Darryl Sullivan.”
According to the Poughkeepsie Journal, Tyler’s step-dad Darryl was at the time of Tyler’s 2015 signing “a Social Studies teacher at Roy C. Ketcham, who won two state titles coaching the John Jay girls team and is the director of soccer operations for the Marist College men's soccer team.”
Said his mother, Melissa Russo, to the newspaper upon his signing: "There was a point as a parent where you tell him it may not be realistic. But never did he say he wanted to do anything else. Maybe an architect, once or twice. As a parent, this is awesome. You just pray your kid ends up doing something they love."
To complete Tyler’s education while he advanced toward professional soccer, he ended up doing what most parents now know of as Remote Learning, by completing most of his homework and classwork online. He told the Poughkeepsie Journal: “I'm missing the social aspect, which is hard for any kid my age. But then again, I have the opportunity to play pro soccer. That doesn't come around every day."
Turns out, Tyler nurtured his social side while playing soccer, as explored in this ESPN article, where Tyler discussed, as a 23 year old, how he enjoys relating to other people no matter their relationship to him, which is part of why he has been such an effective captain during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
As observed in the ESPN article: “Some might call it charisma, others would term it leadership or emotional intelligence, but the sense is that ‘it’ goes deeper than any of that. There is an aura about Adams that conveys he'll not only do his job, but relieve you of some of the pressure to do yours. These days, that can mean covering for a teammate on the field or deftly handling some spicy news conference questions off it.”
What Happened At The News Conference Before The USA vs Iran Match?
An Iranian reporter corrected Tyler in his pronunciation of Iran, stating that if he was going to voice support for Iran, he might as well get the pronunciation right. This was followed by a question about discrimination toward Black people in America. As of this reporting, ALBB cannot find the name of the reporter, who may or may not have been affiliated with Iranian government sanctioned state media.
According to an article at CNN, Iranian state media was upset with the United States Soccer Federation. American media seems not to have reported the Iranian reporter’s name or media outlet, that ALBB can find so far. That would be helpful and relevant to the context and tone of the question.
To add more context, the 2022 World Cup as a global platform has been used to amplify many issues, including the current violent protests going on in Iran against the regime that came to power in 1979. These protests have been carried out in defense and protection of women in Iran after Mahsa Amini, age 22 and Kurdish, which is a minority in Iran, died in police custody. The protests are against oppression that many citizens of Iran feel under the current leadership, which has been abusing and misusing a religion - Islam - in the name of squeezing power.
In response, the United States Soccer Federation changed Iran’s flag on its social media platforms to show support for protesters in Iran, according to a report from CNN. "Iranian state media called for the US to be kicked out of the 2022 World Cup after the United States Soccer Federation changed Iran’s flag on its social media platforms to show support for protesters in Iran." According to the article which showed a screenshot of the temporary switch, the United States Soccer Federation started displaying Iran’s national flag on its official Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts without the emblem of the Islamic Republic in the middle of the flag. The flag version with the emblem is currently being displayed on the soccer federation’s website.
Reporter’s Statement:
In response to one of Tyler’s earlier answers to a question:
"First of all, you say you support the Iranian people, but you're pronouncing our country's name wrong. Our country is named Iran (ee-RAHN), not Iran (EYE-ran). Please once and for all, let's get this clear."
Reporter’s Question:
"Second of all, are you OK to be representing a country that has so much discrimination against Black people in its own borders? We saw the Black Lives Matter movement over the past few years. Are you OK to be representing the US while there is so much discrimination against Black people in America?"
Tyler’s Answer:
“My apologies on the mispronunciation of your country. That being said, there’s discrimination everywhere you go.” Tyler stated.
“One thing that I’ve learned, especially from living abroad in the past years and having to fit in in different cultures and kind of assimilate into different cultures, is that in the US, we’re continuing to make progress every single day.
“Growing up for me, I grew up in a White family, and with obviously an African-American heritage and background as well,” he pointed out.
“So, I had a little bit of different cultures, and I was very easily able to assimilate in different cultures. Not everyone has that ease and the ability to do that, and obviously, it takes longer to understand, and through education, I think it’s super important.” Tyler did not deny discrimination happening. Instead, he elected to describe a living experience for him.
“Like you just educated me now on the pronunciation of your country. So, yeah, it’s a process. I think as long as you see progress, that’s the most important thing.”
How Some American Media Twisted The Press Conference
As media coverage of any event or issue unfolds, it is important to be mindful of the headlines, descriptions, and adjectives used to describe a situation. Every single media outlet is biased because humans write, edit and ultimately publish the words. Scrubbing of opinion is nearly impossible, because simply choosing to cover a topic in an of itself reveals bias.
Coverage of Middle Eastern situations is especially important to be mindful of when reading or watching coverage.
Here is how American media negatively slanted the situation, negatively portraying the reporter, and positively portraying Tyler. Of course Tyler’s answer was impressive and refreshing, but the reporter need not be shamed into asking it, or correcting the pronunciation of Iran knowing his voice would be heard around the world, for everyone to hear and know how to correctly pronounce Iran.
”U.S. Soccer Team Captain Tyler Adams Is Poised When Shady Reporter Asks About Racism At Qatar World Cup” - Yahoo Life
The adjective “shady” is unnecessary in a headline. Asking about racism is not shady. It’s discomfortable, and makes people defensive, but it’s honest. Was the question tit for tat, since the United States and the rest of the world is pressing on the Iranian regime to get rid of the morality police? Yes, the question was tit for tat. The question implied hypocrisy or sh*t not stinking. But that question opened dialogue.“USMNT's Tyler Adams Gracefully Hits Back at Iranian Reporter's Question About Racism in the U.S.” - People.com
Tyler did not “hit back.” He answered the question. He apologized for the pronunciation, and acknowledged racism in America by safely stating that it happens everywhere. He furthered by saying if there is improvement, that is a good thing.Tyler Adams Blasts Iranian 'Reporter' For 'Black Discrimination ... - OutKick
Never happened. There was no blasting. There was grace and acknowledgement.
Great reads and headlines:
“What We Ask of Black American Athletes” - The Atlantic
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HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL
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Beacon City School Board Considers Formally Changing Name Of Columbus Day
/On October 14th, days after the observance of Indigenous People’s Day / Columbus Day, Beacon City School District Superintendent Matthew Landahl emailed district families and caregivers to let them know that the Board of Education was considering and discussing changing the name of the Columbus Day holiday.
This change would be discussed at the January 9, 2023 school board meeting. Public input was requested during the Public Comment portion of the meetings on 10/24/22, 11/7/22, 11/21/22 and 12/12/22. Input could also be emailed to BCSDBOE@beaconk12.org. During the 11/21/22, no public input was spoken. Public Comment is always first on the agenda, and the meetings start promptly at 7am. People can speak in person at the meetings at the Beacon High School or via Zoom. Comments are limited to 4 minutes per person, and the Comment Policy can be found here.
According to reporting at the Highlands Current, a district parent, Jamie Muligan, asked for the change during Public Comment of the September 27, 2022 meeting. Jamie is married to City Council Member Molly Rhodes. According to the article, Dr. Landahl surmised at that meeting “that studying the history of Indigenous people who lived in the Highlands could also be integrated into schools’ curriculum. That’s ‘the point of all this’ discussion, he said. “We do some things already, but there’s more to be done, for sure.”
Columbus Day Name Change Is A Nation-Wide Trend
In June 2021, A school in New Jersey in Randolf Township made national news when their school board voted to change the name to Indigenous People’s Day, according to an article at NPR. But the decision startled parents opposed to such a change. From the article: “Critics have derided the idea of celebrating the Italian explorer, who perpetrated violence on Native Americans when he arrived in the Americas. Boosters say it is critical to recognize the contributions of Christopher Columbus, and that Italian-Americans have historically faced discrimination.”
According to the NPR article, the Randolf Township School Board decided to drop all holiday names to avoid conflict, and called a special meeting to discuss. However, all holidays, including Columbus Day, are named in Randolf Township’s 2022/2023 academic calendar.
According to an article at Forbes, New York City public schools changed the name from Columbus Day to Indigenous People’s Day: “Columbus Day has been federally recognized for nearly 100 years, but the holiday is increasingly polarizing. Many critics argue it’s inappropriate to celebrate Columbus, whose 15th- and 16th-century campaigns through Central America and the Caribbean Sea resulted in the killing and enslavement of many Indigenous people. This history has spurred several cities and states, including Vermont and the District of Columbia, to change the holiday’s name to Indigenous People’s Day.”
However, the name change faced backlash from some people, including a Republican representing Staten Island, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who said: “This is just another blatant attempt by City Hall to rewrite history while dishonoring so many of our citizens who are proud Italian Americans and cancel Christopher Columbus, who embodies the immigrant experience and discovery.”
It is unclear why a person defending that part of Italian heritage would want to include the socially acceptable atrocities that Columbus committed to a people who had already discovered themselves, and instead not focus on his skill as a sea faring business man who was employed by other nations in order to expand their Catholic or Christian empire with his voyages (warning: once you read this article at Vox, which includes descriptive letters from leaders on the voyages, you cannot un-read it).
National Proclamations Shift
There was a shift in Proclamations given by President Joe Biden regarding the declaration of Indigenous People’s Day for 2021 and 2022. In the 2021 Proclamation for Indigenous People’s Day, the focus was on Native Americans and their contributions to what is now called the United States of America. There was also a nod to the damage done to Native Americans, when President Biden wrote: “Our country was conceived on a promise of equality and opportunity for all people — a promise that, despite the extraordinary progress we have made through the years, we have never fully lived up to. That is especially true when it comes to upholding the rights and dignity of the Indigenous people who were here long before colonization of the Americas began.”
In 2022, the Proclamation language included new descriptions: “For centuries, Indigenous Peoples were forcibly removed from ancestral lands, displaced, assimilated, and banned from worshiping or performing many sacred ceremonies. Yet today, they remain some of our greatest environmental stewards. They maintain strong religious beliefs that still feed the soul of our Nation. And they have chosen to serve in the United States Armed Forces at a higher rate than any other group.”
However, some Italian communities were offended at the dismissal of the name Columbus, so President Biden created a separate Proclamation for Columbus Day that addressed discrimination faced by Italian Americans. It is unclear why genocide of Native Americans has been compared with racial or class discrimination of Italian Americans. Both are struggles, some physical and violent, but are different.
According to the New York Times, the second name of Italian Heritage Day is being introduced to replace Columbus Day because Columbus Day was created to appease discrimination done to Italian Americans. Says the New York Times: “Some Italian communities have called for a day separate from Columbus Day to celebrate their heritage, as Columbus Day originated partly as a response to anti-Italian sentiment. It was designated a national holiday in 1934, and in 1971 the government declared it a federal holiday to be celebrated the second Monday of each October.”
While there are several calendar days recognizing cultures of different origins, they don’t tend to become national holidays. Reversing Columbus Day, which was named after one man who contributed to a multitude of violent acts to Native Americans and Caribbean people, while employed by Ferdinand II and Isabella I, the Catholic Monarchs of Aragon, Castile, and Leon in Spain, according to Britannica, seems more logical, to name it for the majority of the people he committed to violent acts on, and is not a dismissal of Italian heritage, which has its own beauty and much to celebrate, and may not want to be associated with such horrors.
People who want to voice their opinions on the name change can do so at the 12/12/2022 meeting during Public Comment, or email BCSDBOE@beaconk12.org.
Beacon Councilmember Paloma Wake Praises Creation of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Girls and Two Spirited Peoples Day
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Beacon’s City Councilmember At Large, Paloma Wake, often uses her opportunity to deliver a Report on any topic during the publicly broadcast City Council Meetings every other week to shine awareness on Native American lands, including the land that Beacon is defined as today.
Councilmember Paloma’s full-time job is with Forge Project, a native-woman-led initiative focused on Indigenous art, decolonial education, and supporting native leaders in all fields. The drive of the Forge Project’s mission is to “acknowledge that we are situated on the unceded and ancestral homelands of the Muh-he-con-ne-ok, the Peoples of the Waters that Are Never Still, and to recognize that there is a history to this land that is older than we are and pay honor and respect to this history and to the Elders, past, present, and future.”
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness day
In the spirit of the federal holiday that is Thanksgiving, ALBB is publishing the awareness piece Councilmember Paloma delivered earlier in May 2022 to recognize the newly designated proclamation designating May 5 as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day.
At ALBB’s request, Councilmember Paloma’s submitted a lengthier version of her comments to be published here:
“This week holds a national day of awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Girls and Two Spirited Peoples. A 2018 report from Urban Indian Health Institute (UIHI) identifies murder as the the third leading cause of death among American Indian and Alaska Native women and girls aged 10-24. A 2016 study by the Native Institute of Justice demonstrated that more than four in five American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime. On some reservations, American Indian and Alaska Native women face murder rates that are more than 10 times the national average.
“On May 4th, 2021 President Biden issued a proclamation designating May 5th as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness day, calling on all Americans and levels of government to support Tribal governments and Tribal communities' efforts to increase awareness of the issue of Missing and Murdered American Indians and Alaska natives.
“While none of us alive today bear personal responsibility for the actions of our ancestors, I believe we have a greater duty to respect the lives of those whose ancestors stewarded this land that we live on today for thousands of years.
“The crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples deserves this national day of awareness.
“Along with sharing this information, I would like to acknowledge that the City of Beacon sits on the ancestral lands of Muh-he-con-ne-ok the Peoples Of The Waters That Are Never Still whose living descendants now reside on federal reservations in Wisconsin as the Stockbridge Munsee Band and in Oklahoma as the Delaware Nation and the Delaware Nation and the Delaware Tribe of Indians.”
Resources Supporting Reform And Recreation Of Laws Supporting Native American Women
Councilperson Paloma provided resources where one can learn more about why this issue exists, and why it is because of existing legislation that there is little accountability.
According to National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center: “The crisis of MMIW is a national crime pattern. The complete storyboard for this crime pattern is not two individuals and a crime scene but all of the above--the government, culture, and economics--layered upon the lives of Native women and Indian nations. Understanding the legal and social infrastructure that place Native women in harm’s way are essential to changing this crime story of the last 500 years.
“It also requires reeducation of mainstream America to understand both the past and present truths of American Indian Nations and the women of those Nations. This two-fold process of legal reform and cultural reeducation can direct the changes required at the national, state, and county levels.”
Resources are here:
U.S. Department of the Interior: Secretary Haaland creates the MMU
Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls report by the Urban Indian Health Institute
Councilperson Paloma is a fourth generation Japanese American with no ancestral ties to Native Americans.
Open Call To Beaconites To Address Land-Justice In Beacon
Councilmember Paloma is issuing an open-call to anyone in Beacon who would be interested in joining her in a working-group to address land-justice in Beacon. “The group would likely start with a Land Acknowledgement, and address our City welcome signs.” Councilperson Paloma continued: “I am looking to do focus on self-education, research and knowledge-sharing in the first half of the year, and then outreach and public information campaigns leading up to Native American Heritage Month, which is in November.”
For those interested, she can be reached at pwake@beaconny.gov or at 845-418-2452
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HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL
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Why You Can't Go Wrong Making These Stunning Dried Flower Centerpieces At Witch Hazel
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Stunning, right? 😍 These Thanksgiving table arrangements are no accident and were custom made by yours truly Katie James Inc. Design with the loving guidance from Jill owner of Witch Hazel (near Artisan Wine Shop), the store that is quickly joining the league of amazing smelling stores on Beacon’s Main Street.
I brought in the vases (but she has beautiful little and big vases you can buy there), and we picked the flowers that would stand as centerpieces during my Thanksgiving Dinner for my visiting family. The big maroon center flower is a mushroom. A mushroom! The texture of front and back are different from each other and fascinating. It can be intimating to design a floral arrangement, but you’re in a safe space there. Jill gives you permission to keep going. See this shop and more in A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide. Watch the design process in ALBB’s Instagram.
Hunting For "Fancy Cocoa Powder" But Found These Goodies On Main Street Instead
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For a request for “pudding in fancy glasses," went in search of “fancy cocoa powder” in order to homemake such pudding (turns out, an unsweetened dark chocolate bar or chips were called for), but found all of this goodness instead:
The homemade apple pie at Stella’s Fine Market, and the make-your-own version in a jar.
The stacked rack at Utensil Shops that we didn’t know we needed but there it is solving the counter problems, as well as the popcorn 🍿 bucket. “Everything you didn’t know you needed and more on Main Street! I love that Yamazaki Home - got one in my kitchen too! Happy Thanksgiving!
Eventually, the fancy cocoa powder was at the old trusty grocery stores, Beacon Natural and Key Food Beacon.
Baking Cocoa Powder at Beacon Natural
Baking Cocoa Powder at Key Food Beacon.
$1,000 Grants Open For Applications Until Nov. 28 - BeaconArts' Clara Lou Gould Grant Seeks Applicants
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You could fret about cooking a turkey and finding a gravy recipe, or you could put that stress aside to instead apply in time for the possible $1,000 you could be granted from the Clara Lou Gould Fund For The Arts, managed by BeaconArts.
According the BeaconArts: “The Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts funds arts projects in Beacon including individual artist’s projects, unique exhibition, performance or public art projects, arts education programs, and community programs that promote area artists and arts activities, drawing attention to the valuable role of arts and culture in our community.”
Clara Lou Gould was Beacon’s Mayor for 18 years. “BeaconArts created this special Fund for the Arts named for Beacon’s former Mayor, Clara Lou Gould in honor of her 18 years of service as Beacon’s Mayor, and in recognition of her support of arts and culture in Beacon.”
Applications for grants are being accepted until November 28th, 2022, and the application doesn’t look too complicated. “While this fund is directly administered by the Community Foundation of Dutchess County, a committee of representatives from BeaconArts makes funding recommendations based on its knowledge of community need and offerings,” says their website.
“We believe in the fluidity of the Hudson Valley arts community and as such this fund is designed to support projects and activities in the Greater Beacon community, including those that may be initiated beyond city limits.”
Apply now, and/or email Suzanne Ball Suzanne@beaconarts.org with questions.
Holiday Wreaths Go Up For The 2022 Holiday Season In Beacon
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The season has started. Beacon’s Highway Department (and maybe some of the Water Department if needed?) has hung the wreaths and stars on Beacon’s Main Street. As for some Beacon trivia, according to Beacon’s one time Highway Superintendent, Reuben Simmons who now drives the street sweeper: “There are electrical outlets in each of the lamposts that were part of the LED project when we switched out all of the lights.” That is helpful for more flexibility for the holiday stars to plug into, and help during the Spirit of Beacon Day for table vendors to plug into outlets if needed.
It’s go time for your list and holiday that will go very fast, yet take a lot of time. “Yay! Love this time of year, and seeing all the wreaths and pretty shop windows on Main Street,” said Stephanie Jones, owner of The Blushery on the far east end of Main Street. Get your brows, makeup, and laser hair removal done there.
Remember to slow down in some moments to enjoy them, and know that others of them too shall pass into the next good one again. Here we go!
Find lists of all the shops and restaurants in Beacon in A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping and Restaurant Guides.
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The City of Beacon entered into a contract with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley to provide increased access to Beacon tenants facing eviction. They may also be able to help with sources of rent arrears assistance. Call the paralegal, Steven Mihalik at 845-253-6953 to inquire.
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