Veterans Day Recognized In Beacon With Ceremony And County-Wide Convoy Of Emergency Vehicles

Beacon’s Memorial Building at 413 Main Street.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

As is tradition in Beacon, a ceremony was held at 11am at the Memorial Building at 413 Main Street to lay a wreath in honor of those who served and are serving, hosted by VFW Post #666. Normally a large group gathers outside to witness the ceremony, but due to COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings, Dutchess County instead offered a county-wide convoy of emergency service vehicles including police, fire, county, armed services, and local municipal vehicles to drive through every municipality in Dutchess County, “to safely recognize and celebrate the sacrifices of local veterans,” according to the City of Beacon’s website.

Said County Executive Molinaro about the day: “On Veterans Day we honor our nation’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the greater good. In their honor we will travel every corner of the county, heralding their service and once again celebrating these brave and heroic individuals. I encourage everyone to safely enjoy this convoy or any of the other community events happening throughout Dutchess. We are better, stronger and safer because of their service and sacrifice.”

Veterans of the VFW Post #666 help their fellow veterans whenever possible. A recent event was “helping a fellow member and Korean War Veteran, with some house repairs and upgrades to enable him to safely remain in his home,” according to a post on their Facebook page.

Members of VFW Post #666 helping a fellow member with upgrades to his home to improve the safety of his house.
Photo Credit: VFW Post #666

Beacon Shoppers Pop Up With Joyful Noise After Election Results Are Declared

Saturday started a stunner of a weekend, with the sunshine and warm weather. The stunner of a surprise happened mid-day Saturday, when the 2020 election results were declared and just over one half of America began celebrating. Locals and visitors were already out and about to enjoy shopping on Beacon’s Main Street, which grew enhanced with joyful honking of passing cars.

As cars passed, some people walking on the sidewalk clapped and cheered. Twins Barber Shop had a DJ spinning beats, and Joy, the owner of the Subway franchise, stepped outside to film what was developing on Beacon’s mile long Main Street. She wasn’t alone. Several shop owners and staff also stepped outside to look at the cheers, take pictures, and step back inside for the hustle and bustle that is Saturday in Beacon.

While not organized, this demonstration of horn honking was impromptu and was done by drivers as they drove from Point A to Point B of their Saturday errands. Patrons outside of several eateries like Homespun, Zaitun, Max’s On Main, Amacord, Towne Crier Cafe, and others, lifted their arms when someone banged a drumb, clanged a pot, shook a tambourine, or sounded a horn. A few cars drove around several times, like one vehicle who was playing the National Anthem.There was very little if any police vehicle presence, as this was not a demonstration, but people reacting while going about their days.

Strangers gave socially distant high fives, people listening to different music in their ear buds joined rhythm and danced together while passing each other. The reaction was not isolated to one area of Main Street, or to one time of the day. This lasted the entire length of Main Street, from the mountain to the train, into the evening. There did not seem to be many fireworks that were ignited.

Later in the evening, at 8:30pm when Kamala Harris and Joe Biden addressed the nation and the world, horns were honking in their TV audience as well, as trucks had been orchestrated to pull up to their drive-in speech that was held outside, to honk in support.

Shopping was in full force this weekend. Below are a few pictures of the shops we stopped into. As for volume of sales, some owners are reporting healthy buying from the uptick in Beacon’s visitors. Brenda from Beacon Bath and Bubble observed that the sales are close to what they are at around Christmas time. She observed this back when the Cupcake Festival was hosted in Beacon, which became one of her best sales days of the year.

Anne from the Chocolate Studio was happy with the amount of people making it around the bend to her end of Main Street, she confided to us as we ate a delicious vegan strawberry ice cream that is quickly becoming a famous flavor for dairy lovers as well.

And of course we had to stop into the Snooki Shop! Snooki, who’s name is Nicole, opened the shop in Beacon, returning to her roots of the Hudson Valley to expand her business. We learned that she also has a line of makeup, and other goodies you’ll find inside the shop.

For those who are fans of the annual Hop and Shop, event, a date has been set! Reserve December 3 (Thursday) and December 4 (Friday) for extra long nights of shopping.

Below are videos of different areas of Main Street and the joyful noise sounded.

The Chocolate Studio, on Beacon’s East End of Main Street, near the mountain. Try their vegan strawberry, a favorite with dairy lovers.

LLTO is back! Once in the tiny shop near Mountain Tops, this decor shop has opened mid-way down Main Street. Very selective inventory that from around the world, you’ll want to stop in.

Bath salts, bubble bath, bath bombs, all you need to brighten your bathroom are in Beacon Bath and Bubble, along with childhood favorites candy and soda.

New journals and towels are in at Beacon Mercantile, a perfume store in Beacon, where the scents are made in the shop.

Makeup from Snooki in the Snooki Shop, which includes a glitter pallet. You’ll even find stick-on eyelashes!

Velour is in this season, and you’ll find it at La Mere right now, with this velour halter. Wear it under a tank. And don’t miss the stackable rings to bling up your fingers.

Beacon's City Administrator Anthony J. Ruggiero Accepts Position With Dutchess County Department Of Behavioral & Community Health

The City of Beacon has announced that City Administrator, Anthony J. Ruggiero, has accepted the position as Assistant Commissioner for Administration with the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health. His last day with the City of Beacon is scheduled for January 29, 2021, and will start up with Dutchess County on February 1, 2021, according to the City’s press release.

“As City of Beacon Administrator, Anthony has had a strong working relationship with the County, including DBCH, particularly as he helped guide the City of Beacon through the COVID-19 pandemic”

— Dutchess County Executive, Marcus Molinaro

Anthony is an integral part to Beacon’s functioning, with his vast institutional memory of how funding and scheduling happened or is projected to happen for a number of projects. It is comforting to know that during this global health crisis, Anthony will still be in Beacon’s sphere as he stays in Dutchess County at the Department of Behavioral & Community Health. Cut from a similar cloth is the Mayor’s Assistant, Collin Milone, who continues to provide administrative assistance and coordination.

Ruggiero has served as City Administrator since 2015, joining Beacon after former City Administrator Meredith Robson became the Village Manager for the Village of Ardsley in Westchester County. With a Masters in Public Administration and over 24 years of experience, Ruggiero previously served as the City Manager for the City of Peekskill and Putnam County’s Commissioner of Planning, Development and Public Transportation.

Mayor Lee Kyriacou congratulated Ruggiero, saying, “While I am saddened to see Anthony go, and thank him for his steady and professional service especially in this most difficult year, I offer my congratulations and best wishes for his next chapter. I know that the county gains an asset, and also that Beacon will attract a professional and appropriate successor.”

City Administrator Ruggiero said “It has been my pleasure and honor to serve as Beacon’s City Administrator for over five years. The City has successfully navigated the most challenging environments, provided outstanding municipal services, implemented a number of major capital projects, and have developed one of the strongest management teams. I am excited for the opportunity to work for Dutchess County and the Department of Behavioral & Community Health”

Said Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro about Dutchess County’s new talent: “With decades of experience, Anthony Ruggiero will be a valuable asset to Dutchess County Behavioral & Community Health, providing administrative oversight to one of the County’s largest and most complex departments. His managerial and administrative experience will bolster the talented leadership team of public health professionals who guide DBCH. As City of Beacon Administrator, Anthony has had a strong working relationship with the County, including DBCH, particularly as he helped guide the City of Beacon through the COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to Anthony joining our County team early next year as current Assistant DBCH Commissioner Cathi Tegtmeier steps down to enjoy a well-earned retirement.”

The City will initiate a recruitment process immediately to begin a search for a new City Administrator.

A FEW ELECTION LEADERS: Serino, Maloney, Jacobson, Forman, and Others

UPDATE: The link to the 2020 Election results at Dutchess County has been deleted and replaced with a new page, in the form of a PDF, which is not as comprehensive with the % of how much each number of votes totals. One difference has been the Democratic count has been increasing since the evening. President Trump still has the lead in Dutchess County, but the lead got slimmer as this day wore on with absentee ballots.

The old link is below, just for the record. The new link, as of 8pm on 11/4/2020 is here.

The numbers have been removed from this page so as to avoid inaccuracy. Please go to this current link to follow the latest results.

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Old link (as of Election Day Morning) to results from the Dutchess County Board of Elections.

Self-Proclaimed "Silent Majority" Truck Train Yell "N-Word" and "White Power" At Beaconites

Vehicles in the 2nd truck train passing through Beacon last Sunday. Vehicles also included an unmarked privately owned fire truck, truck hauling a dumpster, jeeps, and others.

At first blush, seeing Trump flags in a scrap metal dumpster being pulled by a large truck seemed like an artist statement for “Dump Trump.” Large, empty truck cabs with Trump flags pulling no rig seemed symbolic for carrying nothing - or lost cargo.

However, this truck train is a show of support for the 45th president, by people choosing to remain in their cars, windows up, largely unrecognizable, sometimes with license plates covered. The history of White Supremacy includes masked people making threats and using grand gestures to get their point across, like fire, fireworks, burning crosses, bonfires, and other loud events.

However the big truck caravan concept that is driving nationwide through small towns (including the one that attempted to corral a Biden campaign bus off the road, and the #MAGADrag event in NYC that resulted in reports of police pushing and arresting Black Lives Matter protesters, a truck running into a counter-protester, and halted traffic on the White Stone Bridge which moved up to the Mario Cuomo Bridge to stall traffic) rolled through Beacon two weekends in a row, past Fishkill, and up to Poughkeepsie, and drove within 20 feet of the early voting location at Fishkill Town Hall, as people waited in line along side the road on Rte. 52. This was days before the Town of Fishkill or the Board of Elections decided to move people away from the gravel in the road to in front of the Police Department.

A Little Backdrop Background To Day 1 Early Voting

While getting ready for Day 1 of Early Voting, this article came across the wires about a rally fiercely defending the 2nd Amendment that was originally scheduled and approved by its village’s board to be near an early voting location.

Prior to the first slow-motion truck drive-by the first weekend of early voting, a rally scheduled in Montgomery, NY that encouraged guns in its Eventbrite invitation (the online invitation was later taken down) was to be held quite close to Montgomery’s early voting location. Their Mayor Steve Bracia, who is running for Congress, didn’t see a problem with it, but after pushback, agreed to their Town Supervisor Brian Maher’s offer to have the rally at another location. Pictures from the event included the same kind of trucks that have been driving all around Beacon, Fishkill, and Poughkeepsie.

Instant Traffic Stop By Vehicle Demonstrations Vs Marching On Foot

The truck that caused a 1 hour disruption to Beacon’s Main Street last Sunday.

These truck trains can instantly cause backup or close a road or bridge. A march on foot would need a lot of permitting in order to achieve this effect. In Beacon, there were 27 protests over the summer that the Beacon Police Department accompanied, as stated by Acting Chief Frost in a recent City Council 10/26/2020 Workshop meeting explaining the Police Budget and overtime that is incurred from parades and demonstrations.

Turns out, Beacon has a number of parades requiring overtime by police to make moving street closures and barricading side streets. The usual community parades were canceled due to the pandemic. However, the protests accounted for the overtime estimated instead of the parades for the 2020 Police budget.

Most, if all of these protests in Beacon, were on foot, and moved relatively quickly, despite larger turnouts than others. While both demonstrations were loud and involved shouting, the vehicle version involved car honking throughout the drive-by, as well as sirens by retired unmarked fire trucks and possibly retired unmarked ambulances, as some locals have reported. The City of Beacon needed to answer to the public that a fire truck spotted was privately owned, and not representing a municipality. This display of an emergency vehicle caused confusion with the public. In business, this can be likened to trademark infringement.

It is not clear if any vehicle participants were volunteer fire fighters from other communities who used their sirens for audio effect. One Beacon resident observed that when Marchers marching for Black live mattering more past her house, she could turn up the TV if she did not want to hear the chanting. However, she stated that she could not drown out the sound when the truck train slowly drove by.

During the 2nd truck train last Sunday on the last early voting weekend, a truck broke down on Beacon’s Main Street for 1 hour, causing a part of Main Street to be closed while police and the truck operator waited for a tow truck company who could tow a truck that large, according to Beacon Detective Sargent Jason Johnson, who helped on the scene with several other police officers who safely diverted traffic.

While several large vehicles successfully drove around the truck, one van did collide with the truck while attempting to pass, but no one was injured, according to the Detective.

Fishkill Police Hold Up Traffic On I-84 For Truck Train And Allegedly Yell At A White Beaconite Needing To Get Home

A Fishkill Police Officer at 1-84 and Route 52 while traffic was held on the ramp during the first week of early voting while a truck caravan drove past the Fishkill Town Hall.

A Beaconite who was driving with his family after an an outing at an apple orchard shared his tale of being held on I-84 for over 20 minutes:

“We were coming back from Fishkill Farms and took the Route 52 exit on 84. Our timing put us right in the thick of the caravan. Doubtful they had a parade permit (right?) — but Fishkill PD were obviously in the loop.

Editor’s Note: Fishkill Police did confirm that they knew of the truck caravan in advance, but did not know that Town Hall was an early voting location.

The officer in the intersection kept waving the trucks through with no break for offramp traffic, even though it got hugely backed up, and there were multiple opportunities to pause the caravan and let folks through.

“When we tried to engage the officer, he barked ‘You go when *I* say so!’ Definitely a hostile vibe — except between the cop and the people passing in those trucks. He seemed pretty chummy with them.

“It felt like voter intimidation to me, coming as close as it did to the early voting site. And the whole police part of this felt pretty chilling. The caravan definitely drove for longer than 20 minutes. Felt like an eternity. I did shout “Impeached!” out the window a couple of times, which felt good (even if it’s not the most dignified lesson for my children).

“I think we may look into filing a complaint with the Mayor’s Office in Fishkill. Not sure where else. Anyway, icky vibes on a Sunday, but I managed not to get arrested, and we had a productive conversation with the kiddos, so I guess all’s well.”

Motorcyclists Frighten Black Mother And Kids; Fishkill Police Officer Allegedly Laughs

A mother who is Black was driving her children to early voting, and wrote into ALBB to share her story of being frightened by motorcyclists who drove past her car and yelled into it, scaring her children. Her name is Melanie Smalls and her story is below:

“Sunday morning I decided to get me and my two sons up and go vote early down at Fishkill Town Hall around 1:30pm-2:00pm. On my way, I got caught in the Trump/Pence motorcade on 52. Driving passed the old bowling spot which is now a storage unit and little passed the houses, the motorcade slowed down entirely! And I mean like a stand still.

“I realized that the Town Hall was just ahead and they was intimidating the voters there. Three old white men with long beards must of been way back; I looked in my rear view mirror of my SUV and saw them. Mind you, I was behind a Fishkill Police SUV. When it started moving, the 3 motorcycles from behind me, they rode by my SUV and started screaming and shouting in my car with my kids in the back ‘Trump 2020.’

“My kids started crying. I started to get scared because they are crazy. I honked my car for the police, but I could see the officer laughing in his left side mirror as he waved them to get in front of him to get with the rest.

“I’m a strong Black woman. Very tough. My parents ain’t raise no suckers and I damn sure was not about to let them intimidate me into not voting. I was not going to show my boys that. These people are very scary. Their scare tactics are horrible, atrocious. The Fishkill Police should be entirely ashamed of themselves. They stopped traffic for that.”

Truck Train Up In Poughkeepsie

A mother who is Black and lives in Poughkeepsie reported seeing the caravan there during the first weekend of early voting. She said:

“We saw them by Poughkeepsie Galleria (not sure of the time, but definitely the morning). My thoughts are that they are deep. I wasn’t up here during the 2016 election, but on Staten Island they weren’t as visible then. Felt like a sneak attack when the numbers revealed itself. I remember staying up all night well into 3am because it wasn’t very clear who actually, really won. Remember that? The announcement came at like 4am officially. My 3rd grader predicts Trump will be re-elected. He’s developed some strong political opinions since introducing him to Civics.”

Beacon’s Experience With The Truck Train

During the first weekend of early voting, the truck train came through, horns blazing. One person who is regularly out on the street reported in that eggs were thrown from a car to people on the sidewalk.

During the second week on Sunday November 1, 2020, more people wrote in to ALBB with their experiences. @janxchris said: “I witnessed A group of people in a truck, in that parade yelling the “n word” at people of color. That’s not a difference of opinion, that’s an act of racism. And no, that’s never okay, anywhere. You can have opinions, but the days of accepting racism as “opinions”are over.

Another person sent us video of motorcyclists yelling “White Power!” in front of Beacon’s Post Office. You can watch the video here and below.

As the caravan rolled down Main Street, many locals came out to watch it. Many of them said nothing, but had hair raised, cameras up. Some people shouted “Racists!” from the apartment windows above. Some people gave a thumbs down, as you can see in the video above as a caravan participant yells “white power.” According to @cezaleo__, some onlookers displayed their middle finger. One person, according to @cezaleo__, showed their breasts - or chest. It is unknown at this time why the person removed their shirt.

When people marched down the middle of Main Street for Black lives mattering more, the feeling was intense, but many visitors and locals showed signs of support. For the truck train, the feeling was more apprehension.

How Does Beacon’s Local Government Feel About The Caravan?

ALBB did reach out to every single City Council member as well as Mayor Lee Kyriacou and the City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero with different questions regarding this truck train. Council members were asked if they wanted to submit a comment of any kind regarding this caravan. It is unknown if they knew the details of the 2 caravans, which so far, have only floated in social media, unless it was seen in person.

Mayor Kyriacou was asked several questions, which included how he felt local Beaconites should respond to caravans like this, to receiving racial insults, and how calling Black people the “n-word” would be tolerated in a place of business. Mayor Kyriacou did not respond to ALBB’s questions, but he did speak generally to these tumultuous times during this week’s City Council meeting, which you can listen to here.

Terry Nelson, who is Black, was the only City Council member who responded to ALBB’s questions. He is also the only Black person who is a City Council member at moment, and was appointed by Mayor Kyriacou to lead the Police Reform Committee. Terry’s full quote in response to ALBB’s questions is below.

During that same City Council meeting in which the Mayor alluded to the issue, Terry made direct reference, and was so far the only City Council member who made mention of the truck train during his Report (all City Council members can give a “Report” on whatever they like during public City Council meetings). During his Report, Terry recalled the first time he was called the “n-word” when he was a child, and how it stung him.

Terry’s response to ALBB regarding this truck train was this:

“​The participants in yesterday's caravan were exercising their freedom of speech, but those rights end when their words are used to instigate a negative reaction. Could you please ask any members of that caravan what does screaming the ‘n word’ at a mother and her children have to do with supporting the occupant of the White House? That display was not about supporting the president. It was about taking advantage of an opportunity to spew hate. I would love to hear some Trump supporters condemn that behavior, I won't hold my breath. They are complicit.”

Video of some of the truck caravan is below.

Early Voting Shocks Fishkill Town Hall; Police Say "No Advance Knowledge Of The Fishkill Town Hall Being Assigned As A Polling Location"

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The day was Saturday, October 24, 2020. The first day of Early Voting. For those who like to attend opening nights of a movie premier (back when movie premiers happened in person in a movie theater), people woke up early, put on their Early Voting Outfits, and headed to the polls. For Beaconites, the closest early voting location is the Fishkill Town Hall, which has been an early voting location in the past, and usually involves no line at all. It is listed on the Dutchess County Board of Elections website as one of 5 Super Sites.

For the election of the President of the United States and several other elected positions, during a time with voter confusion has ruled the news, with doubts of the United States Postal Service, absentee ballots, debates of extending mail deadlines, people across the nation turned out in droves. As of November 1, 2020, the Highlands Current reported that 9,379 votes had been cast in person at the Fishkill Town Hall.

Families like ours driving up to the Fishkill Town Hall for a family-style vote quickly and decisively turned around, seeing what seemed like a mile of a line if it was unwound from the snaking formation it did around the Police Station, Fishkill Recreation Center, and double-wrap around the Town Hall.

A man who seemed to work in a business across the street was waving cars away from from turning into their parking lot, as they are a place of business and not free parking. Early voters paced the lawn on the Town Hall on their phones, communicating back to partners or friends who were headed down. Others drove by at 9:30am, saw the line (polls opened at 12pm), and turned around to return at 1:30pm, thinking the line would subside. But the line remained the same all day, into Sunday and even the rainy Monday. A police officer directing traffic turning into the main Town Hall driveway with the loop said that no one called the police in advance to set up traffic detail.

The new Fishkill Chief of Police Keith Dworkin (their previous Chief James Schepperly resigned in February 2020 amid a lawsuit accusing him of alleged retaliation against an officer), confirmed with A Little Beacon Blog via email that there was no police preparation for the big day, stating: “The Police Department was not contacted to prepare for the volume of voter turnout expected. We were able to call in officers to address the needs of the public and make the necessary modifications to vehicle and pedestrian traffic to improve safety.”

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One of several vehicles in a Trump caravan. Fishkill Police said they had advance knowledge of the car lineup, that slowed down to drive past the early voting location of Fishkill Town Hall, but no advance knowledge of Town Hall being used as a polling location.
Photo Credit: David Ray Martin

A Trump caravan of many cars and large trucks targeted the Fishkill early voting location on Sunday after passing through Beacon’s Main Street, and Chief Dworkin further stated to A Little Beacon Blog that the Fishkill Police were unaware of the Town Hall being used as an early voting location at all, stating via email on 10/28/2020: “We were aware of the caravan and responded to assist with traffic control as requested. As I stated earlier, the Police Department had no advance knowledge of the Fishkill Town Hall assigned as a polling location.”

Voter Volunteers Hustle To Help; Voters Cheer Fellow Citizens After Emerging From Voting Booths

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The absentee ballot box inside of the Fishkill Town Hall early voting location.
Photo Credit: Alana Reynolds

Despite who one was voting for, there was comradery in the line. No signs were in the lawn, nor buttons on people’s jackets. Voters included the elderly who arrived to submit an absentee ballot into a box, or to wait in line. A mother nursing a newborn left the line to breastfeed her baby while people in line held her spot. Election volunteers came out periodically to walk the line, checking on the vulnerable population, and invited the nursing mother to come ahead. They also looked for those holding absentee ballots to let them know they could skip this longest line in order to place their ballot in a box inside of the polling location.

Said one reader, @iamdinoalexander of the first day: “Took us about 5 hours. Got there at 3 and done by 8pm. There we’re about 100 people still behind us. The check in and voting was so well organized and moved very quickly. It took about a minute to check in, mark and cast your ballot. If you are in a group of at least 2 you can take turns waiting and hold your spot. And the best thing was that everyone was wearing marks, we know what that means

Length Of The Line, Which Was Positioned Along Side The Road’s Edge

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Saturday, Day 1 of early voting at Fishkill Town Hall saw a line wrapping along Rte. 52, and up to the Fishkill Recreation Center.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Overall, the line of the first early voting day ranged 5-7 hours. During the first day, the line inched along, and then stopped a few times. Election volunteers came out to walk the line to let them know that 1 of the 2 ballot printers had broken, and that someone was on the way to fix it. Which did happen! And the line began to clip along again. The back of the line was behind the Fishkill Recreation building, then snaked around the parking loop, curving around again to Route 52, where people stood along the road.

While the big caravan of trucks people have been talking about happened on Sunday, a reader wrote in to say they saw the day before as well, on Saturday. Said @mrcondon135: “Was on Rt9 headed to Starbucks for my usual coffee and what I saw was something I’ve never seen in my whole life! Literally about 100 cars, truck and dump trucks all with Trump 2020 flags and people screaming for Trump!”

People stood along the road again on Sunday as cars whizzed by, including the Trump caravan, which was loud with motors and shouting motorists, some voters standing along the road felt intimidated. Said one gentleman who has been looking to buy a pickup truck: “This makes me not want to buy a big truck.”

The line for Sunday, Day 2 of early voting was just as long, but the line varied at 5 hours. Monday was no different, even though people predicted a quiet work-week, and even though it rained. Come Tuesday, the line remained stubbornly long, as people continued to show up. Said @waiavda: “Tuesday 2pm and lines is as long as Saturday! We need extended hours!”

According to the Highlands Current: “State law requires counties to have one early voting site for every segment of 50,000 voters, although election commissioners can choose to have more...The Dutchess commissioners, who needed at least 3, set up 5, including one at Fishkill Town Hall on Route 52 near Beacon.”

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Sunday, Day 2 of early voting saw a large caravan of cars and trucks, which targeted the Fishkill Town Hall polling site and drove past voters who were told to stand along the road’s edge of Rte. 52. Voters are pictured here waiting in line as 20 minutes of Trump trucks drove by.
Photo Credit: David Ray Martin

The strategy of the arrangement of the line did change day to day. By Day 3, the line position had shifted from along the road’s edge to directly in front of the Police Department. Said Chief Dworkin when ALBB asked about the strategy of the positioning along the side of the road: “We continue to modify conditions and make early voting safe and convenient keeping in mind that we don’t want to discourage anyone from being able to access their polling location.”

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By Friday, Day 5 of early voting at the Fishkill Town Hall, parking for votors had been dedicated along Rte. 52. On Days 1 and 2, people were standing there instead, waiting to vote.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Did other polling locations in Dutchess County have similarly long lines? Said @hvny_mrkt: “Millbrook, Rhinebeck and POK all similarly long/worth-it-lines.” By Friday, the day of the first snow in Beacon, the line was 1 hour long, and had dedicated parking along Rte. 52, instead of voters standing waiting.

How Early Voting Works

Line Cut Off Time:
Whatever the end of day polling time is, if you are in the line at that time, then you are good to stay. A volunteer will come stand in the back of the line when the end of day comes to tell people that they can no longer vote that day.

Absentee Ballet Box Drop Off:
You can skip the line where your ballot gets fed into the machine before your eyes, and drop your ballot off in a box inside of the polling location. Those who are paranoid about watching their ballot cast right then will prefer the first option, and won’t mind the line. Said @foxfirefall: “I dropped off my ballot today (Monday) and it took no time! I held it in my hand so people in line could clearly see it as I walked past, and a poll volunteer saw me and kindly ushered me inside and made sure I got an ‘I Voted’ sticker!”

Parking: Parking is available at the Town Hall, the FIshkill Recreation Center, and along Rte. 52. Turning left out of the Town Hall at the second entrance may be difficult, as there is no light, and traffic coming from Beacon tends to drive around a car who is either letting someone pull out or is turning left into the Town Hall. You

Governor Cuomo recommends people no longer mail in their absentee ballot. In his Friday night email, he said: “If you have an absentee ballot and you haven't cast it yet, don't mail it—instead drop it off in person. You can drop off absentee ballots at any polling place (there are expedited, dedicated lines for doing so) or at your local Board of Elections office. New Yorkers can also, of course, vote in-person on Election Day on Tuesday, November 3rd. Find your local polling place here.

Future Early Voting Changes

After reading this article, readers questioned the Board of Elections (BOE) and County Executive Marcus Molinaro, on procedures. A Little Beacon Blog reached to both today, and is awaiting response from the Board of Elections.

County Executive Molinaro was able to respond, and answered this to our questions about how he thought early voting went overall, if Beacon’s walkable city needed its own early voting location, and if Dutchess County encourages the truck caravans:

“I have long been a strong proponent for early voting – I lobbied for early voting approval from the state, as well as for the funding to support it.

“2020 marks just the second year of the early voting option in New York State; and this year, there is the combined factors of the COVID-19 pandemic and very high voter interest in the presidential race. The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges with the need for greater spacing and cleaning protocols after every voter. Combined with high voter enthusiasm, wait times for early voting have been longer than hoped for.

“The Board of Elections, which is an independent body, has worked diligently to ensure health and safety at every site. It has been very heartening to see voter enthusiasm and most voters have commented that while the lines are longer than they might like, they have been met with pleasant fellow voters and BOE staff. We are grateful to voters for their patience and their commitment to exercising their right to vote.

“There is always room for improvement and I am confident the Board of Elections will be reviewing the early voting process to see where changes can be made to continue to improve the process going forward and we hope New York State will provide funding to provide broader accessibility.”

Editor’s Note: A Little Beacon Blog did reach out to Fishkill’s Town Supervisor Ozzy Albra through the Town’s website, where a link called EMAIL is listed. This link goes to a form submission page. A Little Beacon Blog submitted questions via the form. ALBB did not get a response from Supervisor Albra, but Police Chief Dworkin did email a response a day or two later.

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Village Of Wappingers Mayor Resigns; Town Of Wappingers Faces Racial Discrimination Lawsuit Of Highway Department

On Monday, October 26, 2020, the Village of Wappingers Falls Mayor, Matt Alexander, announced to residents via letter that he was resigning, effective December 2020. He has been the Mayor of the Village of Wappingers Falls for almost 14 years. In his letter, he stated: “Over this extraordinary past year, in enforced solitude and decreased mobility, I reflected on my own needs. With great sadness, I am announcing that I will be stepping down as mayor in December to pursue other opportunities.” His full letter is published below.

The announcement broke into the news cycle on Tuesday morning, followed by a press release from County Executive Marcus Molinaro wishing him well, and concluding with a discovery that the Mayor had accepted a job of Comptroller in Peekskill. He is a graduate of Notre Dame and is a certified public accountant.

The Mayor told MidHudson News of his new job: “I’m really looking forward to a community like Wappingers Falls urban and diverse and full of opportunity,” he said. “They just got the Downtown Revitalization initiative – a very prestigious award in New York State – and I am very excited about working on that with them.”

The soon to be former Mayor had run for New York’s 19th Congressional Seat in 2012 against Nan Hayworth, and owned a 19th Century building that was destroyed in a large fire in 2017, which prompted the #WappingersRises movement. Matt owned the shop, Stone Bridge Antiques, which he re-opened in a nearby location, according to Hudson Valley Magazine.

Village Of Wappingers Falls And Mandated Police Reform

All municipalities in New York State are under obligation from a Governor’s Order to supply a police reform plan that works with their unique communities. Mayor Alexander is no stranger to police reform. In 2018, the Village of Wappingers Falls had voted twice to dissolve their Police Department, preferring to use Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office instead, according to a Poughkeepsie Journal article. On August 30, 2018 the Board voted to disband the police force to begin on Jan. 1, 2019.

A judge ruled that the votes were unauthorized, and required a public vote. The judged ruled that the Village of Wappingers Falls did not conduct an environmental review, as required under the State Environmental Quality Review Act, according to the article.

The public vote, after the Village’s 2 rounds of voting to disband were denied, was spearheaded by 2 lawsuits, according to Deming Headlight, resulting in the people of the Village Wappingers Falls voting to keep their Police Department. After that vote to keep the Police Department, Mayor Alexander proposed creating a Citizens Board. ALBB has not reached out to confirm if such a Board was created.

The Police Commissioner of the Village of Wappingers Falls, Carl Calabrese, resigned after 11 years of service, on April 8th, 2020. The Mayor and the Village Board of Trustees honored the Commissioner’s service in the Resolution accepting his resignation. Police Commissioner Walter Burke is currently in the position.

Some legal cases are listed in connection with former Police Commissioner, Carl Calabrese, including NOVICK v. VILLAGE OF WAPPINGERS FALLS, NEW YORK, which revolved around the Police Benevolent Association (PBA), retaliation against the Police Union rules or advocacy of rules, bladder cancer of Officer Novick, reporting correctly or incorrectly into the job for health issues, “Disciplinary” actions, a demotion of Officer Novick, and other details.

Another lawsuit in 2011, PISTOLESI v. CALABRESE, centered around the removal of a towing company used by the Village of Wappingers, as directed by then Police Commissioner Calabrese. The lawsuit named Officer Novick and Commissioner Calabrese, among others, including a then Board Trustee, for harassment. Years later, Officer Novick filed a lawsuit against Commissioner Calabrese and the Village of Wappingers in the lawsuit named above. The newspaper clippings below can be clicked to be enlarged.

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Meanwhile, In The Town Of Wappingers…

A racial discrimination lawsuit was brought against the Town of Wappingers (different from the Village with different departments, and the Mayor does not preside here, as it is managed by the Town Supervisor, Richard L. Thurston) in 2019 by Troy Swain, who was 4 months into the job of Highway Superintendent when he was fired by a unanimous vote by the Town Council of the Town of Wappingers, due to allegations that he did personal tasks while on the job.

Troy was the first and only African American to serve as Highway Superintendent. Troy now works for the City of Beacon as a Heavy Equipment Operator, where he is 1 of 3 Black people working in that department in Beacon. Another worker, Reuben Simmons, had also served as Highway Superintendent for the City of Beacon, before also being unanimously voted out by Beacon’s City Council when they deemed that the job title did not exist in Beacon, and required a Civil Service exam he was not entitled to take (see ALBB’s article and podcast about this).

According to an article in the Poughkeepsie Journal, The Town of Wappingers also thought that the job title did not exist when Troy Swain held it. “Some members of the town board disputed the existence of the position and said Swain was ‘erroneously’ promoted. The union believed the position should've gone to someone with seniority, according to the documents.”

The same logic was used in Beacon in Reuben’s case in an unsigned mystery letter delivered to a Councilmember’s front porch, even though Reuben had been working for the City of Beacon for as long as his replacement, Michael Manzi.

In the Town of Wappingers, according to Swain’s attorney, Masai Lord of Lord & Schewel, he believes Troy’s termination was retaliation for filing an earlier racial harassment complaint. “Swain claims while on the job he was addressed with racial slurs. He said he had spoken about the harassment to his supervisor and a union representative, but wasn't provided a remedy,” he told the Poughkeepsie Journal.

In a lawsuit against the Town, Troy alleges he was discriminated against and denied due process before being fired, among other claims. He's seeking punitive damages. The trial is set for March 2021, due to a delay with COVID.

The goal of the trial, Masai told A Little Beacon Blog, is that “Mr. Swain needs to be compensated for what he went through. Not just the years of racial harassment, gratuitous use of the N-word, and wrongful termination and retaliation, but violation of collective bargaining agreement, and denied his constitutional due process rights.”

The Town of Wappingers voted unanimously via Resolution to terminate Troy on June 13, 2016. He received his termination notice on June 14, 2016. The lawsuit was filed in 2019, and named individual Board Members instead of the Town as a whole. The Board members tried to reverse by filing an appeal for qualified immunity in May 2020, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal article. That appeal of dismissal was denied in the U.S. Court of Appeals Second Circuit in mid-June 2020.

“The Southern District Court of New York also denied the Town's motion for summary judgement on the claims of discrimination, retaliation and retaliation based on the town's opposition to Swain getting unemployment compensation, meaning those claims will be moving forward to trial,” the article stated.

The Letter From The Mayor Of The Village Of Wappingers Falls Reads As Follows:

For ease of reading, Mayor Matt Alexander’s letter of resignation has been republished here:

Dear fellow residents,

It has been the privilege and honor of my life to enjoy the reward and fulfillment of service to my neighbors as mayor. However, all things must come to an end and my service to you has come to that point.

For over eighteen years, I served the people of the Village of Wappingers Faslls, with almost fourteen, as mayor. Over this extraordinary past year, in enforced solitude and decreased mobility, I reflected on my own needs. With great sadness, I am announcing that I will be stepping down as mayor in December to pursue other opportunities.

Our time together has been full of success and failure, joy and grief as well as growth and decline. But from the past fourteen years, I hop you see mostly good. I will do just that. I see how we have made great changes in our community over time. Though, I have some regrets, my belief is that, together, we have left the Village in a much better place than it was.

The best of our Village is its people and I have gotten to know o many of you in a special way that has made me better for it. I will miss this job more than any other. It was a very difficult decision, but I am confident that wonderful things lie ahead for all of us.

Godspeed and be well my fair Village. I will see you next as a fellow private citizen and hope to enjoy the future with you here for many years.

Deer Virus May Be Causing Increase In Dead Deer In Yards Near Mountain - Councilperson Aymar-Blair Provides Guidance

Councilperson Dan Aymar-Blair, representing Ward 4 near Mount Beacon, gave residents guidance during this week’s City Council meeting on what to do if they found a dead deer in their yard: call the Highway Department to remove it. Additionally, the Highlands Current reported early in September about the increase in dead dear in the region, which New York State’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) confirmed was the result of Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD), which is carried by a midge who bites a deer.

One was found near the Fishkill Creek in Madam Brett Park, and 32 EHD fatalities in the Cold Spring area and 26 across the Hudson River near Goshen, according to the article. Depending on the movement patterns of the local midge population, say officials, the disease could be spreading. It could be paused by prolonged freezing weather.

According to the article, written by Brian PJ Cronin: “After a deer is bitten by a midge carrying the virus, it takes about 7 days for symptoms to appear. Once they do, the end comes swiftly, usually 8 to 36 hours after being affected. Besides acting disoriented, appearing lame and losing their normal fear of humans, infected deer have high fevers that cause extreme thirst, which is why most deceased deer are found near water sources (one of the first reported cases was a doe found in a Putnam County lake). Other visible symptoms include swelling of the head, neck, tongue and lips.”

According to the article, and to the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW), the disease is not transmittable to humans or pets, like dogs. It is limited to white-tailed deer, mule deer and pronghorn antelope. In other words: ruminants, which are hoofed, even-toed animals, according to ODFW. Colder weather with a freeze would drive the midges into hibernation mode.

Though the disease is not transmissible to humans, it can cause deer to die quickly near humans, and begin decomposing, which can cause a foul smell. The dead deer should not be eaten. According to the Highlands Current: “Deer that succumb to EHD decompose at a much higher rate than normal as a result of weakened blood vessel walls and an elevated body temperature from fever. This leads to extremely rapid meat spoilage, so infected deer should not be eaten.”

The article encourages people to contact the wildlife department at the DEC’s Region 3 office in New Paltz by calling 845-256-3098 to report sick or dead deer. Councilperson Dan encouraged Beaconites to call Beacon’s Highway Department at (845) 831-0932 and by emailing the Highway Superintendent, Michael Manzi, mmanzi@cityofbeacon.org.

3 City Of Beacon Employees Tested Positive For COVID-19; City Hall Remained Open During Individual Quarantines

On September 30th and October 5th, three employees of the City of Beacon tested positive for COVID-19 and were quarantined for a mandatory 10-day period, according to a press release issued by the City on or around October 13th. According to this week’s edition of the Beacon Free Press, City Manager Anthony Ruggiero confirmed to the newspaper that the last person to test positive returned to work on Friday, October 16th. He also confirmed to the paper that “City Hall continued to be open the whole time.”

According to the press release reported on by the Highlands Current, Poughkeepsie Journal and Times Hudson Valley, the City hired Servpro to “thoroughly disinfect all of City Hall on Sunday, October 4th.” The administration notified the Dutchess County Department of Health, and followed all protocols, including engaging New York State contact tracers, according to the release.

According to the Beacon Free Press: “In the release, City officials underscored their ongoing commitment to public health and the safety of its employees, residents, and visitors. City officials remind everyone to continue to take COVID-19 seriously and follow the proper protocols. The need to continue to maintain social distance of 6 feet and continue to wear masks when appropriate and wash and thoroughly was noted.”

As of October 20th, there were 12 positive cases in the City of Beacon, according to the Dutchess County Dashboard. According to Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro, “the Hedgewood Home for Adults in Beacon Assisted Living Facility is considered resolved, with no new positive cases reported and no active cases within the facility,” he stated in a virtual Town Hall Forum. He also reported that Bard College announced a precautionary closure of its Annandale campus to visitors, but the Dutchess County Department of Health (DBCH) confirms there are no active cases of COVID-19 associated with the school.

As for the Marist cluster, Molinaro stated: “The cluster reported at Marist College relating to an October 3rd gathering has run its course, with a total of 30 cases in the cluster, according to DBCH. Marist College lifted its precautionary campus pause on Saturday, Oct. 17th.”

The press release issued by the City of Beacon to various news media has not yet been added to its website with other press releases. A Little Beacon Blog seems to have been left off the distribution list, which we have been included on prior for other releases, like the new business cards for police officers and new initiatives like Hope Not Handcuffs. It should also be noted that the Mayor issued a robo-call during the uptick earlier this month at Hedgewood, but not for this instance.

UPDATE 11/3/2020: The press release has been published to the City’s website, and can be found here.

Wishing everyone the most health and full recoveries.

UPDATE 10/29/2020: City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero says that the employees have recovered, and that there are just over 30 employees in the building on average.

Spirit Of Beacon Day 2020 - Pandemic Style - Pictures and Video!

With the state mandate of no parades or large gatherings during this pandemic of COVID-19, there was no chance that Beacon was going to have a repeat of any big parade like what caused a spike in the spread of the flu in 1917 in Phili. But Beacon would not be stopped from having its annual celebration of its team spirit - The Spirit Of Beacon Day - which we all know was started after racial tensions and riots in 1977.

Yes, this is all connected! And as people are people, the spirit never goes away, and the need to listen to each other never goes away. Hence the reason the Spirit of Beacon Day was started 43 years ago. To address this need to come together.

Thankfully the torch has been passed from committee to committee, and the Spirit of Beacon Day Parade continues. The current committee decided to have a drive-by parade, as well as a virtual concert. They worked closely with Beacon’s Highway Department to develop a route. The route was based on the plow route that the Highway Department uses when plowing our streets come winter.

The cars were divided into 4 quadrants and drive down different streets, led by Highway Department trucks. Yay trucks! Maybe you saw from your house, or maybe you saw in Instagram. People who did see were happy, and the Spirit of Beacon Day Committee was pleased with the results. Says president Gwenno James: "Thank you to the Spirit of Beacon Committee volunteers, and a big shout out to the City of Beacon Highway Department who lead the Drive-Thru and provided the route map. Their essential workers have continued serving our community throughout the pandemic and were on the front lines during the lock-down cleaning City Hall, keeping everyone healthy and safe. Thank you also to everyone who participated in the Drive-Thru and Virtual Concert, and to our video producers." And thank you for the generous support of our donors."

Watch their full video here. They covered a lot of people and talents! All photos used here are courtesy of the Spirit of Beacon Day Committee.

Pictures of Spirit Of Beacon Day 2020

The Spirit of Beacon Day Committee sent over these photos of some of the cars particpating and representing in this year’s Drive-Thru Parade.

Beacon City Schools Coordinate Bus Delivery For Free Lunch Meals For Remote Learners - Sign Up Required

When in a pandemic, and when the USDA is funding your local lunches and breakfasts for kids who need it, sometimes getting access to that food can be hard. The Beacon City School District has gone to great lengths to prepare food that can be warmed up at home for kids meals, in addition to produce and packaged snacks. While the meals area available in 5 different locations on a Wednesday between a certain daytime time slot, getting to that food can be difficult for parents and caregivers who are working or unavailable during that time window. Therefore, the district has organized a bus delivery system to bring the food to the people.

Piloted in the spring when this pandemic first started, the district has had some practice at this delivery method. When the federal government funded all meals to public school districts including Beacon, lots of kids are now eligible for the free food, which can include pizza slices, chicken nuggets, and even a cucumber/tomato/feta salad. Not to mention: Scooby Snacks.

Delivery begins October 21, 2020, but signup is required by October 9, 2020. Don’t delay, sign up now. It’s easy and involves a Google Form. Delivery is every Wednesday starting at 10am, and someone must be home to receive it.

Pickups for meals is also on Wednesday at different locations, like South Avenue or Rombout. The receiver simply needs to select which location they want to pickup. Or, if they are opting for delivery, the form that needs to be filled out will take them off the pickup list.

At this time, opting into getting a free meal is easy. One should not not do it because they are saving a place for someone else. There is plenty of food. If you are in need, or if your kids miss school pizza, opt-in.

Details on the free meals program for all kids through December 31, 2020 are here.

Uptick In COVID-19 Cases In Beacon Connected To Assisted Living Facility In Beacon, City Says

On Monday evening, during the weekly City Council Meeting for 9/21/2020, City Manager Anthony Ruggiero provided detail for the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in Beacon during his regular report session (see hour/minute 1:06:00). He explained that the positive cases were connected an assisted living facility located in Beacon. “We had received a number of emails after a News12 report,” Anthony remarked.

That facility, as reported by News12, is Hedgewood Assisted Living Program, located at 355 Fishkill Avenue. Anthony stated that this increase right now is isolated in the one facility, and that State and County Health Departments have been monitoring, and both have been to the facility, where the staff and residents are tested weekly.

According to News12’s report: “A spokesman with the assisted living facility tells News 12, ‘Each of our nearly 200 residents is observed carefully. This facility - subject to 24-hour a day, seven-day a week unannounced inspections, strictly adheres to all NYS Department of Health guidelines.’ The person did not go into detail on the breakdown of cases among residents and employees, or even the severity of symptoms.”

Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro confirmed to News12 that there is likely to be an increase in case number based on this cluster, telling the news outlet: “It is likely going to result in more cases, with severity because of the age of the individuals and sadly, we’ve already seen 1 individual succumb to the disease. We have to engage in that social distancing. We are encouraging people, ya know, we cannot have theses large gatherings. And continue to wear a mask please.”

At the time of this announcement on Monday, there were 27 cases on the Dashboard, "with about 13 that are related to this facility, with sadly, 1 death,” said Anthony. Always a man of dates and schedules, Anthony reflected on the speed of the spread, when he remarked: “This was fast moving. There were 0 cases about 2 weeks ago. Week of September 14th, there was a severe spike of 8 or 9, and then the last week, 13.” Anthony stated he was in regular contact with the Commissioner, and that Beacon’s first responders had been made aware of the situation.

Wednesday night, after another increase to 45 active cases in Beacon, Mayor Lee Kyriacou made an announcement via robo call, which is also texted and emailed to those who opted in. “To be clear, the large increase is from a single residential facility – not from Main Street businesses, or not from children returning to schools.”

Mayor Kyriacou went on to encourage citizens to practice personal safety: “Beacon is doing exceptionally well. We have carefully opened up much of our city activity, while keeping our COVID numbers way down – that is remarkable. Our job as individual members of this community remains unchanged: Each of us must continue to do our part – social distancing and face coverings in public, quarantining if required, being respectful to all. Everyone’s vigilance is essential to keeping us all safe.”

Click here to visit Dutchess County’s Dashboard, which lists Beacon’s active case numbers. To see how many new cases were recorded in Dutchess County for the day, click here for New York State’s Dashboard, and click on the text link for Dutchess County, and then the highlighted shape of the county.

All Beacon City School Students Eligible For Free Breakfast and Lunch Through December 31, 2020

As families prepare for the first day of school on Monday, a new development was emailed to parents and caregivers from Karen Pagano, the Director of Food and Nutrition for Beacon City School District.

Big School Meal announcement! All Beacon City School Students will be eligible for Free Breakfast and Lunch meals for all school days through December 31, 2020. This can be very exciting for kids, as they see their old meals from school, like School Pizza and School Chicken Nuggets, which seem to have special properties that cannot be duplicated in store-bought meals. In addition to School Scooby Snacks, and other items that show up in the prepared meals, like fresh broccoli. The financial assistance this gives to parents and caregivers is a given.

Kids In Hybrid Schedule

Students in Hybrid schedule will have Breakfast and Lunch meals available in their School buildings on the days they are attending classes. To help with social distancing, kids will be eating meals in their classrooms.

Kids In Remote Learning Schedule
(And On Home Days If On Hybrid Schedule)

Meals for kids during Remote Learning Days will be available for pick up at select schools by reservation only.
A google form for Remote learning days meals will sent in a separate email.

Click here to fill out the Google Form to schedule meal-pickups.

The form needs to be completed by September 14th at 10am to be guaranteed meal availability on September 16th. Meal orders placed after September 14th will be processed for distribution the following week. Meals will continue to be prepared for you each week until the receiver cancels. There is a No-Milk option, if one wants to opt to not be given the cartons of milk. The milk is usually 1%, and if a family doesn’t drink that version (we drink Whole, for instance), a lot of milk goes down the drain.

How Is This Possible?

The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) extended the Free Meals Program, as they did at the end of the school year, and for the summer meals program. A Little Beacon Blog wrote about how to apply for the Free Meals Program if a person was still unemployed and in financial hardship.

Those who had applied for the program did receive a random financial gift on their P-EBT card. While this current extension of the Free Meals Program requires no application, people may still want to apply for the Free Meals Program for 2021, and just in case New York State deposits another $420 of grocery money onto the P-EBT card.

Anonymous Donor Donates $1,000 In Key Food Gift Cards By Way Of Local Non-Profits and School District

According to a press release from the City of Beacon, Mayor Lee Kyriacou announced that the City of Beacon – as a result of an anonymous donation – is distributing over $1,000 in Key Food Gift Cards by way of various local non-profit groups and the Beacon City School District.

The gift cards, issued at Beacon’s Key Food grocery store, will be redistributed to local families going through financial difficulties during the current health crisis and economic downturn. The city was able to provide gift cards to local religious institutions, non-profit groups and the Beacon City School District.

Mayor Lee Kyriacou said, “From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank the generous Beacon resident who sought anonymously to help others during these unpredictable economic times. Many families are in need of this donation and I am happy that the City of Beacon could assist.”

Pastor John Perez from the Faith Temple Church of God in Christ, whose church is located on North Cedar Street, said: “In these difficult times, it is truly a blessing for those in need.”

For those who need to visit a Food Pantry, find a guide at A Little Beacon Blog’s Food Pantry Guide.

Dutchess County Makes $430,000 In Microenterprise Grants Available To Businesses Negatively Affected By COVID-19

From the press release sent by the Office Of the Dutchess County Executive on September 9, 2020:

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro announced today (9/9/2020) Dutchess County has made $430,000 in grants available to assist microenterprise businesses negatively affected by COVID-19, through a program administered by Community Capital New York (CCNY). A microenterprise is defined as a business with 5 or fewer employees, including the owner. The program provides grants of up to $10,000 to stabilize microenterprises and preserve low- and moderate-income jobs. Eligible businesses can apply online here.

County Executive Molinaro said, “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and this pandemic has forced many to close, with many more struggling to remain open. These grants will help these businesses stay afloat – keeping our neighbors employed and communities vibrant.”

The funding for the program comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant COVID/CARES Act (CDBG-CV) which was provided to the County’s Urban County CDBG Consortium. Eligible businesses must be in a municipality which is a member of the Consortium. The Consortium includes all Dutchess County municipalities, except the City of Poughkeepsie, which received its own CDBG-CV funds; the city is expected to announce a similar program using its CDBG-CV funds by in the near future.

City of Beacon is also committing $150,000 towards this program (which became available in December 2020), specifically for business located in the City of Beacon. Funding for this program is from the City’s Urban Development Action Grant (UDAG) funds; its applications will be accepted via the same application and follow the same guidelines, and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Eligible businesses must meet the following standards, established by the federal government:

• Five or fewer employees, including the owner

• Located in the Dutchess County Urban County CDBG Consortium

• Retain, rehire or create at least one low- and moderate-income job for six months

• For-profit business (non-profits are ineligible)

• Operate outside of a residential property

• In operation prior to March 15, 2017

• Not be one of the following business types: adult book, video and entertainment facilities, check cashing facilities, gambling facilities, gun shops, liquor stores, non-therapeutic massage parlors, medical marijuana production /distribution, pawn shops, tanning salons or tattoo parlors

• Must document that funds are not duplicating other financial assistance provided via the CARES Act.

The low and moderate job standard can be met several ways:

• Retain, rehire, or create at least one full-time position for a person whose full-time annual salary is below $54,950 . For retention, the position must be at imminent risk of job loss without the funding; or

• he business is located within a Low- and Moderate-Income Area (LMA) and primarily serves local residents; or

The following are the federal established low- and moderate-income limits:

Household Size Income Limit

1 $54,950

2 $62,800

3 $70,650

4 $78,500

5 $84,800

6 $91,100

7 $97,350

8 $103,650

Eligible uses of funds include:

• Rent

• Working capital

• Technical training

• Machinery and equipment, including personal protective equipment for employees

• Certain other costs associated with stabilizing a small business

Ineligible Uses:

• Relocation of business operations

• Renovations

• Paying off existing debt

• Reimbursement for costs incurred before aid

• Applications are available here and will be accepted until all the funds are expended. CCNY will also provide technical assistance to potentially eligible businesses.

The Dutchess County Urban County CDBG Consortium includes 20 towns​, 8 villages and the City of Beacon. For the purpose of ​administering this program, the villages ​will be considered in conjunction with their respective town. For the first four weeks of the application process, CCNY will award grants based on an equitable distribution among the 20 towns and the City of Beacon. After October 7, 2020, applications will be approved on a first-come, first-serve​d basis.