Locations For Beacon's Earth Day Cleanup: 9-12pm: Walk-Ins Welcome!

City Of Beacon's Earth Day Cleanup
Days: Saturday April 22, 2023
Time: 9am-12pm
Location: Several. Signup for the location you want. But you can also just show up! The locations and meeting points are below:

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Location for “East Side Of Creek: Grandview/South Avenu at the Tioranda Bridge”

• South Avenue Elementary School: Main Entrance

• South Avenue Park: Beacon Recreation Lot (23 West Center Street)

• Sargent School: Main Entrance

• Rombout Middle School: Memorial Park in the Pavilion Parking Lot

• Rocky Glen and Rte. 52: Rte. 52 & Mill Street

• Teller Woods: Guardrail on Teller Avenue (opposite from Ballet Arts 107 Teller Avenue)

• East Side of Creek: Grandview/ South Avenue at the Tioranda Bridge. Enter from 9D down Grandview, near the Craig House and across from Beacon's University Settlement Camp. ALBB has posted a picture of it on the map here, provided by Green Beacon Coalition.

• JV Forrestal School: Playground Entrance

• East Side of Beacon: Stone and Liberty Street

12pm - 3pm: Hudson Valley Brewery.  
Conservation Advisory Committee program outreach and social.
One free drink ticket will be provided to volunteers 21+ and a discount on Groundlings pizza.  Non alcohol beverages also available.
Come to celebrate Beacon and learn about electrification, composting, trail development and pollinator pathways.
Information >

Beacon Post Office To Stay Open - BUT Carriers Being Re-Routed To Newburgh To Pick Up Mail And Drop It Off. Trump Appointed Postmaster General Thinks This Efficient

Editorial Note: This article has been updated to include accurate and updated information, terminology, and the latest response from the City of Beacon in their City Council Workshop meeting last night.

The Beacon Post Office is not closing - as of now - despite rumors and two local publications misunderstanding the information (WRRV and ALBB) and who have both issued corrections. However, with the flurry of articles concerning the posts offices in the Mid Hudson area that are slated to undergo a big change, came answers of clarification from the USPS and the City of Beacon. Let’s dive in.

But First, Answers To Some FAQs:

Is Beacon’s Post Office protected as a historic place?
Yes. Thanks to a tip from an anonymous citizen reporter, Beacon’s Post Office is listed on the State and National List Of Historic Places, as identified in Beacon’s Comprehensive Plan on pages 40-41.

Will Glenham’s Post Office be closing?
According to Steve Hutkins of SaveThePostOffice.com, “Haven’t heard anything about Glenham, but it appears to be a small office with no letter carriers, so it wouldn’t be part of the plan. The plan is just about relocating carriers from those post offices that have them.”

At Least 200 Post Offices Nation-Wide Will Become “Spokes” and Will Stop Being A Hub For Local Delivery

According to the new commercials from the USPS, a new super-smart system is coming for mail delivery that involves big coordination for max efficiency, the USPS promotes. The roll-out of this max efficiency has been confusing so far, according to some carriers of the Beacon post office who deliver the mail.

According to the USPS and the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) via letter, some local post offices - 16 in the Mid Hudson Region, and 200 post offices across the country are slated to stop having carriers deliver mail from them - but instead will drive to local centers to pick up the mail and drive it back to their local routes.

Carriers will not get the mail from the local post office, like Beacon, but will instead get it from a Sorting and Delivery Center (S&DC). According to Steve Hutkins of SaveThePostOffice.com, who also lives in the Hudson Valley, who has been following and reporting on the post office for over 10 years: “Beacon and the other post offices on the list will be giving up their carriers to the Sorting & Delivery Center in the Mid Hudson Newburgh facility.” Residents will still have their mail delivered to their homes by carriers. But the carriers will be driving to and from Newburgh - across the Hudson River on the traffic-prone Newburgh/Beacon Bridge - to do this.

These post offices include Beacon, Fishkill, Wappingers, Newburgh, and several others. They will become “spoke” post offices. To help define the USPS lingo, Steve tells ALBB: “A ‘spoke’ post office is one of the offices giving over its carriers to the S&DC, which is the ‘hub’ of the wheel. This is how USPS refers to them in its presentations, like this one.’”

According to the USPS, the delivery trucks will park at the S&DC (Sorting and Delivery Center), which for Beacon, is in Newburgh.

According to a Beacon postal worker, Beacon employees heard from other postal workers who may have received official notices from their bosses or union at the Post Office that fulfillment and distribution would be done at the processing center in Newburgh. The Newburgh Post Office (different from the processing center) is also slated to stop having mail delivery service from it in September 2023. This has since been confirmed by SaveThePostOffice.com’s publishing of the postal carrier’s union’s letter.

At the time of speaking with ALBB, the postal worker was sitting in their delivery truck, sorting mail for the next block of delivery. Which prompted the question: where will the trucks park? According to a presentation from the USPS in August 2022, parking and commute time was taken into consideration. However, it is not clear if traffic for the commute time for any employee heading over the Newburgh/Beacon bridge was taken into consideration.

The postal worker did not know. Nor did they know how it would work driving in the little truck back and forth across the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge. Also not clear was who would be paying for all that gas, and the new tolls the trucks would accumulate.

With Wappingers, Fishkill, Newburgh, Cornwall, Montgomery, New Paltz, Pine Bush, Walden and other nearby Post Offices closing, the USPS says in a presentation that they have factored in parking, if there is enough parking for those delivery trucks. In this new USPS commercial, it looks like the original post office truck is being directed by the airline-looking traffic controller person.

The traffic on the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge can be thick. One accident, bless the people involved in the crash, can stop traffic for 2 hours at times, backing up all the way to Fishkill’s Route 9.

City of Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White Confirms Building Not Closing

Speculation has been so strong by the public that the Beacon building would close (with the burning hot real estate market going on in Beacon, and the loss of several iconic businesses to new development, this served as a strong foundation for this rumor) WRRV and ALBB first published that the building would close. WRRV was quick to update their initial article, and included this statement: “From the USPS: ‘As we move forward with this initiative, customers will see no changes to their local post office retail operations. No post offices will be closed and PO Box service will not be changed.’"

ALBB emailed Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White days ago to inquire about a possible building closure, and he did not reply. Instead, he updated the community in the final moments of the weekly City Council meeting, as he seems to like breaking his own news on his own time. Special thanks to Councilperson Justice McCray who commented via Instagram that the City of Beacon made an update in the final moments of the meeting.

From the City Administrator’s update, just seconds before the meeting adjourned:

“I have a 2-minute update on the Post Office. Your emails are blowing up. A week to two weeks ago, word spread in Beacon that we were going to loose carriers, and that was a preface to closing down the post office. When we got word of that, we did reach out to Congressman Pat Ryan's office in Kingston. They were doing a call today (Monday) with their Washington Office to ascertain the details on it.

“I did reach out to both the Postmaster who is currently on a different assignment - the Beacon Postmaster is in Hopewell. I did speak to the interim Postmaster. Neither of them believes that closure is at all considered. They thought that was highly unlikely. It had not being discussed.

“What is being discussed is these S&DC centers. The Sorting and Delivery. The carriers that now report for the 13 routes that are done in the 12508 area, would instead report to Newburgh. There were 15 or 16 communities that were going to be moved there. When I talked to the Postmaster, she said that all of the retail functions of the post office are going to remain the same. In fact, there was a similar consolidation of the sorting and delivery a couple of years ago in Eastern Dutchess that Hopewell was part of, and they still remain open.

“We are waiting for a final call back from Congressman Ryan's office. I left messages with the Vice President Of the American Postal Workers Union who I worked with years ago fighting other closures in Sullivan County. It doesn't seem that there is any real threat to close the post office. It would change where the carriers report, but the function day to day, your delivery, your ability to go to the post office, to have a box, to purchase postage, and other items there, would not change."

Mayor Lee Kyriacou clarified: "None of the customer-facing elements are involved in any consideration for change?"

City Administrator Chris responded: "That's correct. And when I said 'Well, do you think this could be a step toward closing?' They said 'No, this is one of our busiest post offices.' If somebody was going to close post offices, this would not be top of the list to close. When we fought this years ago, when I worked in a Congressional office, we were closing very small post offices in towns you would not recognize the names of. Where they had only a few people going in and a few boxes left. And even there we were able to stop it."

From this roll-out, Steve told ALBB that he is waiting to see how more details are addressed, like how a package that cannot be delivered will be handled. Will Beaconites need to drive over the bridge and back to retrieve it?

Editor’s Note: If you are a postal employee in the Mid Hudson region who works in the building for window service and has been impacted by this - where you did see change - please tell ALBB about it. If you were told by a superior that the building may close in the future, please contact us to tell us your source.

The Change From Post Offices To Fulfillment Centers

Suddenly news in the post office is moving quickly. Steve at SaveThePostOffice.com has been following this closely, and researched the large processing centers being built by the USPS by reviewing lists of processing centers that were released to postal unions. He has not been able to come up with a conclusion as to how they will work. However, he did notice that two of the large processing centers were located in North Carolina. “It’s noteworthy that two of the four new leased facilities will be in North Carolina, the Postmaster General’s adopted home state. DeJoy built his fortune as CEO of New Breed Logistics, based in High Point; he has a home in nearby Greensboro; and his chief logistics officer and executive VP is also a former New Breed executive. They have a lot of experience doing logistics projects in North Carolina, but why develop two new leased RPDCs in the same state, just 110 miles apart?”

Steve has also been tracking who has already been fired at the local post offices. In an article published on April 3, 2023, he followed which “spoke” post offices have been impacted.

Steve reported on April 1, 2023: “According to the impact statements the Postal Service is required to provide the APWU when it excesses employees, at least 40 clerk positions are being excessed at about 30 post offices, some of which aren’t scheduled to lose their carriers until September. [Update, 4/2/2023: The Postal Service has dialed back the S&DC plan yet again. The number of spoke offices sending carriers to the Mid Hudson S&DC is now 7 instead of 16, and the total number of excessed positions is now 8 instead of 23.]”

This is just the beginning of what is sure to be several news reports about this.

What will happen to the Elf in the Beacon Post Office who receives the letters to Santa?

What will happen to the Elf in the Beacon Post Office who receives the letters to Santa, and answers each one herself, with candy canes taped onto the envelope? Which magically make it through the sorting machines without getting crushed, or needing a stamp?

Editor’s Note: Any post office worker who wants to contribute to how this will impact them, or how they see this has been handled on the inside, can email ALBB with their anonymous input. We can interview you and not publish your name if you wish.

Travel Restriction Lifted Tuesday 8pm; Dutchess County Government Offices Open Wednesday; BCSD On 2-Hr Delay

The travel restriction ends today Tuesday at 8pm, which is earlier than first declared. Dutchess County Government offices will open normally on Wednesday. The Beacon City School District will be open on Wednesday, and will open on a 2-hour delay.

Per the Press Release from Dutchess County Executive William F.X. O'Neil:

Effective 8 p.m. this evening, Dutchess County Executive William F.X. O'Neil will rescind his earlier Executive Order from Monday, March 13th, and there will be no more travel restrictions. County Government offices to resume normal operations on Wed., March 15th

Driving, however, is not advisable until Wednesday morning, as wind gusts have knocked down numerous trees and power lines throughout the county; sub-freezing temperatures overnight will likely lead to icy roads and slippery driving conditions, particularly in the higher elevations, and additional downed trees and lines.

County Executive O'Neil said, "We thank residents throughout Dutchess County for heeding our request to stay off the roads to allow our dedicated Department of Public Works crews to clear those roads. This has been a challenging storm, extending over a long period of time, and we thank residents for their patience and cooperation in helping crews keep our roadways passable."

Dutchess County Government offices are scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, March 15th, operating under normal business hours.

Dutchess County Public Transit (DCPT) will resume normal weekday service on Wednesday, March 15th. For updates on service, bus passengers can visit dutchessny.gov/publictransit or the DCPT mobile app.

Crews from the Dutchess County Department of Public Works (DPW) have been ahead of the storm since its beginning – plowing, treating and salting County roads since 1 a.m. Tuesday; those crews will continue to treat and salt County roads throughout this evening, as icy conditions are expected.

Residents can stay up-to-date on the County’s storm response online at dutchessny.gov or on the County’s social media pages on Facebook or Twitter.

Updated Weather Predictions and Help Line Information From Dutchess County

From the Office of the County Executive O’Neil:
Declares State of Emergency
in Anticipation of Season’s Largest Snowstorm

3/13/2023 Press Release Republished:

With significant snowfall amounts forecast for Dutchess County for the next 36 hours, County Executive William F.X. O’Neil has issued a State of Emergency declaration, effective at 8pm tonight, as well as two Executive Orders putting travel restrictions in place effective 4am Tuesday and closing County offices for Tuesday, March 14th from 7am-5pm. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Dutchess County through Wednesday, March 15th, with snowfall expected to arrive tonight, continuing throughout Tuesday and into Wednesday morning. The NWS forecasts the heaviest snow fall between midnight and noon Tuesday, with 1-2 inches per hour expected.

Total accumulation for Dutchess County varies between 6 and 12 inches, according to NWS forecasts. Due to the heavy, wet snow expected in combination with wind gusts as high as 40 mph Tuesday into Wednesday, numerous power outages are anticipated due to downed trees and wires. Tuesday’s morning and evening commutes are expected to be impacted significantly.

County Executive O’Neil said, “Reports indicate this storm is going to give us significant, wet snowfall and winds. We are monitoring the situation carefully and emergency responders are prepared. Only emergency and essential vehicles should be on local roadways during this State of Emergency, allowing public works crews ample opportunity to clear roadways.”

Dutchess County Emergency Response will activate the Emergency Operations Center at 8 p.m. this evening, and it will remain open for the duration of the storm with representatives from New York State Department of Transportation, New York State Police, the County Sheriff’s Office, County departments of Behavioral & Community Health and Public Works, Central Hudson, NYSEG and Red Cross.

County Executive O’Neil will host a conference call with local mayors and supervisors on Tuesday afternoon to review storm conditions and coordinate resources as necessary.

Dutchess 9-1-1 Center and 9-8-8 HELPLINE remains fully staffed and prepared to address residents’ emergency and mental health needs.

Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office is fully staffed through Wednesday, including activating its ATV and other specialty units to assist residents and emergency responders as needed.

Dutchess County Public Works highway crews have loaded trucks with materials, salt has been applied to County roadways, and crews will be out through the duration of the storm to clear roadways.

Dutchess County Public Transit (DCPT) has suspended all service for Tuesday, March 14th. For updates on service for Wednesday, March 15th, bus passengers can visit www.dutchessny.gov/publictransit or the DCPT mobile app.

Dutchess County Office for the Aging Senior Friendship Centers will be closed on Tuesday, March 14th, and no Home Delivered Meals (HDM) deliveries will be made Tuesday, HDM recipients should use previously provided frozen or shelf stable meal.

Dutchess County Government offices will be closed Tuesday, March 14th. Individuals who have DMV appointments in Poughkeepsie, Wappinger, Beacon or Millbrook will be rescheduled for the same appointment time and location on March 15th. For information on scheduled Road Tests, please go to www.dmv.ny.gov

Residents can stay up-to-date on the County’s storm response online at dutchessny.gov or on the County’s social media pages on Facebook or Twitter.

State of Emergency and Travel Ban Declared By NY State And Dutchess County - City Meetings Postponed

Hello March!

You do like to keep it exciting, miserable and brutal!

State Of Emergency Declared For Upcoming Snow Storm

The City of Beacon has issued a notice that beginning at 8:00 pm this evening (Monday), New York State and Dutchess County have announced a State of Emergency due to a pending snowstorm.

Tonight’s City Council meeting and tomorrow’s Planning Board meeting have been postponed, and City Hall offices will be closed on Tuesday March 14th. Please see the City’s website Calendar for updated dates and times.

Travel Ban Tuesday

According to the City of Beacon, Dutchess County is instituting a travel ban throughout the County beginning at 4:00 am on Tuesday March 14th, and which will extend through Wednesday morning, at least.

Said the City via robo-call and email: “Please avoid unnecessary travel during that timeframe to allow City plows and emergency responders to do their work. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Any updates will be posted to the City website and Facebook account.”

Vote For A Little Beacon Blog In The Eilmination Round For Best Of Hudson Valley 2023!

Thank You, Beacon and the Hudson Valley Community! You voted A Little Beacon Blog into the next level of the Best Of Hudson Valley 2023! The Elimination Round is now open. Keep us IN!

By casting your vote, you can help A Little Beacon Blog win Best Blog of the Hudson Valley 2023.

Here Are The Directions On How To Vote:

Visit the Best Of Hudson Valley 2023 home page.

Scroll down to “Select a Group” (scroll past the START button - don’t click that).

Click on People (even though ALBB is a blog - media publication - and not a person - though it is written by people).

Scroll to Categories and click Blog.

Select “A Little Beacon Blog” and click Vote.

The rules say you need to vote for 5 total. But you could vote for more if you wanted. The screen will advance you to a next Category. If you don’t know the people or entities, take a minute to Google a few that catch your eye and place a vote. For example, we learned about Girly Wolfpack and voted for them. And Nicole Harris for Tiny Green Farm for “Farmer.” Repeat this for 4 more categories.

This may be all you need to do. Your vote may be submitted at that point.

Thank you!

Please note that votes originating from identical email addresses or IP addresses will not be counted.

The Elimination Ballot for Best of the Hudson Valley is live from March 9th at 9am to April 6th at 5pm. 

A Little Beacon Blog is a local media news source with an eye for detail and discovery, which we deliver to a broad audience. We are a storyteller of the history of this area, and of the news and events happening here now. We help the people who live here, and the folks who are visiting, know about insider things to do, learn, shop and eat. We stop to smell the roses, enjoy a drink or snack, and do bouts of shopping. We dedicate time to researching developing stories about people and local news, and publish deep deep dive articles to keep all informed.

Glenham Street Sign Serves As PSA: Prevent Freezing Pipes By Dripping Your Water

Beacon had a first run of the freezing weather over the holidays. The heating and plumbing trucks were out. Emergency wait lists were full. Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White advised people to prepare their homes for freezing temperatures during recent City Council meetings. Last year, he urged out of town residents who live or are vacationing long term to turn their heat on a little, as some homes experienced burst pipes when they got too cold. Which means water everywhere and damage.

“Be mindful of the seasons and weather. Be proactive when it comes to freezing temperatures and making sure your heat is set at an appropriate temperature to avoid freezing pipes. Especially if you will be away from your home. Claims definitely go up during these times. Nothing worse than coming home to water damage caused by broken pipes.”

— Susan Pagones, Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency

Today on K-104.7, Traffic Reporter Christina Lang told listeners about how pipes burst in her parents’ home and caused long term damage with mold growth. Local insurance agency Antalek and Moore is always thinking of you, and wrote this Winter prep checklist with advise. Antalek and Moore’s partner, Susan Pagones advises ALBB readers: “Be mindful of the seasons and weather. Be proactive when it comes to freezing temperatures and making sure your heat is set at an appropriate temperature to avoid freezing pipes. Especially if you will be away from your home. Claims definitely go up during these times. Nothing worse than coming home to water damage caused by broken pipes.”

A street sign in Glenhan serves as a reminder to you prepare your pipes to not freeze and explode during extreme cold temperatures. Here are the most basic and easy tips you can do to prevent your pipes from freezing and exploding water everywhere:

• Water Dripping:
  Drip your water in unused places, like the faucet outside with the snow.

• Heat and Vacation:
  Turn your heat on low when you’re out of town for more than a day.

Spirit Of Beacon Day Opens Web Shop For T-Shirts & Hats As They Come Out Of Hibernation

The Spirit of Beacon Day Committee has been a little quiet since the whirlwind event production that was the Spirit of Beacon’s 45th Day last September 25th, 2022. Doing all they could to coordinate the day so that it wouldn’t crack, the Committee immediately went back to their jobs in teaching, designing, grocery storing, coaching, writing, and everything else free spirits do to pay the bills in Beacon and beyond.

With Shipping and Free Pickup now in place, the Spirit of Beacon Committee has opened their web shop for online orders of the t-shirts and hats - while supplies last! Free Pickup is an option for locals. In true Beacon fashion for a new business or enterprise, the Open Hours for pickup are selective and read like an Onion article: “Hours for pickup are varied and not consistent. Generally range from 12-2pm on the weekday, and sometimes on the weekend. For Free Pickup, please email spiritofbeacon@gmail.com after you order to see when Katie (the Spirit of Beacon Committee President) is at the co-work desk to give you your order. Alternatively, she will email you. Or find your place of residence to put it in your mailbox and disappear.”

The logo was designed by Kim Dei Dolori, and t-shirts designed by Allie Bopp. Design direction for all from Katie James, Inc. The hats were produced by Joker Ink, and the shirts produced by Remark Printing.

Will the t-shirts be a new color this year? Who knows! Only you can get the original design now. And sport that hat. Click here to shop now.

City of Beacon Identifies Walter Miranda As The Man Who Died In The Woods Along Teller Avenue - No Foul Play Suspected So Far

On Thursday, January 26, 2023, the City of Beacon has released the name of the man who died on New Years day in the woods in a stream that runs along side Teller Avenue. It has been 26 days since the man’s name has been publicly released, yet some locals did know who the man was. While there was speculation for the cause of death, it surprised some that identification was not confirmed. Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White emailed the press release to ALBB (often we are with our young kids or dog/cat pets or at the dentist, so emails are appreciated).

According to a press release written by the City of Beacon’s Chief of Police Sands E. Frost - one of the most comprehensive press releases written to date - the man who passed away was Walter Miranda, age 58 who resided at 916 Wolcott Avenue, which is a multi-unit apartment house located across the street from the house that was torched two days later by someone else, owned by the same landlord. The incidents have never been connected.

The stream that runs under Teller Avenue, near the area where the City of Beacon Police were called to respond to the suspected deceased body, who was identified as Walter Miranda, age 58.

According Chief Frost, no foul play was suspected after a dual-investigation by the City of Beacon Police and the Dutchess County Medical Examiner’s Office. Chief Frost stated: “Everything regarding the joint investigation is pointing to Mr. Miranda's death being related to a fall causing a head injury.” The stream that Walter was found in was a shallow, rock-bed stream. Exposed rocks were in several areas. If one were to cross over the barricade near the sidewalk on Teller Avenue (across from Ballet Arts), and fall into the stream, with one’s head hitting the rocks, that would be hard fall.

According to locals who knew Walter, he was a skilled carpenter who passed into Beacon. He had friends on the street and beyond. He worked from job to job doing carpentry work during the seasons.

Chief Sands Frost’s press release has been re-published in full below:

---

On January 1, 2023 at approximately 11:46am, the City of Beacon Police Department received a call regarding a person believed to be deceased in a stream located in a wooded area just off Teller Ave. near Henry St. This was called in by a subject who was with his family. The City of Beacon Police Department responded, along with the City of Beacon Fire Department, Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps and Ambulnz.

EMS workers advised the subject was indeed deceased and the Dutchess County Medical Examiner's Office was contacted and they responded. A joint investigation into the death was started immediately by the City of Beacon Police Department and the Dutchess County Medical Examiner's Office.

The deceased person was identified as Walter Miranda. He is a 58-year-old male who resided at 916 Wolcott Avenue in the City of Beacon.

An autopsy was conducted on Mr. Miranda on January 3, 2023 by the Dutchess County Medical Examiner's Office. The City of Beacon Detective Bureau spent many days examining security footage from area cameras and interviewing associates and family members of the deceased. Important information was gathered regarding social interactions, habits, any chemical dependencies, etc.

Although the Dutchess County Medical Examiner's Office has not finalized its report yet due to awaiting toxicology results, everything regarding the joint investigation is pointing to Mr. Miranda's death being related to a fall causing a head injury. There are no other signs of a struggle or any other injuries indicating an assault.

I know community members get frustrated when something like this occurs in the area and not much information is available right away. We owe it to the victim and to the victim's family and friends to be as thorough as possible investigating any death that may seem suspicious. This process can take quite a while to complete. Our heart goes out to Walter's family and friends. We would also like to thank everyone who cooperated with us in the investigation.

Sands E. Frost
Chief of Police

Eviction Assistence For Beaconites From Legal Services Of The Hudson Valley

Last year, as a result of public outcry at rising rents and evictions in Beacon, the City of Beacon entered into an agreement with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley in order to in provide increased access to assistance for Beacon tenants facing eviction.

Legal Services of the Hudson Valley encourage all to not self-evict. Meaning, if a landlord tells the tenant to leave, the tenant may have rights that they are not aware of. There are times when some people opt not to pursue outside help when faced with a landlord telling them they need to leave, preferring instead to deal with matters on their own.

A phone call to Legal Services of the Hudson Valley would be worth it, just to see what happens and what strategies are available. Call the paralegal, Steven Mihalik at 845-253-6953 to inquire.

$1,000 Grants Open For Applications Until Nov. 28 - BeaconArts' Clara Lou Gould Grant Seeks Applicants

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.

Where To Vote For Beacon 2022 - Both Early and Election Day - Republican Commissioner Thinks Early Voting Waste Of Money

Early voting has been available for this election in 2022, and was in several locations, including the Fishkill Town Hall. If you’re trying to figure out where your polling site is now for Election Day, you’ll need to use the Dutchess County Board Of Elections Website or New York State’s Voter Lookup Elections tool. Finding your location is a little tricky. A Little Beacon Blog will walk you through it:

• Go to https://elections.dutchessny.gov/ and click on the “Where To Vote” button in the middle of the home page, or “General Election Polling Places” from the top navigation. Or click right here to take you directly to the page.

• From this 2022 General Election Polling Site page, you’ll see an alphabetical list of communities. Look for Beacon. Can’t find it? That’s because it’s listed with a C/ . Which means not much to most people, but here on this list, it might mean “City Of.” This code has placed Beacon and Poughkeepsie at the bottom of the list, which is also confusing because even if alphabetized by C, the name would be up with the Cs. Regular readers of A Little Beacon Blog know that we are not grammarians, and do make mistakes from time to time. We also like to make up our own grammar rules, and make questionable organizational choices. But this one takes the cake. We love cake!

• Once you find C/Beacon, there are numbers listed as to where you belong. Not sure where you belong? Scroll back up to the top of the website and click the link that says to do the Poll Site Search. Or click right here to go directly to it.

• Type in your address, and voila, you have your destination.

• What time is voting for the General Election? That is on yet a different page, right here, and is from 6am-9pm. If you had done early voting, those times were on a PDF right here. Early voting is not available the day before election day.

Could this information have been consolidated better? Yes. It all could have been on one page. With big buttons to access important lookup tools.

Republican Commissioner Erik Haight Says Early Voting “A Colossal Waste Of Money”

The Beacon Free Press interviewed the Democratic Commissioner, Hannah Black, and the Republican Commissioner, Erik Haight, about Dutchess County Board of Election’s preparation for the 2022 election. They both felt well prepared and balanced when working with each other to ensure an accurate voter count.

When asked by the Beacon Free Press for their thoughts on early voting and if more people were taking advantage of it, Republican Commissioner Erik Haight said: “The facts show that it is a colossal waste of money. While it may increase the convenience of voting for a few people, it has not increased voting [participation]. It is the same in the other 33 states that have early voting. It spreads out the voting.“

For the 9 days of early voting now available, his statement implies no care for the people who do take advantage of early voting. Those people may include parents who have children in school, but since school is closed on Election Day, have their children at home, and need to either lug them to the polling site (good luck with a 5 year old who runs around, or a baby swaddled to the body of the parent, and two pre-pre teens who don’t want to be there, standing in a long line). Or a person with a job during the day who has 9 other opportunities to fit in voting around work shifts. Or a person caring for an aging parent at home and has limited times when they can be left alone.

This sharp disregard for the “convenience” of one’s life in an issue as important as voting is a spit in the face to any person who needs more time in their schedule to vote other than one day when schools and some jobs are closed.

Democratic Commissioner Hannah Black responded to the voter turnout number question by saying: “It fluctuates on the election, depending on voter engagement on the races within each year.”

Republican Commissioner Haight Notes: “We Have Kooks Who Don’t Believe That Trump Lost”

The Beacon Free Pressed asked the Commissioners about how “rampant FOIL requests” are impacting the Dutchess County Board of Elections, as they are across the country. Commissioner Black responded: “There has been an unusual amount of FOIL requests that have to do with the 2020 election,” she said.

Commissioner Haight explained: “Essentially, we have these ‘kooks’ - you can quote me on that; they’re kooks - who don’t believe that Trump lost.” He added: “I can speak for Dutchess County that the results that we certified in 2020 are 100% accurate.”

The Beacon Free Press went on to explain how the FOIL process works for the Dutchess County Board of Elections: “the commissioners will set the terms under which the documents may be viewed. The plan was to have those requesting the FOILs pay up front for the viewing of the materials; because the documents are secured in a bipartisan fashion, the Board of Elections needs to hire a Democrat and a Republican to oversee the viewing.”

Said Height: “They can handle the material, they can view the material, but they’re not allowed to copy it or take photos of it. It will cost the kooks about $40 an hour to view this material. I assume they’ll need a full work week to view the files - they’re required to reimburse the taxpayers for the folly of this task these folks are undertaking.”

Apparently the viewing session is coming. Commissioner Haight told the newspaper: “In the coming weeks, I’ll reach out to these FOILers and give them a little bit of time to get organized. All of our employees are tied up running this election. I will not jeopardize this election because these kooks don’t believe we ran a fair election in 2020.”

Dutchess County to Host ‘ThinkDIFFERENTLY’ Sensory-Friendly Movie Day

Poughkeepsie … Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro invites residents of all abilities and their families to a free sensory-sensitive screening of Pixar’s Academy Award-winning film, “Inside Out,” on Saturday, Oct. 15th, at the Bardavon Opera House, 35 Market Street in Poughkeepsie. As part of this special “ThinkDIFFERENTLY” event, the theater will adjust both the lighting and sound to make the experience more enjoyable for those on the autism spectrum or who experience sensory issues. Individuals, families and support agencies are all invited to this free event.

County Executive Molinaro said, “It can be a challenge for individuals with disabilities and their families to enjoy what may seem like a simple outing to some, like going to the movies. We wanted to give all families an opportunity to have fun and take part in a movie experience. Dutchess County is thrilled to partner with the Bardavon to host this movie event, where everyone can relax and enjoy this award-winning movie.”
For additional details, residents can view the event flyer online.

The movie event is the first of three ThinkDIFFERENTLY events the County is sponsoring at the Bardavon in the coming months: “Talking Birds and Golden Fish: A Collection of Global Animal Tales” with David Gonzalez will take place on Nov. 10th, as well as an hour-long, sensory-sensitive performance of “The Nutcracker” on Dec. 9th.

Established in 2015, the ThinkDIFFERENTLY initiative seeks to change the way individuals, businesses, organizations and communities relate to individuals with special needs. Following Dutchess County’s example, more than 100 municipalities throughout New York State have passed ThinkDIFFERENTLY resolutions, committing to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for individuals of all abilities.

Dutchess County remains committed to providing events to those of all abilities, hosting several such events in 2022, including ThinkDIFFERENTLY Thursday at the Dutchess County Fair – which gives individuals of all abilities the opportunity to enjoy the fair without the drawbacks that lights, sounds and crowds can cause – and ThinkDIFFERENTLY Fitness & Field Day at Bowdoin Park, highlighting health and nutrition for people of every ability.

Complimentary Screening of Pixar hit “Inside Out”
Day: Saturday, Oct. 15, 2022
Time: 11am
Location: Bardavon 1869 Opera House, 35 Market Street, Poughkeepsie, NY
Seating is limited; registration is required and can be completed here >

To learn more about how to ThinkDIFFERENTLY, click here >

SOON IS NOW Is Back For A Second Season At Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park

SOON IS NOW is back for a second season at Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park on Saturday, September, 24th from 2pm-5pm.

This will be a beautiful afternoon of climate theater, art and activism held in a spot that was transformed from a hazardous dumping site into a gorgeous sustainable park by Reed-Hilderbrand landscape architects and Scenic Hudson.

There is a great slate of participants programmed for the day: Jaanika Peerna with Coco Karol performing Glacier Elegy; Twinkle Burke and Stephanie Anuwe performing "how to hold water: a spell for adaptive living" by Erika Dickerson-Despenza; Edwin Torres conducting a poet's orchestra of 6 performers titled "Water's Way: A Poet's Choir for The Hudson River" with: Latasha Diggs, Jayden Featherstone, E.J. McAdams, Urayoán Noel, Kristin Prevallet and Tamalyn Miller; Elise Knudson, Randy Burd and Ava Heller performing a new dance piece on George Trakas's Beacon Point; Connie Hall performing The Penguin by Nicholas Billon, cellist Alex Waterman performing an original composition, Tom King and Katiana Rangel performing "Ode to Extinct Birds"; and FRUIT&ROT, an imprint that designs and publishes printed matter on the intersection of art and ecology, will have items for sale. Local environmental groups will be at the event providing actions, info and workshops.

Come see Fareground, Beacon Conservation Advisory Committee, New Yorkers for Clean Power, Sustainable Hudson Valley, Outdoor Promise, Climate Reality Hudson Valley and Catskills, Sunrise Movement Westchester and Hudson River Sloop Clearwater and take action on climate!

Environmental group presentations & actions start at 2pm and sign ups for the 3 performance tours open at 2pm and start at 3pm and run every 20 minutes (first come first served). A 4th tour will be added if needed. There is something here for everyone! This event is part of Hudson Valley Climate Solutions Week.

Contact evemorgenstern@gmail.com or go to this link for more details. Free and open to the public but the project appreciates contributions to help pay the artists. You can make a tax deductible pledge here at SOON IS NOW and thank you! We encourage using public transportation, carpooling and walking because parking is limited at Long Dock Park. Overflow parking is available a short walk away at the Beacon Metro North train station where parking is free on the weekends.

This project was supported, in part, by a Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant.

Jaanika Peerna and Coco Karol, Glacier Elegy photo: Annette Solakoglu

Elizabeth Clark, from SOON IS NOW, 2021, photo: Lucas Millard

Twinkle Burke, from SOON IS NOW, 2021, photo: Lucas Millard

Audience on performance tour, SOON IS NOW, 2021, photo: Lucas Millard

Edwin Torres, from SOON IS NOW, 2021, photo: Lucas Millard

Beacon Declares Stage 1 Drought Emergency - Municipal Water Use Restrictions

Mayor Lee Kyriacou announced a Stage 1 Drought Emergency on August 31, 2022, as the grass is browner on every side of the street, and leaves on trees are beginning to turn brown not from fall coming, but from the heat wave. This isn’t the first time in recent years, as we had a Stage 1 Drought in 2019. There was a Stage 1 Drought Alert in August 2015, which became a Stage 2 Drought Emergency a month later in September. According to the Mayor’s press release, “these restrictions are reserved for when reservoir levels reach 60% of capacity and are outlined by Chapter 24 of the City Code.“

In the past, the former City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero provided regular water reports at public City Council Meetings if things were looking dry and reservoirs trending low. The City’s Superintendent of Beacon’s Water and Sewer Department. Ed Balicki, would give updates on rainfall and explain what was happening.

This year, while no surprise that Beacon is in a drought, and is not the only one throughout the world who is suffering from the heat, the community did not receive the same amount of in-advance updates to make the declaration less of a surprise.

Restrictions On Municipal Water Include:

No person or entity shall cause, permit or allow:

(a) The continuing leak or waste from any water pipe, valve, faucet, conduit, equipment, facility, or device connected to the City of Beacon water system, or which utilizes City of Beacon water, on or in any premises owned, leased, managed, operated, or controlled by such person or entity.

(b) The washing of any vehicle by means of a hose, fire hydrant, or other active source connection to the City of Beacon water system, except a commercial vehicle washing operation if equipment has been installed and is utilized so that at least 50% of the water used is recirculated by means of a system approved by the Department, or high-pressure restrictor hoses may be used in a coin-operated car wash.

(c) The washing of any street, sidewalk, driveway, outdoor area, outdoor steps, building exterior, or other structures by means of a hose, fire hydrant, or other active source connected to the City of Beacon water system or which utilizes City of Beacon water.

(d) The use of water from any source for any ornamental purpose, including but not limited to use in fountains, artificial waterfalls, reflecting pools, lakes and ponds.

(e) The use of water from the City of Beacon water system to water any lawn, golf course, ornamental shrub, plant, or tree, except that:

[1] City of Beacon water may be used to water any lawn, tree, shrub, garden or golf course, greens and tees only from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

[2] City of Beacon water may be used at any time to irrigate, from a hand-held container, vegetables or fruits for human consumption.

[3] Plant nurseries and other commercial users engaged in the business of growing, distributing, or selling plants may use such water on their business premises for watering ornamental shrubs, plants, or trees, provided that each user reduces its use of water by 15% or such other percentages as may (hereafter) be prescribed for nonresidential water users.

(f) The opening or use of any fire hydrant, or of the water there from, for any purpose other than fire protection except in accordance with a permit obtained from the Water Department and only for the period of and the purpose authorized by such permit and in strict adherence to all terms and conditions set forth therein.

(g) The operation of an air-conditioning system utilizing water from the City of Beacon water system in a cooling tower, unless within 30 days from the effective date of this chapter a separate meter is installed to continuously measure the flow of water to the cooling tower or the water is recirculated.

(h) The operation of any air-conditioning system in excess of two tons of rated capacity or greater or any refrigeration unit rated at 10 horsepower or greater using water from the City of Beacon water system unless such air-conditioning system or refrigeration unit is equipped with a water recirculating device approved by the Department.

(i) The use of water from the City of Beacon water system to fill or maintain the water level in any swimming pool, except that, provided the pool is operated with recirculating equipment, City water may be used to fill the pool once during each calendar year and thereafter may be used as necessary to maintain the water level in such pool.

(2) Each nonresidential user of water from the City of Beacon water system shall prepare and retain a water consumption reduction plan enabling it to reduce its use of water in stages of 15%, 20% and 25% based upon its water consumption during the calendar year. Such plans shall be designed to achieve and maintain a reduction of 15%, 20% or 25% immediately upon the declaration of a Stage I, Stage II or Stage III emergency, respectively. Each such user shall promptly implement the first phase of its plan during Stage I and shall reduce its consumption by 15%. On and after 30 days from the effective date of this chapter, each such user shall have its water consumption reduction plan available at all times for inspecting and copying by employees of the Department.