Happening This Weekend - 10/20/2017
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Where Is Lambs Hill? Next to King + Curated!
Enviromental Citizen Soapbox Happening - Looking For Speakers in Bursts
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If you have a thought to share about the environment, you can do it from a soapbox on Monday, October 23, from 7 to 9 pm at the First Presbyterian Church of Beacon, 50 Liberty St. Hosted by the Green Beacon Coalition, anyone is invited to attend and/or speak about their views, concerns, and visions in order to "work toward creating a more environmentally conscious city," according to Green Beacon Coalition's event page.
This isn't the first such "soapbox"-inspired event at the First Presbyterian Church of Beacon. Past events have included the Springtime Citizen Soapbox, which was an open forum to hear people's hopes for the future of the Beacon community.
Anyone can sign up to speak at the soapbox, and speaking opportunities run for a maximum of "a couple of minutes." Interested speakers and attendees can sign up here at the Green Beacon Coalition website.
"Beacon Speaks Out" Meets Wednesday To Discuss Police and Community Relations
/In January of 2015, Beacon Mayor Randy Casale invited government and civic leaders to discuss growing tensions between police and communities around the country and to help Beacon's various groups set a course of improvement with one another. Following the meeting, "Beacon Speaks Out" (or BSO) was formed by Brooke Simmons of I Am Beacon and Rabbi Brent Spodek of Beacon Hebrew Alliance and moderator of Better Together, The Beacon Interfaith Clergy Group. The first meeting was held in May of that year. Participants developed eight initiatives that the Beacon Police Department intended to work on. The BSO would set follow-up meetings to discuss progress; the next one was planned for February 2016.
"Beacon Speaks Out" returns tonight, Wednesday, October 18, 2017, at The Telephone Building from 7 to 8 pm for a third meeting that is open to the public. Participants will include citizens, Mayor Randy Casale, City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero, and city Police Chief Douglas Solomon. The meeting will cover two of the eight initiatives conceived at the first meeting (specifically the fourth and seventh). All initiatives are posted below.
Initiative 4
"We’d like for the police to be better equipped to deal with Beacon’s diverse populations."
Initiative 7
"We’d like data on crimes, arrests, and convictions to be publicized, as well as police policies and procedures."
In the years since the original meeting, improvements have been made that have resulted in satisfaction on both sides - the Police Department and the community. Thanks to a grant, body cameras were given to police officers to be used with the cameras already on police vehicles, which according to an article in the Highlands Current, helped police prove how situations unfolded when challenged. Training for crisis intervention and mediation was increased, as well as hiring to strengthen and diversify the police force. Though for hiring, Chief Solomon encourages those who are students now to get interested in pursuing civil service careers, as he reports a challenge in finding recruits from minority populations.
Agenda
The agenda is as follows:
Setting Expectations
Performance Tracking
Training Effectiveness
Publicizing Police Procedures & Policies
Community Engagement
Quality of Life Issues (Defined)
• Ignoring rules of the road
• Driving around police and other caution barriers
• Driving the wrong way down one-way streets
• Speeding down side streets
• Illegal parking
• Skateboarding on streets and sidewalks
• Bicycling on sidewalks
• Ignoring pedestrians in crosswalks
• Pedestrians who aggressively cross into traffic
• Panhandling
• Loud Noise
• Loitering
• Littering
• Trespassing
• Vandalism to public and private property
• Graffiti
• Spitting
• Urination
• Defecation
• Prostitution
• Drug dealing
• Drug using
The Eight Initiatives of "Beacon Speaks Out"
1. We’d like the police/community relationship to move from a place of intimidation, suspicion, and superiority to a place of kindness, calm, and respect.
2. We’d like for the police to develop positive relations with the youth of Beacon.
3. We’d like for the police to have more face-to-face contact with the community.
Adopt Best Practices to Improve Community Safety
4. We’d like for the police to be better equipped to deal with Beacon’s diverse populations.
5. We’d like a more diverse police force.
6. We’d like for the police to work together with the community to develop a progressive strategy for dealing with Beacon’s drug problem, especially heroin.
Strengthen and Expand Community Communication
7. We’d like data on crimes, arrests, and convictions to be publicized, as well as police policies and procedures.
8. We’d like the Human Relations Committee to be publicized and strengthened.
Highlands Current Launches Opioid Drug Crisis Special Report for Hudson Valley
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Photo Credit: The Highlands Current
Editor's Note: This article was pushed to the front of our editorial calendar the day that Rep. Tom Marino, R-Pa., withdrew his name from consideration as drug czar for the Trump administration. A report by The Washington Post and "60 Minutes" found that Marino was part of sponsoring legislation passed in 2016 that made it difficult for the Drug Enforcement Association (DEA) to go after drug companies who failed to report suspicious behavior - which included making large orders - of narcotics. According to the report, the DEA had been trying to block this proposed legislation for years, but in 2016 lost. Learn more about that in this NPR article.
You may have heard the chatter - "There's an opioid drug crisis in the Philipstown area." Two things may have happened after that - you might not have known what an opioid was, so the problem wasn't visible or urgent. Then, Philipstown isn't Beacon, so another removal from the situation occurs. When you read stories, however, of high school students who got addicted to opioids at age 14 after taking prescription painkillers for an ACL injury, or a sunburned foot, and then dying in a motel room in Newburgh, or almost dying after a long and frightening struggle with addiction from how the chemicals in the drug hook into the brain, "opioid" takes on a different meaning.
About a decade ago, a campaign was created called "Faces of Meth" that showed people's deteriorated faces - teeth, skin, hair. You can see faces of meth examples here. "Faces of opioids," however, is obituaries. It's an emotional route, versus the physical one. You can see faces of opioid examples here.
A recent New York Times article featured a medical examiner who is quitting his job after analyzing so many opioid-overdosed bodies, where he first sees white foam seep out of the lungs when he cuts them open, but has to analyze the entire body in order to give an official overdose verdict. The medical examiner wants to reach people before they get to his autopsy table - while they are living. He wants to be a minister. His church? Hiking trails. He wants to serve as a chaplain for the Boy Scouts of America, and wants to join the Appalachian Trail Chaplaincy of the United Methodist Church so he can minister on the the hiking trails that cross New Hampshire and its White Mountains.
Opioid Deaths and Help in the Hudson Valley
After publishing more than a few drug overdose obituaries, The Highlands Current, the newspaper based in Cold Spring that covers Phillipstown and Beacon, dedicated a lot of ink (aka space in the newspaper) to the epidemic, called Special Report: Fighting Back the Opioid Crisis. What compelled The Highlands Current to dedicate its staff and printing to such a cause? In the words of Christine Bockelmann, Chair of the Board of The Highlands Current:
“The opioid crisis is one of the most urgent of national issues, but where it is felt most acutely is on the local level — when a neighbor goes into treatment, a family member gets addicted, a teenager dies. The Highlands Current decided it was important to look at how this national crisis is playing out in our communities because that is where those receiving care and those giving care cope on a day-to-day basis. We wanted to understand the treatments supported by our care centers, our law enforcement officials, our courts, and we wanted to know their thoughts as well as those of addicts in recovery and of parents in mourning on the best approaches to "fighting back" in this crisis. In the middle of all the words devoted to this critical issue there may be information to help someone pull through, an idea for a more effective treatment, or just hope that educating more on this crisis will help bring it to an end."
The Four Components of the Special Report
The report is broken down into four easy-to-follow sections.
Part 1: Stories
Max
Max is the son of Teri Barr, owner of Hudson Valley Outfitters on Main Street in Cold Spring. One summer when he was 14, he got a bad sunburn on the tops of his feet while boating. The doctor prescribed an opioid painkiller. When the prescription ran out, they got another prescription. The rest of Max's story is in The Highlands Current's Special Report, and it involves a private boarding school rife with drugs, addiction, withdrawals, relapses, incarcerations, court appearances, a mother's constant battle to protect her son from himself, and what happened next.
Read Max's story
Sasha
Alexander “Sasha” Matero, of Garrison, developed an opioid addiction while he was 14 years old as a student at Haldane High School in 2007. He injured his ACL, a knee ligament, in an accident and had it surgically repaired. He was prescribed opioid painkillers by his doctor during recovery from surgery. According to the article, the pills “flipped the switch,” his mother said. “The painkillers worked. They made the pain go away.” Sasha struggled with addiction to the painkillers for years after that. Despite open communication with his parents about his addiction, and with Sasha actively seeking help, he died in a hotel room in Newburgh on his 25th birthday in 2014.
Read Sasha's story
Part 2: Role of Law Enforcement and the Courts in Battling the Epidemic
Two Highlands Current reporters were assigned to cover the courts and police officers. Michael Turton looked at the work of the Putnam County Drug Court, while Jeff Simms (a Beacon resident) spent time with Beacon and Dutchess County police officers who battle the opioid crisis daily.
From his "A Day in Drug Court" piece, Michael recalls a conversation he heard, as the judge delivered opening remarks.
After the 30 or so defendants file into the courtroom, [Judge James] Reitz asks anyone to stand who knows a woman named Samantha who had appeared in court the previous week.
A few stand. “She was doing well,” Reitz says. “She told me, ‘How can life not be great? I’m clean and sober and working. I’m getting my degree. I’m doing great.’ ” Her most recent court-ordered drug test, three days earlier, had come up negative.
That same afternoon, she was found dead of an overdose.
Click here for the full article: A Day in Drug Court.
Part 3: Treatment Options
The Special Report explores different treatment and education options available, and new facilities that are being built. The Hudson Valley has hundreds of thousands of dollars available for building facilities that prevent death and try to get a person away from an addicted state. The following are explored in the articles:
- Dutchess County Stabilization
- Arms Acres
- CoveCare
- St. Christopher’s Inn
- What Does It Cost?
Part 4: Voices and Shared Thoughts to Fight Problem
The Highlands Current explores "thoughts of specialists, counselors, doctors and those struggling with addiction about what they feel should take priority in addressing the problem."
Click here to read the Special Report, and explore what is going on if you haven't yet.
Real Quick - What Are Opioids?
Before you dive into the Highlands Current's local spotlight on opioids, you'll want to know what they are. In the words of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, here is what they are:
Opioids are a class of drugs that include the illegal drug heroin, synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and pain relievers available legally by prescription, such as oxycodone (OxyContin®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), codeine, morphine, and many others. These drugs are chemically related and interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the body and brain. Opioid pain relievers are generally safe when taken for a short time and as prescribed by a doctor, but because they produce euphoria in addition to pain relief, they can be misused (taken in a different way or in a larger quantity than prescribed, or taken without a doctor’s prescription). Regular use — even as prescribed by a doctor — can lead to dependence and, when misused, opioid pain relievers can lead to overdose incidents and deaths.
— National Institute on Drug Abuse
OPEN! LuLaRoe Fall 2017 Pop-Up Shop at A Little Beacon Blog's Space
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Erin and Leigh are back at A Little Beacon Space! They have taken over our office for a pop-up shop event this weekend only, and they have brought their entire inventory with them. To see inventory that's normally only available during certain times in their private Facebook group, anyone can come into A Little Beacon Blog's Space to shop Erin and Leigh's collection of leggings, dresses, denim(!), tops, and more on Friday from 3 to 7 pm, Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm, and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. A Little Beacon Blog's Space is at 291 Main St., across from Key Food, and down the block from the library.
Photo Credit: LuLaRoe
LuLaRoe is a brand of clothing known for its soft fabrics and unique prints and color combinations, founded by a woman who wanted to build a business that worked around her family's needs and schedule. LuLaRoe has grown into a nationwide brand, with associates like Erin and Leigh stationed in everyone's neighborhood. Beacon has several associates, some of whom you may have seen at school fundraising events, or maybe you've shopped at their homes (see who else is in Beacon). As the company is family-based and always eager to support the community, give a LuLaRoe pal a try if you haven't yet.
The Erin in Erin and Leigh.
Photo Credit: LuLaRoe with Erin and Leigh
In the meantime... Stop into the pop-up shop to experience it all as you attend the plethora of activities available to you this weekend (we have your full schedule here if you need dates and times).
A mini-LuLaRoe associate in training.
Photo Credit: LuLaRoe with Erin and Leigh.
Accessories - Where to Find Jewelry to Go With These Outfits
Oh yes, you'll need accessories, and you'll find them at several shops along Main Street. Good places to start include (on the West End of town, near the train) reMADE for uniquely made artisan jewelry, Bellus on Main for a finely curated collection of jewelry, Nella's Bellas for insta-bling at a friendly price-point, and Hudson Beach Glass for more artisan jewelry. On the East End of town, stop into Style Storehouse (also having a solo jam session on Saturday with Sasha Dobson, who is in a band with Norah Jones), echo boutique, Waddle n Swaddle for nursing-friendly jewelry, Vintage Beacon, Lauren and Riley, Shop Reservoir, Kaight, King + Curated, and others.
Find all of these shops with addresses and pictures in A Little Beacon Blog's easy-access Shopping Guide by clicking here.
Photo Credit: LuLaRoe
Photo Credit: LuLaRoe
City of Beacon Dedicates the East Main Bridge to Ron and Ronnie Sauers
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Photo Credit: "Celebrating Our Centennial, Beacon at 100" published by the Beacon Historical Society.
On Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 12 pm, the City of Beacon will dedicate the East Main Bridge, near the Dummy Light, in between The Roundhouse and the newest row of boutiques at 1 East Main, to Ron and Ronnie Sauers. The couple has been dubbed "early pioneers" - really early - of Beacon's renaissance during the 1980s, by just about every Beaconite who knows about the visionary pair.
To set the scene for why they were so relevant, take a read of this passage from "Celebrating Our Centennial, Beacon at 100," published by the Beacon Historical Society:
"Since its incorporation, the city of Beacon relied on its factories and on trade from the Hudson River for its well-being. But as the river's commercial viability failed, and the factories gradually closed, the city began a slow, inexorable slide to decline. And nowhere was the decay more apparent than on the East End of Main Street.
Enter Ron and Ronnie Sauers. Long-time residents of New York City, the Sauers made their living in television - she as a video editor, and he as a designer and builder of video and sound studios. By the mid-1980s, they turned their vision north, and set about finding an upstate community in need of revitalization. After briefly considering several options, they chose Beacon, and set their creative sights on three burned-out buildings on the city's East End. Buoyed by the enthusiastic support of the city government, they purchased the charred shells, and designed storefronts and high-end apartments that combined historically accurate facades with elegant modern interiors. The finished buildings marked the beginning of Beacon's rebirth.
A reception is to follow at Dogwood, featuring a slide show of the buildings they worked on from the 1980s. Says council member and organizer of the event, George Mansfield, during a City Council meeting on October 2, 2017: "The slide show gives us all a good sense of reference as to where we were, and where we are." Also involved are Polich Tallix foundry, who donated the bronze plaque (side note: they are now casting the Oscar statues!), and Rabe & Co., who donated the graphic design.
Second Saturday Art Gallery Guide for October 2017
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Happy Second Saturday, people of Beacon! Dive into autumn this weekend, via spooky celebration or life-affirming art. We've got it all covered for you!
Some highlights: In addition to the slate of Beacon's art gallery openings (a harvest for which we are ever-thankful), a handful of literary/art collaborations are happening today: A photobook pop-up on East Main, a painting-poetry jam in Beacon's newest storefront, and an author/illustrator reading at good ol' Binnacle. Also, a fundraiser for Mid Hudson Animal Aid at the Howland Public Library features art from Beaconites. Community Free Day at Dia:Beacon means extra tours and programs, not least of which is end-of-day beer from the fine folks at 2 Way Brewing. In case you haven't seen it yet, swim quickly to Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries for the waning days of their historic photo exhibit.
Get the scoop on all the Second Saturday happenings around town in our Guide to Second Saturday Art Gallery Showings!
A giant thank you to BeaconArts for promoting this day in our city for years, and thanks to the sponsors of A Little Beacon Blog, who make it possible for us to share the goings-on around town. Please support the businesses who support us!
Happening This Weekend in Beacon, NY - 10/13/2017
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Painter Stanley Lindwasser Showing in Rhinebeck Bank's New Artist Gallery
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Stanley Lindwasser wandered into our office one day last December with his little dog, Rembrandt, who he takes everywhere. Wearing his signature winter fur hat, Stanley looked around our place, wondering what it was. Where had he stumbled into? A Little Beacon Blog? Tin Shingle? "What are these things?" he asked. And with that began a beautiful friendship of us helping him complete his website design, and most recently, writing a press release for him to announce his first gallery showing in Beacon at Rhinebeck Bank's new Art Program, which he found out about through BeaconArts. The show is up now through November 3, with a reception on Thursday, October 12, from 5 to 6:15 pm at the Rhinebeck Bank's Beacon Branch (1476 NY-9D, Wappingers Falls, NY, across from the Family Dollar). (Shhh, don't tell anyone it's not in Beacon!) In keeping with this new program, all of the artwork is for sale. Get a feel for Stanley's artwork on his website here.
A painting by Stanley Lindwasser from his 2017 collection, on display now at Rhinebeck Bank.
Stanley had just moved here with his wife Helen after decades of splitting their time between Forest Hills, Queens, and Hoboken, New Jersey. He had just joined BeaconArts and was preparing his new studio for Beacon Open Studios. Stanley spends most days painting in a pre-fab studio in the backyard. “It’s really nice; I had them put in skylights and glass doors,” says the artist, adding that the famous beauty of the Hudson Valley is inspiring his work. “The light here has certainly interested me. The skies are fantastic and the sunsets over Newburgh are really amazing.”
Color captivates Stanley, as you can see from his paintings. “My mother told me that my kindergarten teacher praised my finger painting, and it just took off from there. I’ve been painting very seriously virtually every day since I was around 12 years old,” recalls Stanley.
A painting by Stanley Lindwasser from his 2017 collection, on display now at Rhinebeck Bank.
Enjoy the show now before it's gone. And if you see Stanley walking around town - you'll recognize him with little Rembrandt - say hi. He'd love to talk to you. :)
Here is Stanley, passing out flyers to his show at the new gallery space at Rhinebeck Bank.
Photo Credit: Tin Shingle
Storefront Comes to Life with Book Signing by Photographer Ronnie Farley
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For those who like to find tucked away events that may fly past your radar, then the book signing (dare I call it a pop-up book signing?) by renowned photographer Ronnie Farley is for you. It takes place over October's Second Saturday weekend, Saturday, October 14, and Sunday, October 15, from noon to 8 pm. The storefront space is that of the designer Gwenno James, and is across from The Roundhouse, and down the street from Dogwood.
Ronnie has just released a new photo book "documenting the 'chemtrails' (albedo modification) and other geoengineering effects on the atmosphere in the lower Hudson Valley in New York," according to her website. Books, prints, paintings and T-shirts by Ronnie will be available. This is your chance to get art that is otherwise hard to find. You'll also get exposure to a special performance by Craig Chin of Errant Space: Ambient Soundscapes from 5 to 7 pm.
Ronnie lives in Beacon, and is a well-respected and documented photographer. If you'd like to experience some inspiration, check out her body of work below (and check out her impactful portrait photography here). This may push you over the edge to add this book signing to your to-see list for a wildly busy Second Saturday (we have the full Second Saturday Guide for you here!).
Ronnie Farley is an award-winning fine art and editorial photographer. Ronnie's books include Women of the Native Struggle: Portraits and Testimony of Native American Women (Crown), Cowgirls: Contemporary Portraits of the American West (Crown/ Thunder’s Mouth Press), Diary of a Pedestrian: A New York Photo Memoir (Third Eye Press), New York Water Towers (KMW Studio) and the latest, Ghost Plane (Third Eye Press).
Ronnie's work has been shown both nationally and internationally, and has been critically acclaimed by The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Huffington Post. Her work is also in the permanent collections of the Museum of the City of New York, The National Museum of the American Indian in New York City, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland, Ohio, The Nicolaysen Museum (Casper, Wyoming), and the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame (Fort Worth, Texas). Her images have appeared in Rolling Stone, USA Today, Sierra Magazine, Western Horseman and The Sunday Times of London.
In addition to her own photography, Ronnie Farley’s career includes working for the Associated Press in New York City over a span of 20 years as a photographer, a photo librarian, and a national photo editor.
"Fragments Remnants Leftovers," An Architectural Study at Matteawan Gallery
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Building up and across is booming all around us in Beacon, making the most recent show at Matteawan Gallery all the more relevant. Björn Meyer-Ebrecht, born in Germany, was the debut artist for Matteawan Gallery back when it opened in 2013, and he has returned for this show that runs through November 5, with a reception on October's Second Saturday.
"The title of the show, Fragments Remnants Leftovers," says the gallery's owner Karlyn Benson, "refers to the end of major cultural and political eras, such as modernism or the Cold War. Meyer-Ebrecht’s drawings approach architecture solely as material. As artifact this material carries over historic knowledge into our present time and the specific place of the gallery."
To illustrate this, the artist has built a wall in the middle of the gallery, dividing the room into two spaces, connected by a passageway. The back of the wall reveals its structure and consists of unpainted wood, Masonite panels and metal studs. "Meyer-Ebrecht sees this work as both an abstract painting and as a utilitarian object," says Karlyn. "As the viewer passes from one side to the other, the painting reveals itself as functional architecture: as a room divider. The shapes painted on the wall refer to geometric abstract painting, flags, political symbols, billboards, and film or theater sets."
Meyer-Ebrecht’s ink drawings are made on separate sheets of paper joined with transparent tape. The construction of the drawings relates to the building processes they illustrate, but it is also a device to bring the drawing out of the illusionistic into the actual space. Colored ink is applied over some of the black-and-white drawings, creating a layer of artifice and what the artist describes as “looking at history through the proverbial rose-colored glasses."
Experience the wall in its final form and the art meshed into one gallery, on weekends or by appointment. For more information, contact Karlyn Benson at info@matteawan.com or (845) 440-7901.
Rhinebeck Bank Re-Launches Art Program In Its Beacon Branch (Sponsor Partner Post)
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Eager to support its local community, Rhinebeck Bank has dedicated the lobby of its Beacon and Rhinebeck branches to feature the art of local artists for six- to eight-week exhibitions, a program they have re-launched to include more artists.
The first artist to be featured in the Beacon branch, at 1476 NY-9D (technically in Wappingers Falls, across the street from the Dollar General) is Stanley Lindwasser, a new Beacon resident from Forest Hills, Queens, and Hoboken, New Jersey. Stanley spent decades teaching in the New York City public school system, and relocated to Beacon with his wife Helen and little dog Rembrandt last year. This is his first opportunity showing in a gallery in Beacon, albeit a comfortable waiting lounge for customers of the bank.
"Because we are a community bank," says Michelle Barone-Lepore, Vice President of Marketing for Rhinebeck Bank, "it's important for us to stay connected to art and the artists in the community. Supporting the community is very important to us, and this is one way in which we do so." As for participating in Beacon's Second Saturday with their new gallery, the Beacon branch is open on Saturdays from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Stanley Lindwasser's paintings will be on display for October's Second Saturday, and will remain up through November 3.
Artists who are accepted into the program and have shows in the gallery reap the benefit of Rhinebeck Bank's social media reach, as well as an Opening Reception put on by the bank. How has the reaction been received by the public? "They love it," says Michelle. "For some artists, we hold receptions after-hours for people to come view their artwork. We had a reception for the artist Harvey Silver. He had over 50 people attend his artwork reception and he auctioned off a framed print to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas."
The artist Stanley LIndwasser pictured in his studio on the left. On the right are several of his paintings hung in his exhibit at the Beacon Branch of Rhinebeck Bank.
How to Apply to Rhinebeck Bank's Art Program
Interested artists can email artwork@rhinebeckbank.com or call (845) 454-8555. Include one or a few photos of your artwork so that the deciders can have an immediate frame of reference for your work. Artwork may be displayed for six to eight weeks in either the Rhinebeck or Beacon branch locations. Artwork may be listed for sale if desired, but that is not a requirement. Rhinebeck Bank does not make a commission from sales of artwork, and there is no fee to display.
Rhinebeck Bank is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and this article was created with them as part of our Sponsor Spotlight program. It is with the support of businesses like this, that A Little Beacon Blog can bring you coverage of news, local happenings and events. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us! If you would like to become a Sponsor or Community Partner, please click here for more information.
Tioronda Garden Club's Annual Fundraiser is October 12th - Got To Make Those Flower Baskets!
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The baskets of hanging petunias that line the mile of Main Street in Beacon are some of the biggest around - maybe in the country - for a series of displays that must be produced and maintained each year. I'd say they only rival the petunias that decorate every building (even the gas stations) in Maine.
The all-volunteer Tioronda Garden Club puts these together each year, in addition to several other arrangements throughout the city. The group is holding its annual fundraiser on Thursday, October 12, at 7 pm at St. Rocco's Hall (26 S. Chestnut St.). Admission is $25, and includes wine and cheese appetizers. Also, wines will be raffled off, and there will be several prizes from local merchants.
Petunias seem to thrive seasonally in Maine's climate with the damp, cool, salty air. Beacon has humid air, certainly, but not as much rain, and the petunias don't water themselves, as they do in other cities with irrigation systems. Years ago, the City of Beacon removed watering them from the budget, and then-councilperson (now mayor) Randy Casale and former city councilperson Sam Way took it upon themselves to use their early morning time to go around in the cherry picker truck, and personally water the flowers. Learn more about the Secret Gardeners of Main Street here. This year, Randy and Sam are the honorees at the Tioronda Garden Club's fundraiser.
Photo Credit: Susan Marie, sourced from Facebook.
According to the Beacon Free Press, the Tioronda Garden Club maintains flower arrangements in the following areas: the Beacon train station, Municipal Plaza, Memorial Park, George Washington Triangle, Patriots Garden 9/11 Memorial, Howland Cultural Center, and the Visitors Welcome Center.
The Source for Halloween Yard Art and Scary Props - A Home Depot Halloween
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After living in Beacon for several years, it has become very clear that holiday yard art is a thing. Air blown, lit up, puffed up things in the night are to be embraced. Like giant Santas, Snoopies, Grinches, and now Ghosts, Spooky Trees, and even a herd of hatching, rabid dinosaurs.
A Little Beacon Blog has documented this for the past few years for the December holidays, when we go around Christmas Light Hunting. But we've never done it for Halloween. We've attended the unofficially named Willow Street Halloween Extravaganza aka Halloween Night of Crazy, where several of the houses on that street get really into Halloween and set up spooky houses, play eerie drums, show old movies, and generally create a street party. But we've never documented the Halloween decorations...
Until now. Halloween has come to Home Depot in Fishkill in a big way (and probably every Home Depot in the country, but we prefer the one off of 84 in Fishkill because it's at the base of a mountain and employs some neighbors), making it really easy to access these marvelous decorations that people seem to spend years acquiring.
We only had one bin of Halloween decorations, but after stopping into Home Depot one weekend this September, our lives were forever changed. Being that we have kids, it was as exciting as going into a haunted house. When their grandparents visited from out of town, the kids wanted to take them to Home Depot to visit "the Halloween section." We needed to set a Halloween Budget so that we would stop getting asked what they could buy.
So we set the budget and made a plan. Tough choices were made. Spooky things with effects like The Three Witches were cut from the must-have list. Electric things that made noise were assembled. We are now ready for our Very Beacon Halloween (a Beacon Chamber term, but that's what it feels like when getting into the yard-art spirit). For the first time, I want to stay home to hand out candy in order to represent at our spooky home.
Kids can pick up the phone outside of your door, and hear a spooky message...
For the glue gun enthusiasts, you could webcast your home...
For the glue gun enthusiasts, you could webcast your home...
Instant-mega-deecoration with these lights. At holiday time they have taken off in Beacon, but for Halloween, you can have creepy ghosts flying around the siding of your house.
You must go into Home Depot to experience this actual 3D TV. Just turn the dial, and wait. It's actually about 7 seconds too long, but next year maybe they will edit it back. Wait for the effect of this creepy face popping out...
And for those who just want a little Halloween Pretty, there is the black wreath with glitter silver spiders and ribbon.
Anamario Hernandez To Show in New Gallery at Inn and Spa Beacon
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Photo Credit: Inn and Spa Beacon
The Inn and Spa at Beacon first opened up its doors with walls featuring art from a variety of artists, and they are at it again for October's Second Saturday. The new hotel, located at 151 Main St. in Beacon, NY, is officially designating its walls as the Anamario Gallery on Saturday, October 14, 2017 through December 3, 2017. An opening reception for the artist and public will be held on Saturday, October 14, from 5 to 7 pm.
Internationally acclaimed artist Anamario Hernandez has created unique representational works that are both classical and modern. Ms. Hernandez exhibits worldwide and was recently honored in the Biennale Internazionale Dell’Arte Contemporary Cita Di Firenze.
Author, critic, and NYU Art History Professor Edward J. Sullivan writes: “There is a sense of classical calm, dignity and monumentality to the work of Anamario Hernandez. She is the quintessential describer of things. In her still life [paintings], each individual component seems to possess a life of its own. Whether humble objects such as jars, glasses, bottles or plates are depicted, or the artist concentrates on more fancy objects like exotic shells or rich cloths - the subjects of Anamario’s paintings are not only the things depicted but the inner life of objects.”
Mark Jenkins, art critic for the Washington Post, wrote about Ms. Hernandez's recent exhibition at the Cultural Institute of Washington, D.C., noting that a "classical sensibility tempers even her more experimental works, highlighting not only the artist’s craft, but also the limits of our perception.” Additionally, art critic Mireya Folch affirms: “Like magic, she transforms the simplest of things and gives them meaning.”
The Anamario Hernandez exhibition will continue through Sunday, December 3, 2017. For more information on this gallery exhibition and other arts and wellness programs at the Inn and Spa at Beacon, please call Roger Greenwald at (845) 505-9331.
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