Beacon's Tree Advisory Committee Responds to Question Of Tree Management Plan

A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the City of Beacon’s Tree Advisory Committee Chair, Andrew (Andy) Bell with the following question: “Has the Tree Advisory Committee made recommendations to Mayor Lee Kyriacou or past City Administrator Chris White or current City Administrator Ben Swanson about tree management solutions? Such as regularly pruning tree branches that look diseased or weak?”

On July 30th, a large tree branch fell onto Beekman Street; more branches fell two weeks later in Memorial Park, with more still after Sunday’s high-wind rain storm. Dead branches remain in several trees. In the video published below, the small tree branch that fell on the Memorial Park hill fell onto what looks like freshly mowed grass. Hope the Highway Department guy on the mower isn’t under more trees with actively falling branches. Usually the fall season means leaf foliage, but it’s looking like full branch coverage in Beacon.

Andy responded to ALBB that on August 11, 2026, the City of Beacon applied for a grant that if received, could lead to a management plan.

On Monday, Andy told ALBB: “The City has applied for a grant Urban and Community Forestry Tree Inventory - Round 17 UCF 2026 to do a tree inventory which will include a tree management plan. We submitted our application on 8/11 and hope to hear word later in the fall if we were successful in or bid.

“If so, and we're optimistic, this will give updated maps and information on approximately 2,800 trees in the public right of way throughout the city (street trees, park trees, etc.) and basic information on species, size, visual health assessment, canopy cover and other data. That will be used to create a management plan, including maintenance, new plantings, and removals when necessary. There will be a public outreach component as we build that plan and look forward to engaging with residents to let us know what they would like and any ideas they have for their street and park trees.”

That grant reads: “Project Types/ Practices Bids must be for one of the following practice types:

• A) Traditional Street/ Landscaped Park Tree Inventory/Assessment;

• B) Street Trees/ Landscaped Park tree inventory/assessment using ground based remote sensing (terrestrial LiDAR)

• C) Forested Natural Areas Inventory/Assessment;

• D) Community Forest Management Plan; or

• E) a combined bid of a Community Forest Management Plan

• D) and one of the inventory/assessment methods (A, B, or C).

“Bidders are allowed to apply for one inventory/assessment project and one management plan per application. Bidders are limited to one application. Each practice has different requirements as reflected in standards and specifications. Bidders should carefully review the practice information below, and the pass/fail eligibility criteria contained in the Guidelines to avoid disqualification.”

More Tree Grants

There is a different grant, Department of Environmental Conservation Urban and Community Forestry Program 2026 Community Reforestation (CoRe) Grant (Round 2). “That [one] focused on reforestation and not maintenance of individual trees,” Andy told ALBB. “It might be something that we could use for our more natural areas like the University Settlement Camp or Hiddenbrooke Park. We won't be applying this round. I've heard there could be grants available for maintenance in some special situations like widespread disease, but I think generally it falls to the municipality.”

The grant eligibility requirements above the above mentioned reforestation grant state that tree maintenance and planning are ineligible for use of those grant funds if awarded.

On page 25 of the Bid Document / Request For Applications, guidelines state: “Funds cannot be used for real property (land) acquisition; maintenance of individual trees; or trail planning, design and construction. Costs considered ‘maintenance’ of tree after the commissioning period are not eligible.”

The City of Beacon’s Plan and Budget For Preventative Tree Pruning

The question remains: what is the City of Beacon’s plan and budget for preventative measures for the increasing amount of large tree branches falling in Beacon on City owned and maintained property? Some of the large trees that have been falling, like this one along Matteawan Road in March of last year (2025) and the two removed this year near the track, may be on Beacon City of School District property. ALBB reached out to the District for confirmation, but has received no response yet.

Corn Festival 2026 In Beacon - Get Down There!

🌽🌽🌽 Corn Festival Sunday is here!

Strong-arm ringleader Joyce Hanson of the Beacon Sloop Club is back on the phone 📞 calling everyone to make sure they are prepared.

Many organizations will be there. Mothers Out Front Dutchess County has a table. Says Sandi Stratton-Gonzalez, the Education Consultant for the group: “The water and air are intimately connected to one another. We, the plant’s humans, interact with the air and water with every breath we take! In Dutchess County we continue to pollute both, burning waste in an aging incinerator that is often down for repair. We are on the precipice of change! We have an opportunity to reduce waste, build a circular economy and end our reliance on plastics.”

Clearwater, the advocacy sloop who recently made headline news for their statement participation during the Tall Ships parade on July 4th; RiverKeeper , the tireless advocacy group protecting clean water; League of Women Voters; and lots of other environmental groups.

Who else will be there? We asked longtime event coordinator, Joyce Hanson, what to expect at this year’s Corn Festival: “Artisans, painters, potters, good food, an ice cream truck, and wonderful free children’s activities. Children can do free crafts at the Children’s Area, up by the Corn Husking, where we have 2 amazing volunteers who work so hard. Glenn and Mary Arnold will be corn husking.

“Alice Matthews will be there as well and is famous for her crafts. She is providing free crafts for children. She has been working on it for a month. This event is family oriented. I encourage people to come. Bring a blanket. Bring chairs. Hang out by the river. Listen to the music. Our event is sustainable. Nothing will be sold in a plastic water bottle. Free admission. Spend the whole day at the park.”

ALBB will be there with face painting, discounted for any kid living in Beacon, NY.

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EVENT: An Act Introduced To Replace Central Hudson With A Non-Profit: "Hudson Valley Power Authority Act"

A group is meeting on Thursday, June 25 from 6-7:30pm at St. Andrew & St. Luke Episcopal Church • 15 South Avenue, Beacon, NY to learn and ask questions about a bill introduced by Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha and Senator Michelle Hinchey called “The Hudson Valley Power Authority Act.” This legislation would create a state-owned corporation, the Hudson Valley Power Authority (HVPA), that “is authorized to acquire Central Hudson and run it as a publicly-owned and democratic energy with no profit motive,” according to the bill’s website.

Promoters of the legislation describe it as: “Central Hudson is a for-profit monopoly owned by a Canadian holding company, Fortis. A state bill, called the Hudson Valley Power Authority Act (A02127 Shrestha /S02026 Hinchey), would replace Central Hudson with a not for profit state corporation. That means getting rid of investors who have a right to make profits from our utility bills, and lowering rates to serve energy as a public good!”

It is not indicated if the lawmaker presenting at this panel, Assemblymember Sarahana Shrestha, will address regulations created by New York State that have impacted higher rates of gas and electricity. The morning co-host on K104, DJ Bill Bael, who is a Town of Wappinger Councilman since 2007 and former Deputy Town Supervisor, and current Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response Commissioner, often discusses how New York legislation has contributed to the increase in pricing of gas and electric for Central Hudson customers.

Central Hudson’s website briefly describes its origin story of one that was started by three individuals with the aim to consolidate multiple energy providing companies in this region.

Central Hudson’s origin story description states:

“In 1900, three men – Thaddeus Beal, his father William R. Beal and John Wilkie – purchased two companies which provided 5,000 Newburgh, New York customers with electricity and gas.

“It was a bold move to reach beyond the economic activity of the city into a sparsely populated region, but Beal, Wilkie, and their associates recognized the need for consolidation of the many separate electric and gas companies serving our region. Over the next 25 years these men realized their vision. With the emergence of new energy technology and through the merger of 80-plus independent electric and gas companies, the Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation was formed.

“The year 2000 saw the formation of CH Energy Group, Inc., a holding company/parent organization of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation and a family of subsidiaries known as Central Hudson Enterprises Corporation. And in 2013 CH Energy Group and Central Hudson joined Fortis Inc.’s federation of utility companies. The merger, which was voted for by CH Energy Group shareholders, took place following state and federal regulatory approvals. It provided Central Hudson with improved access to capital to make infrastructure improvements and provided customers with nearly $50 million in financial benefits.

For people interested in supporting Hudson Valley Power Authority (HPVA), there is a petition they can sign.

For questions people want to ask, registration is available here.

Trash Contained: Royal Carting Won't Pick Up Tall Grasses, Tree Branches, Etc.

As yard-work picks up this spring season, some people have been putting tall grasses (ahem), tree branches, and other brush from the yard into their trash cans. Royal Carting has confirmed that they will not pick up such leafy yard waste if placed into the can, as it can become uncontained when going into the truck.

If your garbage can was skipped for this reason, Royal Carting advises to remove the yard waste, and then call them for a pickup or wait until the following week. The number to call is on the trash can, and is 845-896-6000.

If lawn bags are not in your budget at this time, you can use brown paper grocery bags from Key Food or whoever is using brown paper bags. Put those out on the sidewalk like you normally do for the City of Beacon to pick up. If you have lots of tree branches, or even small bags of yard waste, you can call the Beacon Highway Department to be added for their list of pickups. Despite the trucks driving all over, they might be on a mission for something else and cannot stop to pickup yard-work bags unscheduled.

Is Beacon Pushing MTA To Fix Floating Dock? "Loss Of Docking In Beacon Is Significant For Clearwater"

Pictured in the yellow square is the floating doc at Beacon’s doci. The white box next to it is a boat tied to it.
Photo Credit: Jen BEnson, Communications Director of Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.

The Clearwater when it is docked in Beacon at the floating doc, which was removed around March 10, 2025 after sustaining damage.
Photo Credit: Poughkeepsie Journal/Patrick Oehler

Ferry users are not the only ones impacted by the disappearance of the floating dock announced two months ago that attaches to Beacon’s dock on the Hudson River. Clearwater, an organization started in 1960 by Pete and Toshi Seeger to educate people about the environmental importance of the Hudson River who has served more than half a million people tells ALBB that they have had to move for the foreseeable future. “Loss of docking in Beacon is significant for Clearwater,” the Executive Director, David Toman, told A Little Beacon Blog., when asked if this decommission affects them ”Beacon has been the home of our office for decades, and where our founders, Pete and Toshi Seeger long called home.”

The clearwater with a class on it.
Photo Credit: Hudson River Sloop Clearwater)

Clearwater’s land office is near Mount Beacon on Wolcott Avenue. Their ship “office” docks in Beacon and provides educational and experiential programming to schools, youth and adults. But they’ve since moved to Cold Spring after the floating dock was removed.

“Sailing from Beacon serves a critical need for many schools and the local community,” Executive Director, David continued. “While we've relocated our sails for the foreseeable future and our Youth Empowerment programs to Cold Spring, we hope the city and MTA can expedite the replacement dock to meet this need in addition to returning ferry service from Newburgh."

Programming from Clearwater includes The Sailing Classroom, Onboard Volunteer, Climate Change at Clearwater, Tideline Program, and In-School Programs.

The clearwater with a class on it.
Photo Credit: Hudson River Sloop Clearwater)

No estimate for repair and restoration of the floating doc at Beacon’s ferry landing has been given by Beacon’s City Administrator, Chris White during City Council Meetings. The MTA has given no estimate to A Little Beacon Blog when asked. They so far have only answered about alternate bus service they have provided to riders of the ferry.

According to former Beacon Mayor Randy Casale, the MTA pays for and maintains the floating doc. “The floating dock was the only dock in Beacon that was safely accessible for our sloop,” Clearwater’s Communication Director Jen Benson told A Little Beacon Blog.

In her email signature, Jen reminds people that the Hudson River is on Munsee Lenape Land. It also had other names before being taken over by white colonialists. “The Hudson River runs through the Munsee, Lenape, Mohican, Mohawk, and Haudenosaunee homelands. Prior to European exploration, the river was known as the Mahicannittuk by the Mohicans, Ka'nón:no by the Mohawks, and Muhheakantuck by the Lenape.”

So far, no one knows for how long it will remain decommissioned.

Shelter Air, The Woman-Owned HVAC Company, Joins ALBB's Business Directory As Sponsor

Welcome new Member Sponsor, Shelter Air! ALBB first met owner Kimberly Sevilla over in Tin Shingle land (our sister media empowerment company) when Kimberly was working for a large HVAC company in the region, gaining more knowledge to eventually go out on her own.

It is with beams of pride 🌈 that we introduce to you her HVAC company, Shelter Air, specializing in Heating, Cooling and Home Performance. “We’re BPI- and NATE-certified, and a proud NYSERDA-approved contractor,” Kimberly says. “That means we don’t just install systems—we design healthy, high-performance homes from the ground up.”

Kimberly has a wide background in chemistry, engineering, fashion design, floral health, entrepreneurship, and then, indoor air quality solutions. Read all about how she came to found Shelter Air here, but during the pandemic, she discovered the absolute necessity for indoor air quality solutions in homes. “With my chemistry background and a keen interest in thermodynamics and building science, I didn’t merely dip my toe, I plunged head-first into creating the best systems for my clients I could find. As an INTJ, my analytical mind thrived, and I mastered, load calculations, system design, and ductwork design. I identified significant gaps in the industry and envisioned more efficient, holistic, customer-centric approaches. Fueled by my passion for improvement, I forged my own path, ultimately establishing Shelter Air.”

Kimberly is an LGBTQ + ally and is passionate about supporting underrepresented individuals in trades. She owned a floral shop in Brooklyn, Rose Red & Lavender, where she invested in her community and thriving in fostering the spirit of togetherness. A resident of Cold Spring, her eyes dance in Beacon, where she wants to improve as many homes as possible.

Says Nancy Karp, a customer of Shelter Air: “Kimberly has been great to work with. She explains all options in a clear and understandable way. We are looking to replace a 40 yr old boiler with something more efficient and environmentally responsible. I strongly recommend Shelter Air as your guidance in this often confusing area.”

Shelter Air is a sponsor of ALBB’s Business Directory Level 3. To join our program, click here.

Open The Mail: There May Be A $50 Settlement Check In It From Columbia Utilities Power

Opening the mail can be stressful. Like a box of chocolate, you never know what you’re going to get. While our Post Office service is still functioning, there are times when surprise checks of $50 might show up for you, no strings attached. A check in the amount of $40-$50 may be in your mailbox in an otherwise unmarked envelope from “Settlement Distributions” in California. Open it. Cash it. The check expires in July 2025, so don’t delay.

This is a check addressed to you if you stayed in the discounted Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) electricity program the City of Beacon contracted into on your behalf that left everyone confused but with generally lower electricity bills from a green energy source called Columbia Utilities Power. Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) is defined here.

In order to offer this discount, New York State required that municipalities needed to create a law to do so. Therefore, the City of Beacon passed their law in 2017.

Skepticism of the program was high. One of Beacon’s current City Councilmembers, Jeffrey (Jeff) Domanski, was integral to bringing Beacon into this arrangement. This term was Councilperson Jeff’s first time holding the office, and he is not seeking re-election (he ran uncontested, as did all of the Councilmembers).

However, participants in the CCA program “collectively saved in excess of $8 million through the program’s fixed electricity supply rate since program renewal in July 2021 -- a savings of between $300-400 for the average household. In addition to savings, the program’s 100% NYS renewable supply has significantly reduced the community’s carbon footprint and advanced the State’s clean energy goals,” said Hudson Valley Community Power in a press release after Columbia backed out of their contract.

The Highlands Current reported the savings this way: “Columbia’s withdrawal meant that residents and businesses who didn’t earlier opt out of the program were transferred back to Central Hudson, where the price for electricity fluctuated from less than $.05 cents per kilowatt-hour in June, to $.17 cents per kilowatt-hour in October.”

On the other hand, the CCA per kilowatt-hour rate was fixed, and did not change.

Later, when Columbia Utility Power, stopped providing the discounted kilowatt hours of green electricity in the CCA program, a lawsuit was brought against them by the Town of Saugerties, Town of New Paltz, Village of New Paltz, City of Beacon, Town of Clinton, Town of Marbletown, City of Poughkeepsie, and Town of Red Hook (collectively known as the "Municipalities" according to the court document obtained by Times Union), Fred Costello, Mayor Tim Rogers of New Paltz, and Joule Assets, Inc. (the management company of the CCA energy program). In an Instagram post, Mayor Tim Rogers said: “The NYS Public Service Commission also intervened in support of the collective action against Columbia.”

The New York State Public Service Commission (NYSPSC) explained: “In 2021, Columbia Utilities Power, LLC, an ESCO, entered into multiple electricity supply contracts with 10 municipalities located in the Hudson Valley — the cities of Beacon and Poughkeepsie, the towns of Clinton, Marbletown, Philipstown, New Paltz, Red Hook, and Saugerties, and the villages of Cold Spring and New Paltz — to support a Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) plan sponsored by Joule Assets, Inc. as the CCA administrator.”

Joule contracted with the non-profit to communicate how this would work via an implementation plan. That non-profit was Hudson Valley Energy, which Beacon Councilmember Jeff said he started in 2018 in an ALBB article, In his LinkedIn, he is listed as Executive Director from 2018-2023, before he was a Councilmember in Beacon. Hudson Valley Energy’s website is now gone. Councilmember Jeff was sworn into his Beacon position in January 2024.

NYSPSC continued: “The electricity supply agreements contractually obligated Columbia to provide a fixed price per kilowatt-hour for participating customers within the municipalities for a three-year term: July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2024.”

NYSPSC described the settlement: “As a result of this legal action, Columbia will pay a total of $1.5 million into a settlement fund that, after the deduction of expenses, will be used for the benefit of affected ratepayers. In exchange for this settlement payment, the Commission and the other parties would agree to resolve all regulatory enforcement actions related to Columbia’s participating in and conduct relating to the CCA program. As a result of this settlement, approximately 25,000 utility customers in the Hudson Valley will share in the financial settlement with Columbia. The payout will range from $40-$50 per affected customer after legal fees.”

Reported by Times Union: “In July 2022, the New York Independent System Operator — the nonprofit tasked with operating and managing New York’s power grid — terminated Columbia’s rights to participate in the state’s market as a result of Columbia’s failure to post approximately $3.5 million in collateral to comply with NYISO’s creditworthiness requirements. Columbia’s customers reverted to Central Hudson at a higher rate, according to the PSC’s release.”

A few months before Columbia was accused of failing to post collateral, Russia bombed Uraine in February 2022, starting the Ukraine war.

“Columbia, which has headquarters in Brooklyn, remains in business in New York State after the settlement. The company has denied that it committed any violation of law or of its contractual obligations, or that it committed any of the wrongful acts alleged in the lawsuit,” the Times Union reported.

Beacon Won’t Join SEcond Chance At The CCA Program

The CCA program has risen again. Returning to be managed again by Joules Assets under Hudson Valley Community Power. This time there are 12 municipalities signed on, but the City of Beacon opted to not. Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White told the Highlands Current that he “received many complaints from residents upset that the city had joined the CCA on their behalf.”

City Administrator Chris also told the newspaper that “city officials were unsure whether the company would be able to find a fixed-rate supplier who could beat Central Hudson’s variable rate, given ongoing global instability.”

The 12 municipalities who signed on to this second version of the CCA opted for the fixed rate renewable electricity supply options as their default electricity supply, Hudson Valley Community Power said. They confirmed that the electricity supply will come from Direct Energy Services, LLC.

The rates for residential and small commercial are:

• HVCP 100% NYS Renewable Fixed Rate: $0.12240 per kWh

• HVCP 50/50 Blend (NYS & National) Fixed Rate: $0.11240 per kWh

• HVCP Standard Fixed Rate: $0.09870 per kWh

The City of Beacon could possibly join the CCA program again to be a 13th municipality if Beacon feels that residents changed their minds and wanted the savings back. The savings was clear.

Residents would need to email their Ward Councilmember and City Administrator Chris White to tell them that they want the City of Beacon to join the CCA program again to lock them into the low fixed electricity rate that is made possible by the bulk purchasing power of the 12 other municipalities.

Beacon Film Society Presents "Valve Turners" At Beacon Movie Theater On Earth Day

Beacon Film Society Presents VALVE TURNERS on Earth Day
Day: Tuesday, April 22, 2025
Time: 7pm
Location: Beacon Movie Theater, 445 Main St. Beacon, NY 12508
Best Climate Action Film, 2024 Climate Film Festival
Spirit of Activism Award, 2025 Wild & Scenic Film Festival
Tickets >

Beacon Film Society Presents:
VALVE TURNERS – in partnership with Beacon Climate Action Now

In VALVE TURNERS, a small group of activists travel to remote valve sites and take a daring stand against the fossil fuel industry. Acting in solidarity with Standing Rock, they carefully plan a bid to disrupt the entire flow of tar sands oil from Canada into the United States. Pipelines carrying 2.8 million barrels per day are halted, eliciting a firm counteraction from the fossil fuel industry and local authorities.

Director Steve Bonds-Liptay and fellow climate doc filmmaker Deia Schlosberg will be in attendance for a Q&A following the screening, moderated by Beacon Climate Action Now.

Director’s Statement
From the Boston Tea Party to the Greensboro Four, the American story is punctuated by ambitious small groups engaging in nonviolent resistance against injustice and the abuse of power. Again and again, people organize and use nonviolent tactics to galvanize the public around pressing issues. I write this as the 2025 fires in Los Angeles are upending countless lives. The momentum of the climate emergency feels relentless and the fossil fuel industry’s grip on our lives, our politics and our economy can seem insurmountable. In the years ahead, what will be our collective response? When political systems are captured by corporate interests, what will spur them to act? And if governments are unable to protect us, at what point must we take matters into our own hands? These are difficult questions that the public continues to grapple with. They afford no easy answers. My hope is that VALVE TURNERS can support and amplify the ongoing conversations around direct action and legal strategies that challenge and expose the fossil fuel industry and their political allies.

Filmmaker Bio
Steve Bonds-Liptay contributed cinematography and editing to the award-winning HBO documentary How to Let Go of the World (and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change) which premiered at Sundance 2016. That same year, he co-directed and produced DIVEST!, a concert film about fossil fuel divestment and began filming VALVE TURNERS. Steve's photography has appeared in Rolling Stone, The New York Times and The Boston Globe.

Beacon Climate Action Now
The Mid-Hudson Valley is our home, so we’ve come together to find political solutions for the climate crisis and empower communities to take action at all levels of government. We believe that the impact of our local organizing can ripple out well beyond our region to other parts of the state and country. Embedded in all our work is the intentional prioritization of marginalized communities who are most impacted by the crises we face. @beacon.can

Beacon Film Society
Beacon Film Society is a volunteer run organization that hosts screenings of socially relevant films with the participation of the filmmakers. Each screening takes place in Beacon, NY and is followed by a live Q&A. The goals of BFS are two-fold: to provide a venue for films not otherwise available theatrically in the surrounding region, and to create a space for dialogue – about both the art and craft of filmmaking, and the content presented within each film. Currently helmed by filmmaker Lucas Millard and producer Jenny Tibbels. @beaconfilmsociety

The Beacon Movie Theater is hosting The Beacon Film Society this spring with a line-up of films by New York filmmakers.  VALVE TURNERS  is the second screening of the season.

Tickets >

Beacon Farmers' Market To Remain Open During Ice Storm To Help SNAP, and FMNP/WIC Customers

This Sunday, the Beacon Farmers’ Market will remain open for vendors to pop up and customers to pop out to purchase food and goods from them. “We’re open for all, and especially to ensure our food benefit customers can double their dollars to access fresh, local food. Because food justice means showing up—no matter the weather,” the market manager Amy Bandolik said on their Instagram.

The Beacon Farmers' Market accepts SNAP, and FMNP/WIC Benefits to service more people at different income levels. The Greens4Greens program is a food benefit incentive program using eligible state funded food benefits that are matched dollar for dollar through Greens4Greens. “The program has been completely community funded through contributions made by local businesses as well as the annual 'Soup4Greens' event,” according to the Beacon Farmer’s Market website.

Amy continued: “Last week’s closure is behind us, and we’re back with all your favorite fresh produce, local goods, and cozy market vibes...With a smaller vendor turnout this week — but still a mighty 30+ vendors — we’ve adjusted the market layout to one main corridor, looping around to the back to create a more cohesive shopping experience.”

While the City of Beacon had been plowing the night before, some vendors could not make it for safety reasons. Conditions in Beacon are icy and slushy on the streets. A Little Beacon Blog has been checking in with several member businesses, who are so far open if their employees can make it in. Several farming vendors live outside of Beacon, and the drive is too risky, and some have more snow on their properties.

The Beacon Farmers’ Market has the added pressure of staying open, as they are in the county parking lot, the DMV, which the City of Beacon can close down when they needed it for emergency snow parking for cars who cannot park on the streets when snowfall is more than 2” and the plows are out. This is why they closed last week, and the City’s mandate.

When Does The Leaf Truck Stop Making Bulk Pickups? "Until It's Done."

When do the leaves stop getting picked up by the City of Beacon’s leaf truck? “It will continue until it's done,” Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White announced during the 11/18/2024 City Council Meeting. A schedule of quadrants was posted on the City’s website up until 11/25/2024, with this statement: “pickup will continue for several weeks, rotating through the quadrants.”

According to some residents in the Beacon Facebook Group, the leaf picker upper truck was spotted on Mead Avenue yesterday (12/4/2024). During the November meeting, City Administrator Chris assured residents that even after the truck stops running for bulk leaf pickup, people can bag their leaves and the Highway Department will pick up the bags of yard clippings throughout the year as they usually do.

Should you have raked leaves into the street in front of your house, you may want to consider calling the Highway Department to leave a voicemail, and sending an email with your address, to make sure they are alerted before the truck rotation for bulk leaf pickup powers down.

Fires Rage In And Around The Hudson Valley During Warm Fall - Smoke In Air In Beacon

"Mommy, it smells like smoke outside. Is someone burning something in their yard?"

"No sweetie, parts of the Hudson Valley forests are burning."

On November 1st, City of Beacon Mayor Lee Kyriacou declared a State of Emergency in the City of Beacon "due to extreme drought conditions, wind, and an areawide increase of wildfires which threaten the public health, safety and welfare of our citizens and private property." At the same time, he issued an Emergency Order banning all exterior open burning until November 6th. As of November 8th, the ban was re-issued until further notice.

This burn ban was the day after Halloween in Beacon, where fire pits are lit for driveway gatherings as trick-or-treators make the rounds

On November 2nd, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar issued a Drought Watch for downstate New York, and published on the DEC.ny.gov website: "Recent unseasonably warm weather and lack of precipitation have led to dry conditions for many counties in New York, resulting in some downstate areas being put under drought watch. Local water restrictions and educating residents about how to help conserve our water resources are crucial steps to help prevent a more severe shortage until conditions improve."

On Saturday, November 9th, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office announced a forest fire had been going on since 3:30am in the area surrounding the North End of Indian Lake. They said that multiple Fire Departments responded to the scene, including: Putnam Valley Volunteer Fire Department, Cold Spring Fire Company No. 1, North Highlands Engine Company # 1, Kent Fire Department, Mahopac Falls Vol. Fire Department, Continental Village Vol. Fire Department, along with Buchanan, Montrose and Verplank Fire Departments from Westchester.

Also on Saturday, fire crews were battling a 2,000 acres forest fire in New Jersey in Passaic County, which then spread to Orange County, PIX11 reported. An 18 year old New York forest ranger died while fighting that fire. Dariel Vasquez was fighting the fire in Greenwood Lake when a tree fell on him MidHudson News reported.

On Sunday, November 10th, the Ulster Sheriff's Office announced that firefighters were battling a forest fire in the Whitehouse Forest: "Our agency is assisting state and local agencies including several volunteer fire departments from Ulster, Sullivan and Delaware counties in the Town of Denning with a large forest fire in the Whitehouse Forest between the Rondout and Ashokan Reservoirs. Please limit travel in the area as there are road closures."

The Times Union reported that the Town of Denning fire is approximately 422 acres, Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger said, based on a flyover estimate. “Some 185 firefighters from 20 agencies from Sullivan, Ulster and Delaware Counties have been involved in fire suppression efforts. The incident is being managed through the unified command system by Ulster County Department of Emergency Services, Sullivan County Division of Public Safety, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, and the Grahamsville Fire Department,” the Times Union reported.

This area is in New York City's watershed, which "contains reservoirs that feed into New York City's water supply system," News12 reported. NYC Water issued a statement via X (formerly Twitter): "DEP & New York State Police helicopters are conducting aerial firefighting operations to assist local fire departments battling the Whitehouse forest fire ranging across 384 acres of mountainous NYC watershed between Rondout & Ashokan reservoirs in western Ulster County in the Catskills."

According to the New York Times, hundreds of forest fires have been reported in New Jersey since October 20th. Also this weekend, a brush fire in a "heavily wooded section" of Brooklyn's Prospect Park burned 2 acres, where 100 firefighters responded to contain it, the New York Times reported.

Beacon's Last Day Of Free Trash Dumping Up To 250 Pounds Is Coming Up

The City of Beacon’s opportunity for you to dump your trash for free at the Transfer Station is ending soon. Residents who are current in paying their taxes can dump up to 250 pounds for free. The deadline is the third Saturday in September. An earlier version of this article printed an old date. Trash can still be dropped off at the Transfer Station throughout the year, but there is a cost for it. See here for how the division of trash works, what is not accepted, and pricing per type of item.

Please note, there are 2 URLs for this date. An old one, and apparently the current one. The City of Beacon should consider putting a permanent 301 Redirect on the old URL, since it is ranking in Google and the 301 Redirect would seamlessly send people to the current URL (or whichever URL the City decides to use). Thanks to Citizen Reporter Will Duffy @willmanduffy for confirming with the Transfer Station employees and supplying the new URL.

“Gypsy Moth” Renamed To "Spongy Moth" Because “Gypsy” Is Racially Offensive To Formerly Enslaved Romani People In Romania

Photo Credits: Left is a screenshot from the Smithsonian Magazine website; Right is a screenshot from Europeana website.

When the news broke about those spongy moth caterpillars dropping from the sky, research revealed that they were the moth traditionally known as the “gypsy” moth. So is “spongy moth” a new moth? No. Thanks to an ALBB reader pointing it out, a decision was made in 2021 by the Entomological Society of America (ESA), where there was discussion about equity in naming. They announced the renaming with the launching of the organization’s Better Common Names Project, as reported by the Washington Post.

The term “gypsy” was a racially offensive term given to the The Romani people, who were enslaved in Romania for more than 500 years. According to Europeana, it is unknown how this group of people ended up in Romania, but some believe they were from India. “The main hypothesis is that they left the Punjab region of Northern India either as nomads or victims of unfavorable circumstances, such as war or natural disaster. Some theories state that the Roma population arrived in the Principality of Wallachia (the southern part of today’s Romania) as free people, but they were soon enslaved by the princes of Wallachia and Moldavia, who needed a workforce.”

As the Washington Post reports: “They were victims of persecution and genocide during the Holocaust, and the community still faces human rights abuses and marginalization. ‘Roma are dehumanized in so many ways: being associated with insects, being associated with animals,’ said Margareta Matache, director of the Roma Program at Harvard University’s FXB Center for Health and Human Rights. ‘And that is really how structural anti-Roma racism is justified.’”

The origin of the word “gypsy” came from England, who apparently mistook the Roma people to be from Egypt. A study was conducted in 2020, titled “Romani Realities In The United States: Breaking The Silence, Challenging The Stereotypes” led in part by Margareta.

They were victims of persecution and genocide during the Holocaust, and the community still faces human rights abuses and marginalization. Both the moth and the ant known as Aphaenogaster araneoides were named with the word “gypsy” in them to indicate a wandering nature.

But the person who came up with the name, Terry McGlynn, who had been studying this species for more than 20 years, wrote a blog post in 2019 titled: “Fixing a racist common name that I coined.” said it wasn’t until years later that he became aware of the implications of the name, according to the Washington Post.

According to the Smithsonian Magazine, “The new name, ‘spongy moth,’ refers to the insect’s light brown, fuzzy egg masses that resemble sponges. It stems from France’s common name for the Lymantria dispar— ‘spongieuse,’ per the ESA. Other countries like Germany and Turkey, also reference sponges in their common names for the moth.”

Strawberry Festival This Sunday - A Little Beacon Blog Will Be There Face Painting

The annual Strawberry Festival from the Beacon Sloop Club is here! This is their opening festival for their series of harvest-inspired (Strawberry, Corn, Pumpkin) celebrations and fundraisers held down at Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park. Look forward to Hudson Valley locally grown fresh picked strawberries, homemade strawberry shortcake topped with the Beacon Sloop Club’s famous real whipped cream. You will also find strawberry smoothies and other strawberry delights.

Live music will be played and will be powered from two solar power stages. The event is dedicated to the environment, so look for environmental educational displays, activities for children, and a variety of food and artisan hand-made crafts.

Free sails on the sloop Woody Guthrie will be available. To sail, you’ll need to sign up at noon at the Beacon Sloop Club’s merchandise table. Bring a blanket, or a chair and enjoy the festivities of the day surrounded by the Hudson River. There is a kids park in the park, so little ones will have swings to swing on an slides to climb.

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A Little Beacon Blog’s Face Painting Table

A Little Beacon Blog will be there with our face painting! Kids and adults are welcome. We take requests, and can even paint your spirit animal. The face painting chair is a relaxing experience.

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About The Beacon Sloop Club

According to the Beacon Sloop Club, here’s what you can expect at the festival: “.

Founded by folk singer and activist, Pete Seeger, The Beacon Sloop Club is a 501-c3 volunteer organization dedicated to the preservation, protection and restoration of the Hudson River and surrounding waterways through advocacy, education and celebration.

As part of our mission, we provide free river access through free sails and sail training on the ferry sloop Woody Guthrie, a replica of the 18th and 19th century sloops that once plied the Hudson River.

The Beacon Sloop Club offers free seasonal music festivals to the people of the river, as well as other events, lectures and classes throughout the year.

Our monthly meetings are the first Friday of the month, starting with potlucks at 6:30 and ending with a Circle of Song. Everyone welcome!

Caterpillars/Spongy Moths Descend From Silk Threads Across Fields To Irritate Skin

During the first Rombout Middle School track meet of the season, people were walking into spider webs just like in the Gwen Stefani No Doubt song. Even while on snack pickups at the grocery store, spider webs were flying. Countless webs were glimmering as they floated across Hammond Track in the setting sun, with bugs flying in between them. Soon, the curiosity turned to annoyance as little black caterpillars were walking across shirts, arms and legs everywhere. They could not be brushed off quickly enough.

The next day, Beacon City School Superintendent Matthew Landahl sent an email update to district families, saying that these flying caterpillars were spongy moths, which have been causing rashes if come into contact. He provided reassurance on what the school was doing to deal with them: “We value our students having time outside and our facilities team will clear our playground equipment before recess daily so our students can access our playground equipment. Our building principals will monitor playgrounds and they may decide to implement indoor recess if there are too many present on our equipment.” He did not not anticipate an impact to extracurricular activities.

And so begins the season of the gypsy moth, according to Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS). The allergic reaction comes from the hairs of the caterpillar, according to Cornell: “The tiny hairs (setae) of spongy moth caterpillars carry histamines that can cause an itchy, red rash in some individuals.”

The caterpillars begin in an egg mass laid by gypsie moths in July/August. The mass is stuck on a tree, and if it survives the winter, 100-600 eggs will hatch as larvae. They grow into caterpillars, and leave the mass, often on a single silk thread that is carried by the wind until it lands on a surface that the caterpillar likes and can feed from. According to Cornell: “Early instar larvae are small, dark brown-to-black, and very fuzzy. Later instars lighten in color and have a showy display of two rows of colored spots: five pairs of blue and six pairs of red.”

Then in June/July, “larvae pupate in hiding spots under bark or similar protection,” explains Cornell. They are about 2” and dangle. “Once they complete pupation, adult male spongy moths emerge and fly erratically during the daytime in search of mates. Heavy-bodied adult females have wings but don’t fly. They rest on trees and wait as males follow female pheromone trails to find them.”

White footed mice and fungus are the killers of the caterpillars, according to this report by the Highlands Current. And a stress-induced virus. “Eventually, the caterpillar population will get so big that it will get stressed trying to find enough food, weakening their immune system and making them more susceptible to a virus that is always present in the population, but sub-lethal when stress levels are low.”