100 Years of Beacon’s Dummy Light On View At The Howland Public Library

Artist Photo Credit: Sharon Zhang,  July 8 PM

The Beacon’s Dummy Light, 100 Years exhibition is on view at Howland Public Library now through November 1. This includes a collection of imagery from various multi-disciplinary artists, as well as middle-schoolers.

The Dummy Light is located at at the intersection of Main and East Main Streets, and is just one of three remaining dummy lights in New York State.

Ever wondered why it is called the “Dummy Light”? Come find out! The Beacon Historical Society has collaborated with the library on a companion mini-exhibition exploring the colorful history of the Dummy Light. Vintage photographs and interesting details will tell the story of the unusual traffic signal.

Artist Photo Credit: Polly Perkins, Mini Dummy

This exhibition brings together works by Hudson Valley artists celebrating and interpreting the Dummy Light as it marks its 100th anniversary. Through painting, drawing, collage, textiles, and mixed media, participating artists offer their own perspectives on a landmark that has become an enduring symbol of Beacon.

Also on view in the library’s Community Room is Cardboard Dreams, an exhibition from the local art education organization, Compass Arts, featuring work created by middle school campers. During the program, campers spent a week thinking about how cities work, what they love about Beacon, and what they would change if they could. The resulting installation features parts of their re-envisioned Main Street, displayed right on Main Street, including, of course, their own take on the Dummy Light.

Together, the exhibitions and reception offer a celebration of Beacon past, present, and imagined future, bringing together local art, history, music, and young people’s creative visions for their community.

Artist Photo Credit: Tena Cohen, Stop & Go

Artist Photo Credit: Brandon Fiege, Dummy Moon

Artist Photo Credit: Beacon’s Dummy Light: Anniversary Postcard Created by Erica Hauser

$1 Wednesdays At Beacon Creamery - $1 Soft Serve Ice Cream While The Swirls Last

Your annual reminder that it's $1 Wednesdays at Beacon Creamery for $1 Soft Serve Ice cream. Earlier today, the flavors of Vanilla, Chocolate, and Vanilla/Chocolate Swirl were available. While supplies last. This is a hot spot to hit after school as South Avenue kids walk home from school.

This is also one of the busiest intersections in Beacon, with only Carmen the Crossing Guard protecting these little people - and big people as they cross. There is no additional Beacon PD coverage to enforce any traffic laws broken in the morning or afternoon, such as illegal left turns from South Avenue, illegal parking on both corners, running the crosswalk or running the light. Same goes for Ron’s Ice Cream on the other end of town near Memorial Park, where it is rumored, a traffic light was supposed to go up, but has not. Speed humps are helping, but some drivers seek to measure air time.

Both Crossing Guards say they have gained an increase of very tiny little ones crossing their streets, possibly due to the new Pre-K program available at all schools now.

Meanwhile, on display at Beacon Creamery colorings of the Dummy Light as part of the centennial celebration of the Dummy Light's 100th year. These colorings are from two 4th graders in the Beacon City School District, as part of a project guided by Lovely Shanti Kelly.

"Dummy Repellent Spray" And Yellow Paint Applied To Dummy Light To Protect It

The City of Beacon Administrator Chris White reacted swiftly to the latest crash into the Dummy Light on Thanksgiving 2023. Several business owners chimed in on A Little Beacon Blog’s article announcing the recent crunch of the new white truck with out-of-state plates that crashed into the stationery Dummy Light. Witnesses who included business owners said that this left-turning crash was not isolated. In ALBB’s breaking story about the Thanksgiving Dummy Light hit, ALBB posed the question if it should be painted yellow. Answers were majority “Yes” with one “Paint it pink” and a few “Why do we have a Dummy Light?”

Realtor Charlotte Guernsey told A Little Beacon Blog, who has her office on one side of the street, plus her bridal boutique at 1 East Main on the other side of the street: “I saw 2 [crashes] in a row the other week, all 3 of these going the same direction. Must be something about the glare, also they were same time of day.” The famed photographer for magazine food photography, Meghan Spiro, consistently told ALBB and others in social media comments that sun glare may have been a factor: “I saw this one today outside my window. Either it was the glare from the sun or they just didn’t see it.”

An ALBB reader, Stephen Burns, did a Google search for the Dummy Light, and found this photo from the 1990s.

In some olden days of Beacon, the olden days of the 1990s, the Dummy Light did have a yellow base with KEEP RIGHT painted in black. Many people in ALBB’s social media, including the former Mayor of Beacon, Randy Casale, expressed their desire to have the base of the Dummy Light painted yellow again, with the words KEEP RIGHT resurrected on the base. Randy said: “Yes! With big black lettering saying KEEP RIGHT side coming from Verplanck Ave and On East Main side.” Most Beaconites are fans of the Dummy Light, and have created much comedy and product around the Dummy Light.

Can you see the Dummy LIght? It’s in the shadow of the 1 East Main building. In the winter morning of the end of November at 10:30am, the Dummy Light is in the shadows. It was painted a very dark green. So blends into the shadow. This has been the time of day when cars crash into it, according to local business owners who witness the crashes. Cars also hit it at night. Several locals have wondered about the glare, if that makes it hard to see.

To check on the glare, ALBB took this photo at 10:30am in November. Indeed, there was a glare. Which is possibly made worse by the newly paved Main Street. While beautiful, is newly black pavement reflects the sun glare up, while the sun is beating down. Additionally, at that hour, the Dummy Light is in the shadow of the building 1 East Main Street. It is painted a very dark green, so is nearly impossible to see. The Dummy Light in the shadow picture is pictured right. Can you see it?

Local readers on ALBB’s socials blamed the new tourists for not being aware of the Dummy Light. Saying that this never happened when they were growing up. If they were growing up during the 1990s, when the base was painted yellow, this may not have been an issue. Because people could see the Dummy Light when dressed in yellow.

ALBB only knew about this crash because the Dutchess County Scanner Feed reported on it, and a reader tipped us off to their update. Which begs the question: how many crashes into the Dummy Light don’t we know about because we aren’t FOILing for “Dummy Light Crashes” every single day?

City Of Beacon’s Proposed Changes To The Dummy Light

Traffic changes to Beacon City streets are not swift. Usually, there are committee meetings about them, where the Traffic Safety Committee, composed of at least one City of Beacon Police Officer, maybe 2 citizens, and the City’s Assistant at Large, meet once a month to discuss traffic problems, and then maybe present some of those findings them to City Council.

After that, if a recommendation makes it to City Council, which could be months or a year after their initial meeting, the City Council discusses the traffic safety issue, and debates if they should accept the Traffic Committee’s recommendation. Like if they recommend installing a Stop sign somewhere. A legal Resolution is needed for the Stop sign to get cemented into the ground. This leads to an official “Public Comment” session about the traffic safety recommendation.

Sometimes that night, after the “Public Comment” closes, the City Council votes on if the stop sign should get installed. After that, if it is voted in, the safety recommendation needs to be implemented. But, the Stop signs that have been voted in have sometimes taken years to get actually cemented into the ground. Like on Church Street. Maybe 2 years ago those Stop signs were voted in, and they never appeared.

Regarding the Dummy Light, the City Administrator Chris presented what he was going to do to the street one week after ALBB’s article and crash into the light. He did this during the scheduled “Report” section of the City Council Meeting, where Citycouncil Members around the table can contribute whatever they like. He said:

“[Regarding] pavement striping around the Dummy Light this week. We are not taking the Dummy Light down. We are going to better delineate lanes, so that people who have trouble staying in their lane, don't run into the Dummy Light.”

Councilmember Dan Aymar-Blair then asked if there had been proposed painting of the street around the Dummy Light in the in the Main Street Accesses Committee recommendations? Which were presented to the City Council and this City Administrator 2 years ago. City Administrator Chris answered yes.

Previously, One of the Main Street Access Committee Members, Stowe Boyd, linked to the coverage on his website Beacon Streets, where it was pointed out that “Three-way Stop signs should be installed near the Dummy Light, where Main Street is excessively wide and drivers often get confused. Trees should be added.” This was 2 years ago.

In answer to Councilmember Dan’s question, City Administrator Chris said: “We took the general principle of that, of narrowing the lanes on both sides, and having somewhat of an island in the middle, so people don't try to cut off left in front of the Dummy Light. [We] had a traffic engineer from Lance and Tully [draw it] to MUTCD standards. I don't even know that acronym is, but we're doing it correctly. If that doesn't work, I'm going to paint the thing bright neon green."

No imagery was presented to the City Council on what this plan would look like that Lance and Tully allegedly drafted. MUTCD stands for Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for streets and highways.

Before any work was completed, Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou stated during the meeting: "If we're going to take odds, I'm going to bet against the Dummy Light."

Safety Paint Updates To The Dummy Light

Crews put out green cones during yellow street painting work around the Dummy LIght.

Beacon’s Highway Department was out early in the morning of Thursday, November 30th, 2023 to paint something having to do with the Dummy Light. ALBB approached the crew to learn about the plan.

“First,” said one crew member, “we sprayed Dummy Repellent on it.”

“Next, we are going to paint the base.”

What color? ALBB was dying to know.

“Pink.” was the first answer. But a second Highway Department crew member answered with authority: “Yellow. The same yellow as the street paint. With signs that say “KEEP RIGHT.”

They would drill “KEEP RIGHT” signs into the base. None of these plans were mentioned by the City Administrator Chris earlier during Monday’s City Council Meeting. Maybe they were in the draft that Lance and Tully did that was never presented to the City Council. Or maybe the Highway Department went rogue to protect the Dummy Light.

At night, with the yellow base, the Dummy Light seems to be more noticeable, even in the rain.

If you hear reports of the Dummy Light being hit in its yellow version, please let ALBB know. Anonymous tips are welcome. We would get too addicted to the Police scanner, so can’t listen to it each day.

The Dummy Light Needs Protection: Alone, Vulnerable - Invisible In Green Paint - Should It Be Yellow?

Beacon’s Dummy Light was hit again, this time on Thanksgiving morning at around 11:30am. Witnesses told A Little Beacon Blog that the sun glare at that hour could have played a factor. “I saw this one today outside my window. Either it was the glare from the sun or they just didn’t see it,” said photographer Meghan Spiro, a famed food photographer here. “I couldn’t get a decent photo from my place (looking in the same direction) because of the glare.”

At her bridal shop on the opposite side of the street, realtor Charlotte Guernsey told A Little Beacon Blog: “I saw two in a row the other week, all three of these going the same direction. Must be something about the glare, also they were same time of day.”

ALBB took a photo at 10:30am the next day from the direction of where the cars driving from before hitting the Dummy Light when they turn left. There are at least three factors to consider from the photo:

• The photo shows the Dummy Light in the shadow of the renovated factory building at 1 East Main Street.

• The Dummy Light is super dark Adirondack green [correction: this article first said black], from its base to the light itself, with only one strip of a yellow argyle pattern on it to make it noticeable to drivers. After the light was knocked completely over by a City of Beacon Highway Department truck during milling and paving of Main Street, at which time a dunce cap was placed on it, reflective squares were added to the argyle pattern.

• The black pavement. Now that roads are getting repaved, the streets are very black. Which looks nice, but there is a reflection coming off the pavement. Driving down recently paved Church street at 8am toward the mountain is effectively blinding through the dashboard.

The fatal left turn in December 2021 that took the life of a Beaconite’s grandmother at the intersection of Teller Avenue and Fishkill Avenue also involved the glare of the sun.

Solutions To Reduce Car Crashes Into The Dummy Light

THe Beacon Dummy Light, when it was yellow in the 1990s. In black, at the base, it reads “KEEP RIGHT”
Photo Credit: Stephen Burns

Does the light need to be painted bright yellow, from the base to the light? Cross-walk signs are yellow, and some have blinking yellow lights and reflective tape. Crossing guards wear yellow vests. The Beacon Highway Department wears bright yellow sweatshirts. Should the Dummy Light be treated with the same safety courtesy?

Citizen Stephen Burns supplied this photo of the Dummy Light from the 1990s, when it was yellow, with KEEP RIGHT painted in black on the base. Some people erroneously drive to the left of it.

Concerned Beaconites For The Dummy Light Say:

Beacon citizens have had several observations and suggestions that they shared on ALBB’s social pages. Some include:

• “We need a Dummy Light calendar.”

• Those who sell Dummy Light ornaments warn: “Be careful where you put them.”

• “The light jumps out at people.”

• “We need a sign that says ‘___ days since it’s been hit.’”

• “Put red and yellow balloons on it.”

• “Marked safe from the Dummy Light”

‘Tis be a pity to remove it all together, and miss these lines, fondness and commerce from the Dummy Light.

If you sell Dummy Light products, please put the link in the comments below.

Beacon's Famed Dummy Light Hit Again - On Thanksgiving 2023

White truck that hit the Dummy Light on Thanksgiving, 2023.
Photo Credit: Dutchess County Scanner Feed.

White truck that collided with Dummy Light on Thanksgiving 2023. With assistance from Beacon Police.
Photo Credit: Dutchess County Scanner Feed.

Beacon’s Dummy Light stands in the intersection of Main Street and East Main Street. It has a deep history of why it is here. Cars hit it more often than one would think.

Today, in the late morning of Thanksgiving, a white Toyota truck collided with the Dummy Light, as reported by the Dutchess County Scanner Feed. The City of Beacon, Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps (BVAC) and Beacon Medic 1 priority 3 MVA responded. The truck sustained damage.

According to a neighbor who saw the crash, the driver and their dog were taken away in an ambulance. According to another neighbor who saw the accident, the glare of the sun at that time of day from that direction - 11:30am-ish - could have impacted. The neighbor was trying to get a picture of the crash, but couldn’t because of the glare of the sun from where they were stationed.

The concrete of the Dummy Light seems to have remained in tact. The license plate look to be out of state with blue letters/numbers on white. This could also be a rental car for someone in New York state on a day trip.

Newly Repaired Dummy Light Pops Up - Beaconites Cheer

After being accidentally hit by a City of Beacon vehicle during the highly anticipated and appreciated milling of paving of Main Street this spring 2022, Beacon’s iconic Dummy Light hardware has been repaired by the City of Beacon’s Highway Department, financed by the City. The re-painting was commissioned to artist Erica Hauser to refresh the re-paint job she voluntarily did years prior (ALBB covered it in 2015), that had since gotten chipped from various vehicle collisions.

City of Beacon Mayor Lee Kyriacou hugs the Dummy Light after its restoration of parts and paint, after a City of Beacon employee accidentally hit it during milling and paving this spring.
Photo Credit: City of Beacon

During this week’s 8/15/2022 City Council Meeting, Mayor Kyriacou announced the restoration: "You may have heard this, the Dummy Light is back where it is." Mayor Kyriacou is known for his adherence toward historic preservation. Read the City’s full press release here.

During that meeting, City Administrator Chris White said: "I just want to thank Micky Manzie (Beacon’s Superintendent of Streets) for such a terrific job in locating all of the pieces of the light. And thank Dave Way and Sean Duturo for doing a fabulous job for putting it back."

After the unfortunate incident took place, City Administrator Chris told A Little Beacon Blog during a rally at Pohil Park for preserving abortion rights: “The employee who it hit is one of our best, and they felt so badly after it happened.”

Financing For The Dummy Light Repair

During City Council Meetings in weeks prior, City Administrator Chris mentioned that some funding for the acquisition of parts to repair this Dummy Light had been allocated from film fees generated from film projects being filmed in Beacon, like the recent regular, Poker Face.

Statement From The Artist Who Re-Painted The Dummy Light, Erica Hauser

After hearing City Administrator Chris note that a person was paid this time to repaint the Dummy Light, A Little Beacon Blog remembered that the person not paid prior was the local artist Erica Hauser, formerly of Catalyst Gallery, that has since closed during the pandemic (but her art lives on and on). ALBB reached out to Erica to learn more about the commission. Here is a brief interview with her:

ALBB: I thought I heard during a City Council meeting that someone was commissioned to recently repaint the Dummy Light during its repair. If true, was it to you?

“Yes it was me! Mark Price at Beacon Recreation called me after he heard that I had carefully low-key repainted it in 2012 - which was inspired low-key by Dan Weise, after I'd done a painting and shirt of the light in 2009 - and touched it up in 2015.

“I'd been thinking it needed a repaint anyway, even before it was hit in April by the paving truck. But it was nicer this time to be employed and paid by the City - or by the Beacon Recreation Department - to do it!

“I did it in early July, meant to coincide with the re-installation of the repaired light, but as we know that just happened last week, to great jubilation by all. Well maybe not by those who are worried about people hitting it.

“As for the paint job itself: these were the original colors and design circa 2006 when I first saw the thing. So in 2012 I wanted to match it. The yellow diamonds were actually faded peeling reflective stickers, so I just sanded it clean and painted yellow diamonds instead.

“I don't know how long ago the base was yellow, but people on the Beacon page surely know. I asked Mark if he wanted me to paint it all yellow, but he said no, it should be as it has been most recently. I'm saying this, because I had doubted it after some people were blaming the dark green color for the accidents!

“I was worried that they thought some artist had made the decision, which I would never take it on myself to do, in fact, I had meticulously matched the dark green and historic red!”

Thank you, Erica, for sharing these painting details. For Beacon history enthusiasts, you can add these details to your trivia cards.

Dummy Light In Pictures

According to Brian of @SpandexandSprinkles, the Dummy Light was in the last episode of “Severance,” which filmed in Beacon in March, 2021. ALBB has not fact checked this yet, as we need to check our subscription to Apple TV, but if you can confirm, let us know.

Dummy Light Safety Discussions

The paving collision prompted discussions about safety and the Dummy Light. Located at the intersection of Main Street and East Main (near Dogwood), the Dummy Light was supposed to replace a traffic cop decades ago near the train tracks. At this point, it is an obstacle in an already very unclear intersection which involves a hill and inconsistent crosswalks.

People in social media have suggested some sort of roundabout be created. Beacon’s City Planner John Clark has indicated that something be done to improve traffic and walking flow there. And Beacon’s City Administrator Chris has indicated that other vehicles have hit the cement base since the toppling of the Dummy Light during milling and paving of spring 2022.

It seems as if the campaign to Save Beacon’s Dummy Light is not quite over…

Dummy Light Down; Gets A Dunce Cap After Being Hit During Milling. Was Historic Landmark Protected During Milling?

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Dummy light knocked off by a City of Beacon vehicle during milling on Main Street.
Photo Credit: Anonymous Citizen Reporter

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Beacon’s Dummy Light with orange cones placed on top of and beside it while the City of Beacon works to restore it.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

This week, one of Beacon’s most iconic landmarks located at the intersection of Main Street and East Main Street - the Dummy Light - was knocked off its pedestal by a City of Beacon vehicle. As reported by 97.7 The Wolf, citing RoadsideAmerica: "Only three of these old, dangerous, middle-of-an-intersection traffic lights are still standing." A reporter at 101.5 WPDH recently discovered Beacon’s Dummy Light, which does have a devoted fan base like a website.

Based on the photo above showing the light split on the ground, it does not appear that protection was placed around this endangered species of a light to aid in prevention of large trucks milling around it.

Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White said on the City’s Facebook page. “As many of you know, the City has been milling Main Street the past two days in preparation for repaving next week. Yesterday afternoon, one of our vehicles accidentally backed into the ‘dummy light’ at Main and East Main Streets. Fortunately, the base is intact and undamaged, and the light (which was not original...it was a replacement of the original with LED bulbs) will be replaced so that it matches as closely as possible the dummy light that was damaged.”

In his post, the City used a photo of the Dummy Light erected, before it was hit. As of that post and now, the light remains off the base.

Immediately after the Dummy Light was hit, more than one reader reached out to ALBB to inquire how to fundraise to get the Dummy Light restored. Beacon’s City Administrator, Chris implied that the City has started the restoration project.

From other articles, it looks like City Administrator Chris was whipping around different media threads trying to calm everyone after the light hit the ground, breaking into several pieces. As reported by 97.7 The Wolf, City Administrator Chris commented in a thread: “The City is not trying to remove this light: it was damaged during the milling of Main Street. Please take a deep breathe, everyone. This was an accident, and our driver feels terribly about it.”

After 97.7 reached out to him for further comment, he responded: “The dummy light will return!”

Citizen Reporter and Photographer Jean Noack took one of the photos used by 97.7, and questioned: “The mayor could not be reached immediately for comment on the actions of the city employee that resulted in the damage.”

Damage caused to buildings and structures by City owned vehicles does happen, and the resulting actions toward those employees is unknown, in terms of what is viewed as an accident and dismissed, and what is viewed as an accident resulting in disciplinary charges assigned to the driving employee, assuming that every employees feels terribly about an accident.

Disciplinary actions are difficult to track in the City of Beacon, with the exception of one case that has been a set of charges resulting in aggressive disciplines. Hopefully the current City Administrator is weighing these charges and accidents equally. Not knowing who the driver was, ALBB’s opinion is that no dicipline results in this accident, and that simluar consideration be given to everyone in all City of Beacon departments.

A Little Beacon Blog will file a FOIL to try to get a list of other accidents by city employees, and which resulted in discipline, to see if fair treatment happened, or if disciplines were pursued aggressively toward targeted individuals.

What cannot FOIL is accidents that were not as public and were not reported at all by supervising staff.