Carman Says: “South Avenue Needs A Big ‘Right Turn Only’ Arrow;" City Says: “Ok”

Carman Johnson’s notepad of people who cross Main Street at South Avenue and 9D, one of the most dangerous intersections in Beacon.
Photo Credit: Katie HEllmuth

Carman Johnson has been a Crossing Guard for school children in the City of Beacon for 18 years. Each day, twice a day on her morning and afternoon shifts, she keeps a notepad of who crossed. Each day, she stands outside the Beacon Creamery and stares down every car coming down South Avenue who dares make the illegal left turn. And they do. Lots of them.

“The City could make a lot of money if there was a cop sitting here watching what goes on at this intersection,” Carman told A Little Beacon Blog one afternoon as a car pulled onto the lines indicating No Parking in front of Bank Square Coffee.

“I have asked the City for a big Right Turn Only arrow to be painted on the street 4 times. The people just don’t see these street signs or something.”

Being a Crossing Guard for the City of Beacon is one of Carman’s greatest joys. She is a dedicated volunteer, having offered her services at the Welcome Center, the Spirit of Beacon, the Chamber of Commerce, and other organizations over the years.

One of her greatest concerns is the safety of people crossing at the triple intersection of Main Street, Wolcott (9D) and South Avenue. When people whip around onto Main Street from 9D, they are often at high speed and don’t stop at the crosswalk.

“More than once, I have had to pull a child back from a car turning onto Main Street while I am in the middle of the road holding my Stop Sign. Other traffic has stopped and the children are crossing,” Carman told ALBB. “But some of these cars come around so fast, I have had to grab a child and pull them back.”

Numerous traffic safety issues exist at this intersection, but the Right Turn Only arrow painted onto the street is one solution Carman wanted to see. This year, after the road work on Fishkill and Teller Avenue completed and striping began, Carman got her wish for South Avenue. When she showed up to work one day, the painted arrow was there.

“Are you happy now?” ALBB asked Carman.

“Yes. Very,” Carman answered.

To be continued…

STRIPED! Fishkill and Teller Avenues Finally Striped After 20 Years Of Planning And Securing 95% Funding

Fishkill and Teller Avenues have reached the final phase of “The PRoject” that has been 20 years in the making to upgrade piping and road infrastructure in that area.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth

After 20 years of planning, the last year of which drivers in Beacon have been navigating through detours, rough roads and construction crews risking their lives so that people can have smooth, safe roadways in Beacon, the striping has finally begun getting painted onto Fishkill and Teller Avenues, as well as some outlier areas.

In its description of The Project, the City of Beacon reminded the community that this project came through “after more than 20 years of planning, engineering, right-of-way acquisition, and regulatory approvals.” The Project was estimated to be $9 million and was 95% funded through federal and state transportation grants.

It began in June 2024, and encountered a few bumps. Toward the end on July 17th, 2025, the City of Beacon announced: “Approximately 20% of the new sidewalk on Teller and Fishkill Avenues will be torn out and replaced. The concrete used in these sections last fall was substandard and caused the sidewalks to flake and spall even though they were just installed last year. The replacement of these sections is being done by the contractor at NO ADDITIONAL COST to the City. This sidewalk work will take about two weeks. Starting in mid-August, all of Teller Avenue and Fishkill Avenue between Main Street and Blackburn Avenue (across from Memorial Park) will be milled and paved. Thank you for your patience and flexibility as we get through this generational upgrade to these critical streets.”

The original project area covered Teller Avenue from Wolcott Avenue (Route 9D) to Main Street and Fishkill Avenue from Main Street to Blackburn Avenue. Improvements included in this project were:

• Replacements of all existing sidewalks with new 5-foot-wide concrete sidewalks.

• Installing new curbing.

• Replacing drainage structures throughout the Project area.

• Repaving and re-striping the roadway during its final phase.

Safety enhancements included:

• Adding a Leading Pedestrian Interval signaling at the intersection of Teller Avenue/ Fishkill Avenue and Main Street. A woman was killed at that intersection while walking to cross the street. She was a grandmother who was hit by another grandmother driving from school kid pickup.

• Installing 2 raised pedestrian crosswalks near Memorial Park (“speed tables”).

• Reconfiguring the intersection at Teller Avenue and Wolcott Avenue as a “T” intersection, with the George Washington monument moved to the north side of Teller Avenue.

• BONUS: The City was negotiating to extend the sidewalk replacement work further from Blackburn Avenue towards the Town of Fishkill border, if funding allowed.

Road Ripped Into At Main Street And Fishkill/Teller Avenues For Infrastructure Upgrade

Photo Credit: Ledion Shtanaj

Work to the sidewalk on Fishkill Avenue and Main Street was still underway on Thursday 4/9/2025 5pm, but traffic on Main Street was restored to normal.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth

Main Street at the intersection of Fishkill/Teller Avenues was ripped into this past week, starting early Monday morning (4/7/2025) and continuing through Thursday. A robo-call from the City that went out to subscribers stated: “The City’s Water and Sewer Department will be partially closing the intersection in order to address necessary manhole excavation and reconstruction work. Work will continue around the clock until very early in the morning on Thursday, April 10th.”

While Fishkill and Teller Avenues underwent infrastructure upgrades to pipes under the sidewalk all last summer, it is not confirmed if this manhole excavation work was planned, or if an event caused for emergency work. There is a rumor as to the price tag, and ALBB is awaiting delivery of the FOIL as to the cost and detail of this project.

The City provided a traffic re-routing plan, and encouraged people to go around. Temporary traffic lights were placed in the middle of the road further up from the main intersection to direct traffic around the roadwork.

On Wednesday 4/9/2025, the City of Beacon issued an updated via Facebook that the work had completed and traffic returned to normal. Work to the sidewalk was still underway as of Thursday 5pm.

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Photo Credits: Ledion Shtanaj

"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.

Who Is Responsible For Fixing Broken Traffic Lights - After The 9 Day Broken Crosswalk Signal and Light On The First Day Of School

The traffic light and crosswalk signals that went out on the first day of school for Beacon City School District kids at the intersection of Mattaewan and Verplanck, which is where cars cross for pickup and drop-off for Middle and High School, was fixed after 9 days. During that time, the City of Beacon Police Department was at the intersection intermittently to aid traffic during pickup and drop-off.

Who is responsible for fixing the traffic lights in Beacon? Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White explained to ALBB, which included why he said the repair took so long:

“The City has a contract with an electrician who repairs traffic lights when they malfunction. When this light stopped working properly, they investigated and required a new part for the control panel, which has been ordered. Until the part comes in and the light repaired, a police officer or highway department staff will serve as a crossing guard for the intersection during the morning and afternoon peaks for school traffic.”

To read about what it was like discovering the traffic light was broken during the high pique of traffic, read this poem, "Double Red Light Broken :: A Morning Of Kid Drop-off On Repeat, Until..."

Poem: "Double Red Light Broken :: A Morning Of Kid Drop-off On Repeat, Until..."

With this poem, ALBB is opening to poetry submissions from others on any subject matter. Submit via our Contact Us page.

Double Red Light Broken

Second Day of Middle School

A gaggle of kids swarmed on their bikes
around the opposing double line of cars going to and from drop-off.
Eyes on the road!
Both hands on wheel.
Because these kids own the road and swerve into and over a crosswalk or a grasswalk at whim.
Will we ever get the 5 minutes to school?
All these kids peddling everywhere,
calling to each other,
covered in a world of their soft padded headphones.

Drop-off reached.
Pull into the first lane!!
I can’t - there are cones in that lane.
I have to stay in the second lane.
Noooooo!!!
Pull over!! Let us out!!
I can’t - the teachers say pull all the way forward. They say don’t lane cross or pass cars. They say be patient.
Noooooo!!!!!
Let us out!!
Pick us up at 3:40!!
3:40? Side eye.
Yeah. I mean 2:40. Wink and a smile.
Empty. Exhale.

Driving back the 5 minutes to the next child who is still in bed.
The car radio on.
Songs suggest lost love too early in the morning.
The DJ reads the morning headlines.
A reprieve from the music.

Driving away, finally noticing the faces in the oncoming cars, still aching to reach drop-off on time.
Laughing faces.
Straight faces.
Survival faces.
We’re all just piles of mush in our morning cars. In the 8am hour of the day.
Grateful to be here.
But in the same loop.
Seeing the same tree.
The same stop light.
Stopped.
No turn on red.
Inching forward.
Someone turns right.
The next end of summer love song comes on.
We move up a car length.

How did that happen?
Red light remains.
The same house with the same fence that got built last spring.
The same ditch. The same red white and blue painted stairs with the initials. Bless that person of the initials who is probably dead.
Inching forward again.
Why are we moving? It’s a red light. No turn on red.
Headlines on the radio begin and end.
Music starts.
The day won’t begin until email is opened. Don’t check email. You’re driving. Stay out of reality a little longer.

The cars move forward again.
The light is still red. No turn on red.
Honking begins.
Pulling us out of that morning trance that asks: “Where am I? Why am I still here?”
Passing the track now. Am going to run across the track later. After drop-off. The entire city is my track. And I can’t get off it.
The cars move forward.
Why? The light is still red!

Oh. The light is broken.
Cars are turning up ahead.
Out of order.
In the intersection.
Where the child on the bike was hit 3 springs ago.
“I thought she already passed me,” said the driver who hit her. Was she blind?
Red light remains.
Honking picks up.
I’m 5th in line so it’s not my fault.
The light is really broken.
It’s been red the whole time.

We must strike out.
Into the green light of the crossing cars.
Morning trance of self-pity gone.
Survival mode now.

Next kid drop-off is on the bike.
1st grader likes to ride his red bicycle.
And so we we ride.
My tires are flat.
Both of them.
I ride on rims.
Hello crossing guard! Nice to see you!
How’s your day?
Better now that I’ve seen you!

We make it to school no problem.
He parks his red bike.
Takes off his helmet.
Straightens his backpack.
A mom in a pink short terrycloth bathrobe walks the entire length of the drop-off with a cup of coffee. This is not a costume. This is just how she came.

Perfect.

Day 6 Of The Broken Traffic Light At Beacon's Intersection For Middle and High Schools

On the morning of the 1st day of school (Tuesday), at around 7:00am, the traffic light at Matteawan and Verplanck broke. This is the intersection for the High School and Middle School drop-off near the track known as Hammond Track, where cars are coming and going to go to work and/or drop off kids at school.

Additionally, kids are on bikes who go through the intersection. Kids also walk. Or coast in groups across the crosswalk. It’s a high-volume intersection for cars, pedestrians and bikers alike.

By Wednesday morning, it wasn’t clear at first for some that the traffic light had stopped working. It was not blinking at that point. Just a solid red for those on Matteawan, and green for those on Verplanck. There is a No Turn On Red sign on Matteawan when turning right onto Verplanck (when the schools are behind you), so the long line of cars on Matteawan who had finished their drop-offs is an expected one. But on the first days of school with this light broken, the line was extra long and not moving. Turning right became more of a risk, as drivers were turning out into cars who had the green.

After some time on Wednesday, later in the morning for Middle School drop-off, a Beacon Police officer had arrived to direct traffic. An officer also assisted in the afternoon for when school let out. Traffic direction from the Beacon Police had been inconsistent but present during drop-off hours, as they may have been called to other emergencies.

So far, the traffic light has been broken from Tuesday - Sunday. In Beacon’s City Code, there is a requirement that a traffic light be at that intersection. It reads: “Traffic control signals shall be installed and operated at the intersection of those streets described in Schedule I below.” The intersection of Matteawan and Verplanck are listed. But the Code does not indicate who is to make what phone call to get the traffic light fixed. When the Dummy Light was hit by a city employee during milling of Main Street before it got paved, the Highway Department restored that light. It is not confirmed if the Highway Department or a different member of the City is responsible for making arrangements to have this traffic light fixed.

The crossing signals at Verplanck and Matteawan are also out, along with the traffic light. They have been out from Monday (9/5/2023) - Sunday (9/10/2023) so far.

After the traffic light was switched to a cautionary blinking red light on the Matteawan side, and a blinking yellow light on the Verplanck side, cars did proceed with less confusion. But some cars still passed through the intersection with uncertainty.

The crosswalk signs are also broken. Pedestrians and bikers have to cross when they see no cars. Being that the track is a destination for the community and students alike, not to mention all of the baseball fields and the turf field behind the high school, people are always crossing this crosswalk on foot, on bike or in car.

Pickup Truck Hits Building On Main Street - Driver, Dog, Moose and Building Seem Fine

At a little before 3pm on Tuesday (11/1/2022) afternoon, a gray, 4-door pickup truck was driving east up Main Street toward the mountain when it drifted left, crossed the double yellow line, hit the curb, plowed over a sapling tree, sped passed the moose sculpture made of driftwood, then hit and bounced off of the old brick firehouse building that is currently Hudson Beacon Glass, on the corner of Cross Street and Main Street.

The truck hit the corner of the building, which has a metal pole mounted to it, and bounced off, where it came to a stop, according to a witness. No major damage was done to the building, which is filled with glass blown pieces on shelves for people to buy. A clock did fall off the wall, according to a glass blower working there at the time. Otherwise, nothing shook or shattered, they didn’t think.

According to a witness, the driver was a local Beaconite who was driving with his small black and white dog, when he thought he dozed off at the wheel, perhaps causing his foot to hit the gas pedal as his truck veered left. Upon impact, the airbag deployed. According to the witness, the only injury he sustained was a scratch to his elbow. The driver was not immediately taken by an ambulance after the crash.

After the truck hit the building, a glass blower on the second floor heard the bang. After the bang, another glass blower on the first floor heard a dog barking wildly. According to a witness, a local pedestrian on the sidewalk had been glancing at something nearby, and was about to move forward to study it, when the truck whizzed by them and crashed into the building.

Both the pedestrian and a glass blower immediately assisted the person in the car. After the air bag deployed, it caused smoke to come out, triggering the pedestrian who almost got hit to run toward the vehicle to open it to help the victim and the dog who was barking wildly from inside. Police arrived moments later to block the area. After things settled a bit, the driver could be seen sitting in a stoop of an apartment slightly up the street.

According to a witness, the driver had just completed work to his truck, and was very shaken about the incident.

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Pistols Mounted To Flagpoles On Cars - Is It Legal? Defensive Driving To Extreme?

While coming off the exit ramp of I-84 into Beacon from Poughkeepsie, a 12 year old child and their mother were behind a black Chevy Silverado pickup truck with two billowing flags mounted in its bed: one traditional American flag with stars and stripes; and the other a black combo 2nd Amendment/”Don’t Treat On Me” statement flag with a white rifle in the middle as its logo. On the back window, there was a sticker decal of a dog pooping on something, and bumper sticker saying “Fuck Communists.” Mounted atop the flag pole with the 2nd Amendment/“Don’t Tread On Me” flag was pistol hand gun.

By this day, 10 Black people had already been shot and killed by an 18-year old White teenager on a mission to kill Black people in Buffalo, NY, and 19 children and two teachers had been shot to death at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas by an 18-year old Hispanic teenager who had been regularly bullied by family and friends.

Back in Beacon, the 12 year old child in the car on the I-84 ramp looked at the pistol mounted atop the flag pole and asked the mother driving the car: “Can he do that? Can he have a gun up there?” The child had already done numerous lock-down drills in school, and the Beacon City School District had dedicated a Board of Education Meeting to informing the people about safety measures they have been making after numerous school and public places shootings.

Not sure on the legality of the gun, an inquiry was made by ALBB to the Beacon Police and the City Administrator Chris White. This City Administrator has instructed all City department heads to not respond to questions from A Little Beacon Blog without his permission based on an earlier article.

The black Chevy Silverado pickup truck with the American flag on the left, and the black rifle flag on the right, with the pistol mounted atop the rifle flag pole. This taken on the west-bound exit ramp of I-84 getting off to turn left for Beacon.

Thankfully, the police officer, Lt. Figlia, responded: “This is an interesting question and the City Administrator asked that I address it. The law prohibits the carrying of a handgun without a permit and New York does not issue permits for the open carry of a handgun. I would say, therefore, that if this were a real, functioning handgun, then it would be a violation of the law and also extremely irresponsible. On the other hand, if it is a replica handgun, which I very much hope that it is, then it would not be illegal.”

This was two weeks ago, before the decision this past week when the Supreme Court handed down a 6-3 ruling that struck down New York’s law pertaining to carrying a gun in public.

According to SCOTUS Blog: “The state law at the heart of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen required anyone who wants to carry a concealed handgun outside the home to show ‘proper cause’ for the license. New York courts interpreted that phrase to require applicants to show more than a general desire to protect themselves or their property. Instead, applicants must demonstrate a special need for self-defense – for example, a pattern of physical threats. Several other states, including California, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, impose similar restrictions, as do many cities.”

Justice Clarence Thomas led the ruling striking down New York’s law, and wrote that “the Second Amendment’s guarantee of the right ‘to keep and bear arms’ protects a broad right to carry a handgun outside the home for self-defense.”

Further, according to SCOTUS Blog: “Thomas rebuffed New York’s effort to justify its proper-cause requirement as an effort to regulate guns in ‘sensitive places’ – specifically, crowded urban areas, like Manhattan, where people are likely to gather. Thomas agreed that, as a historical matter, there have long been laws restricting guns in places like courthouses and polling places. Moreover, he continued, restrictions that apply to the modern versions of ‘sensitive places’ may also pass constitutional muster. Although Thomas left open exactly what might qualify as a ‘sensitive place,’ he made clear that urban areas do not meet that definition. The state’s ‘argument would in effect exempt cities from the Second Amendment and would eviscerate the general right to publicly carry arms for self-defense,’ Thomas concluded.”

According to CNBC, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said, “This decision isn’t just reckless, it’s reprehensible.”

Hochul said that because “the federal government will not have sweeping laws to protect us ... our states and our governors have a moral responsibility to do what we can and have laws that protect our citizens because of what is going on — the insanity of the gun culture that has possessed everyone all the way up to the Supreme Court.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said: “This decision has made every single one of us less safe from gun violence.”

President Joe Biden said he was “deeply disappointed” in the ruling, which he said, “contradicts both common sense and the Constitution, and should deeply trouble us all.”

Not sure how the Supreme Court’s new decision impacts Lt. Figlia’s answer for the truck here in the Hudson Valley region.

Where Did This Legal Case Come From?

According to CNBC, “the case was brought by the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association and two of its members, Robert Nash and Brandon Koch, whose applications for concealed-carry handgun licenses for self-defense purposes were rejected. New York Supreme Court Justice Richard McNally ruled that neither man had shown proper cause to carry guns in public because they failed to demonstrate that they had a special need for self-protection.”

According to the NPR Legal Correspondent, Nina Totenberg, this Supreme Court is looking for cases it can make national changes on. This observation was supported by this reporting in CNBC regarding this gun law: “After a federal judge in New York dismissed the case, the U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed that judgment. The U.S. Supreme Court then took the case.”

As for this truck pulling into Beacon: it was spotted again headed south on 9D on Juneteenth afternoon, which was June 19, 2022. The truck pulled into Buffalo Wild Wings and parked alongside the resteraunt. A White man with a close clipped brown beard in a long sleeved cotton jersey walked around the truck, checked the 2nd Amendment flag pole with the pistol mounted on top, and went about his day.

Had the driver of this truck been a Black man, or an Arab man, or a Hispanic man, or an Indian man, or an Asian man, would the vehicle still be out on the road?

A Reader Reports Another Aggressive Driving Experience Allegedly With Earthcare Truck

Today (Friday) at around 1:15pm, a reader of A Little Beacon Blog was driving north on 9D, getting ready to turn onto the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge. A truck behind them starting beeping their horn. The reader thought perhaps the truck driver thought they were going too slow. In response, the reader gave the driver the gesture of flipping the finger, and then the driver allegedly became more aggressive with the horn.

The truck driver, who the reader described as a white male, maybe in his 40s who was wearing glasses that may have had a tint like from transitions, allegedly rolled down his window and started screaming at the reader while they were driving. The reader could not hear the words that the truck driver was yelling. As the reader was crossing the bridge, the driver of the truck came up in the passing lane and crossed in front of the reader, who then took a photo of the truck, which allegedly was an EarthCare truck.

The reader then read A Little Beacon Blog’s article published earlier this week featuring another truck driving incident, that highlighted what appeared to be an EarthCare truck driver blowing through a crosswalk on 9D near Rose Hill (not an intersection with a traffic light, but a crosswalk), where a parent an child were standing waiting to cross. After the truck blew through the crosswalk, the parent flipped off the driver, who then slammed on his breaks after blowing through the crosswalk (the tire marks can be seen in the middle of the road in that article), and indicated that the was going to exit the vehicle, but did not and continued driving.

For this traffic safety incident on the Newburgh'/Beacon Bridge, the reader told ALBB that they called the Beacon Police at 1:23pm, who said they would call EarthCare about the reported incident. EarthCare is a company that contracts with the City of Beacon to haul wastewater to the Wastewater Treatment Plant down at Dennings Point.

A Little Beacon Blog sent a Contact Us form to EarthCare at 4:30pm, and will report back if they respond. Read about how they responded to ALBB after the first incident here.

The license plate number of the alleged truck is 8569A. The reader said that the driver was a white male who wore glasses. The reader had the feeling that the glasses were not sunglasses, and may have had a tint, but could not be sure.

When following up with the pedestrian of the earlier incident on Wolcott, that reader mentioned that the driver was a white male who may have been wearing sunglasses.

Local Truck Screeches To Halt After Passing A Parent In Crosswalk Who Flipped Him Off

On Monday morning (May 16, 2022) at 9am, a parent was waiting at a crosswalk to walk their child across Wolcott Avenue towards Main Street when a large industrial truck that was teal in color with a round carriage that allegedly said EarhCare on the cab, drove past the pedestrians through the crosswalk without stopping. The crosswalk is a regular crosswalk with an added yellow sign and yellow flashing lights for extra visibility. There is a button to activate the flashing lights that the child did press. This crosswalk is not at a traffic light at an intersection. It is in the middle of the road, closer to Rose Hill Day Care. The flashing lights do not need to flash in order to give the pedestrian the right of way.

“If there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk in your lane, you should yield to them.”

— Beacon Police Officer

When asked if the flashing lights matter for a car to stop or not at a crosswalk in the middle of the road, a Beacon Police Officer who answered the desk phone that takes public inquiries stated: “If there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk in your lane, you should yield to them.”

After the truck passed them, the parent raised their arm and flipped off the driver of the truck. Seeing the gesture and looking at the parent in the eye, the truck driver, who was described as a white male, slammed on the breaks, bringing the truck to a screeching halt through and past the crosswalk. The tire tracks can be seen in these pictures. Once the truck stopped, the parent said: “You should have stopped before the crosswalk!”

An EarthCare truck parked at Beacon’s Wastewater Treatment Plant at 90 Dennings Avenue near the Transfer Station at Dennings Point. The parent said the truck that slammed on the breaks after the crosswalk on Wolcott Avenue was an EarthCare truck driving in the direction of the Transfer Station.

According to the parent, it looked like the driver was getting ready to exit his vehicle. Said the parent: “I was on the west side of the street on the sidewalk. I started walking toward the truck when he looked like he was aggressively getting out.”

When ALBB asked if the driver may have been quickly stopping for a squirrel or deer, the parent replied: “Absolutely not. And if he didn’t stop for the human child, do you think he was going to stop for a squirrel? He was looking at me in the face when he stopped”

The truck was headed in the direction of Beacon’s Transfer Station and Wastewater Treatment Plant. EarthCare is a wastewater management company contracted with the City of Beacon. A likeness photo of EarthCare’s truck that the parent saw - not necessarily the truck that screeched to a halt - is shown here in this article. The photo was taken Monday, May 16, 2022 at Beacon’s Transfer Station where the Wastewater Treatment Plant is.

Update 5/20/2022: The morning after ALBB sent a Contact Us form to EarthCare seeking confirmation and comment about the driving incident, a representative from EarthCare named Dave called at 9am to get more details and offered to pull driving records. ALBB returned his call at 9:30am, but never heard back. ALBB placed a second followup call the following day, and has not heard back.

Painting Is Striped On Newly Paved Main Street - Order Slowly Restoring

The past two planned weeks of fully paving Beacon’s mile-long Main Street overall went very well it seems, with the exception of the hitting of the Dummy Light, of which “the driver felt so badly…he is one of our best,” Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White told ALBB last week at the abortion rights rally. A handful of people enjoyed driving down the middle of the milled road, meandering down Main Street without parked cars or much oncoming traffic. Some store owners noted that they suffered a bit in sales as car traffic and parking was down.

Today (Thursday), the double yellow stripes are painted, as are several street parking spots and the “Abbey Road” style crosswalks. The City Administrator Chris could be seen marching up and down Main Street in his crisp office shirt as workers sprayed the pavement with markings before the paint went down.

Sunny springtime Wednesday traffic is back in action, with cars parked on both sides of the roads and both lanes of traffic narrowly gliding by each other, with skateboarders popping out from between parked cars, and shoppers hurrying to open and close their vehicles. A regular day in Beacon again.

This crosswalk matches the new yellow crosswalk signs across from Citizens Bank and the Mobile gas station.

The newly painted crosswalk near Antalek and Moore’s building.

Workers spray temporary markings for parking in front of Beacon Bread Company.

Bike symbols were kept, like this one outside of Amacord.

Cameras Coming To Some School Buses - Dutchess County Launches Big Push To Ticket Drivers Using Camera Footage

Dutchess County is tired of people defying traffic safety laws as locals and tourists drive around a school bus, or don’t stop at all if coming from the opposite direction. County Executive Marcus Molinaro’s Office sent out a press release this week stating that Dutchess County had launched a “School Bus Safety Program,” which is a codified partnership with a company, BusPatrol, who mounts cameras and GPS trackers onto several angles of a school bus in order to see which car is breaking the law. A photo is taken and a ticket is mailed to the owner of the vehicle by BusPatrol. “The program is entirely funded by violators over a five-year term” according to the press release.

“ If you illegally pass a school bus, risking children’s safety, be prepared to pay the penalty.”

— Dutchess County Executive, Marcus Molinaro

“Passing a stopped school bus is more than illegal, it’s dangerous and threatens the lives of young students every day,” said Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro. “Dutchess County will not tolerate such reckless conduct, and today’s partnership with BusPatrol codifies our intent to keep students safe: If you illegally pass a school bus, risking children’s safety, be prepared to pay the penalty.”

50,000 Drivers Illegally Drive Around Stopped School Buses Every Day In NY State

According to the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, an estimated 50,000 motorists illegally pass stopped school buses every day in New York State, putting the lives and safety of children at risk, according to the press release.

In Beacon, groups of children or a single child is dropped off at locations around town organized by the school district’s Transportation Department. This means that rather than dropping a child off at their home, the buses make group drop offs at designated intersections around town.

A Little Beacon Blog researched one bus stop for Beacon City School children on Verplanck Avenue and Cross Street to observe vehicle behavior around the school bus stopping at this intersection. During that first attempt, as the large school bus approached the intersection to let off a child on Verplanck Avenue, the bus driver put on their blinking yellow lights and red bus sign to make a very large presence on Verplanck Avenue. Didn’t matter. At least 2 cars whizzed around the bus, despite the bus stopping at a stop sign. This means, that the drivers would have had to drive around the bus, and then not be able to encounter the stop sign, as the bus was stopped at it.

Several other cars from the oncoming direction never even slowed down. Picking up a toddler from the bus was chaotic, dangerous and windy from rushing cars. The bus driver looked extremely concerned as the child departed the bus into the arms of the parent.

Crossing Verplanck Avenue to get back to the resident’s home was a different difficult experience, as there is not a lot of space between the sidewalk and Verplanck Avenue, putting people and cars very close together on that street. Kids like to skip around after school, excited to be released from the classroom. Controlling a toddler on Verplanck Avenue is an undertaking.

When Will Ticketing Start?

The program is starting in the Pine Plains school district at first. The Pine Plains Central School District is the first in Dutchess County to implement the program across its entire fleet of 38 school buses; several other local districts are expected to join the program in the coming year.

Dr. Martin Handler, Pine Plains Schools Superintendent, said, “The safety of our students is a top priority, and the Pine Plains Central School District is eager to protect students from motorists who flout the law and illegally drive around a stopped school bus. Pine Plains is proud to be the first local school district to take part in the County’s partnership with BusPatrol and take an active role in protecting our students. We are certain this partnership will improve student safety, and it has the potential to save lives.”

Dutchess County says that ticketing will commence with an initial warning period: Effective December 13, 2021, motorists who illegally pass a stopped Pine Plains school bus equipped with these cameras will receive a warning until Jan. 12, 2022, said the County Executive’s Office. Starting Jan. 13, 2022, drivers who do so will receive a citation and fine in the mail. If your spouse or partner frequently defies traffic laws in your car, it may be time to not let them drive your car anymore, if the title is in your name. Tickets are issued by camera, checked by BusPatrol, and mailed to the title owner.

How Many Buses Are Getting The Cameras?

According to the press release, more than 1,000 school buses across Dutchess County have access to advanced safety technology at zero cost to local taxpayers, including stop-arm cameras to help enforce traffic laws and educate motorists on the dangers of passing school buses.

In terms of the Beacon City School District opting in, Dutchess County responded to ALBB’s questions gauging Beacon’s interest: “The County sent an email to the district superintendent in Beacon on November 8, 2021. Prior to that, the Deputy County Executive talked with the Beacon superintendent about the program. The Beacon City School District is interested, but has not yet opted into the program.”

How The Camera System Works For Traffic Safety

In addition to stop-arm cameras, school districts have access to additional safety technology including:

• Cloud-managed, 360-degree safety cameras (interior, windshield, rearview and sideload) to provide a full view of activity surrounding the school bus;

• Emergency response solutions to enable student transportation, school, and law enforcement officials to respond immediately; and

• GPS, routing and telemetry solutions to see where buses are located at any given time.

The technology, installation and maintenance of all hardware and software included in the BusPatrol Student Safety Platform are provided at no cost to the school district and taxpayers. The program is entirely funded by violators over a five-year term.

Jean Souliere, CEO and Founder of BusPatrol, said in the press release, “Our safety programs are helping to promote a safer driving culture across the state of New York. We want to create a reflex in drivers, so that every time they see a big yellow bus on the road, they slow down and prepare to stop. That simple action could help save the life of a child.”.

UPDATE: Crosswalk Signal At Teller/Fishkill Avenue Does Show WALK Sign, But Not STOP; Button Push Required

UPDATE: The white WALK signal does show up, if the button is pressed to activate it. However, the red STOP hand does not display, nor do the countdown numbers.

After publishing the article that the crosswalk signal was out at Teller/Fishkill Avenue and Main Street, which is across the street from where a woman was killed by a Jeep Wrangler turning left while correctly crossing that intersection, a mini-ALBB reporter pounded the pavement with her mama to run different tests on the crosswalk signal, to see how it was behaving on a Sunday shopping day.

Different test scenarios revealed that the white WALK signal did display if the button was pushed on the crosswalk signal box located on a post several feet behind the sidewalk curb. The red STOP hand did not display at all, nor did the red countdown numbers. The verbal indicator voice did work at the signal cross box, signalling the person to WAIT! or to walk.

The video below shows the behavior of the crosswalk signal, as the mini-ALBB reporter explains how it is supposed to work. The editor has made a note not to cut off her daughter while speaking.

Indeed, Crosswalk Signal Has Been Out Across From Intersection Of Recent Pedestrian Death On Main Street

A woman was struck and killed by a car at the opposite side of this intersection - Teller Avenue and Main Street. Pictured here is the opposite side of the street - Fishkill Avenue and Main Street, where readers of ALBB have reported that they have noticed the crosswalk sign being out for at least a week, perhaps longer.

UPDATE 12/12/2021 3:30pm: The red hand STOP light seems to be out. However, the white WALK person does turn on *if* you press the crosswalk button. But the button for this location is not at the corner as it is at other corners. To access this signal button, one must back up quite a few feet if they walked past it. So, if a person doesn’t know to back up and press that button, the crosswalk WALK won’t turn on. Thus, the red countdown numbers won’t turn on, if they only initiate when the white WALK signal is showing. Read the update here and see the video of how the signal is behaving.

After the woman died of her injuries while crossing Teller Avenue near the Yankee Clipper Diner in accordance with the crosswalk signal after being hit by a Jeep Wrangler turning left from Main Street onto Teller Avenue, readers wrote into A Little Beacon Blog via public Instagram comments that the crosswalk signal on the opposite side of Main Street, which would be Fishkill Avenue near the Valero gas station, has been out for some time. Their comments were made 5 days ago, and still the light is out, with no markings or indications that it is broken.

Additionally, the audio crosswalk signal sign that accompanies this signal - which speaks “Wait!” and names the road that the person is signaled to cross - indicates that the pedestrian is signaled to cross Teller Avenue. However, on that side of Main Street, the road is called Fishkill Avenue. The green street sign says Fishkill Avenue. A pedestrian unfamiliar with this nuance and common renaming of a road seemingly arbitrarily all over Beacon might be confused if they are relying on the audio call-out of a street name, if they knew they were standing at Fishkill Avenue and Main Street. ALBB has not tested the audio in the past, if this sign indeed speaks Teller or Fishkill. In writing, the white signal sign says Teller.

Who Is Responsible For Identifying A Broken Crosswalk Signal?

Often times, when items that need attention are brought up during public City Council Meetings, after months or years of neglect, councilmembers are known to say: “You must tell us, or we don’t know.”

They City of Beacon has what is called a Traffic Safety Committee. According to the city’s website: “The City of Beacon Traffic Safety Committee studies traffic conditions on streets and highways within the City. The Committee analyzes reports of accidents and recommends to the appropriate legislative bodies, departments or commissions such changes in roles, orders, regulations and existing law as the Committee may deem advisable.”

Who serves on that committee? According to the City’s website: “The Committee is comprised of five members: the Chief of Police, a Planning Board representative and three members appointed by the Mayor.”

According to Minutes posted for the monthly meetings of the Traffic Safety Committee, the following people make repeat appearances as attendees of the meeting:

Fire Chief Gary VanVoorhis
Police Lieutenant Jason Walden
Superintendent of Streets Michael “Mickey” Manzi (this is the Highway Department)
Planning Board Representative Jill Reynolds (an artist who is a glassblower)
Beacon Resident Carolyn Glauda Bennett (a resident who wanted to be on the Traffic Safety Committee after witnessing at least 2 pedestrian accidents)
Traffic Safety Committee Secretary Collin Milone (this is the executive assistant to the Mayor)

Members of the public who have been approved to discuss a request that they made may be invited to present their case to the committee. A recent attendee has also been Stowe Boyde, representative of the Main Street Access Advisory Committee.

The Highway Department drives around on the streets of Beacon often, and is at times tasked with installing street signs, paving, clearing debris from storms, installing LED lights into city-owned light poles, etc. The Highway Department is led by Michael (Mickey) Manzi, in the position title known as Superintendent of Streets.

A person could try the following contact avenues to report in a signal outage:

Superintendent of Streets: mmanzi@beaconny.gov
Beacon’s current City Administrator Chris White: cwhite@beaconny.gov
Your Ward Representative: To find out which City Council Member represents you, click here.

Once you report something to any of these contacts, do keep a paper trail of it so that you can see if your message was relayed, and what was done. For instance, if you tell your City Councilmember about a traffic issue, the City Councilmember may report it to the Traffic Safety Committee, which may then be indicated in the meeting notes posted here. At that point, it is up to the Traffic Safety Committee to discuss it, and if appropriate, make a recommendation to the City Council to then discuss it and implement it.

Additionally, different roads are owned by different government entities. New York State may own a part of a road, the City of Beacon may own a part of a road, the Town of Fishkill may own part of a road. At times, a seemingly simple request can be tossed around like a hot potato.

Or a bad “how many ___ does it take to change a light bulb?” joke.

Bottom line: the signal is out, and someone died on the opposite corner while crossing the street for a signal that worked.