"Beacon's Water Department Is A Completely Caucasian Department... Some Of Their [Highway Department Employees'] Behaviors Are Questionable"

For the record, since this statement was made about the Water Department being “completely Caucasian,” on September 21, 2020, a person of Color may have been hired to the Water Department.

Related Links:

• Black Highway Department Employee & Community Organizer Put On 30-Day Unpaid Leave Since January 2021

• "Wait, What Is That?" Episode 5: Reuben Simmons And His One-Time Job Position As Highway Superintendent
  Hear it from Reuben himself, the summer before he was put on 30-Day Unpaid Leave

• Beacon’s New HR Director Hears From City Employees About Discrimination, Inequality, Growing Tensions; Suggests Solutions; Begins With Highway Department

• These 2 Black Beaconites Describe Being Ignored When Applying For Recent Water Department Or City Jobs

• "Beacon's Water Department Is A Completely Caucasian Department... Some Of Their [Highway Department Employees’] Behaviors Are Questionable"

• During Hot Mess Of Water Department Hires, Beacon Passes Diversity and Inclusion Statement

• Beacon Gets New City Administrator Chris White - Taking A Moment To Look Back At Past Administrator Actions

• Why Black Lives Matter (BLM) Signs In Storefront Windows Still Matter In 2021

On September 21, 2020, many issues were discussed in the public City Council meeting: how the virtual Spirit of Beacon Day Parade was going to work (a day that was founded as a method of healing, coming together, and showing appreciation after racial eruptions and riots in Beacon in the 1970s), the spike in COVID-19 cases in a local nursing home, easements for Edgewater (a hot-button property for development hawks), handling of the 2020 Assessment Roll as it pertains to Property Taxes, etc.

The promotions of 3 employees of the Highway Department that were also on the agenda otherwise seemed mundane. Under the surface, however, in private meetings of City Council called “Executive Session,” where no press or the public is allowed, these promotions were a loaded topic. Steve Bechtold, Peter Delfico, and Nicholas Durso are Highway Department employees slated to receive promotions.

In order to approve the promotion, the City Council needed to vote on it. The vote was postponed that night, after Stefon Seward, a community member called in during Public Comment to voice his concern, was later validated by Councilmember Jodi McCredo, who stated she was uncomfortable with the vote. The vote was tabled, and A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to the City of Beacon to see if any movement has been made since then. We are awaiting a response, but the City usually doesn’t comment on personnel questions.

This article explores the details between the question from a member of the public at the beginning of the meeting, and the response from a Councilmember, which was almost silenced by the then-City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero (who has since left that job) by the end of the meeting.

Question On “Behaviors Are Questionable” Expanded Upon

Stefon Seward, a founding member of Beacon4BlackLives and an appointed committee member to the Beacon Police Chief Search Committee, called in to that September 21, 2020 night of the City Council Meeting to voice his concerns about the promotions in the Highway Department.

He stated: “I'm calling to talk about the 3 individuals that are going to get a raise, who you are voting on today. I think you should put a freeze on that, because some of their behaviors are questionable. I think there should be a little more talk before they get that raise.”

A Little Beacon Blog inquired about what behaviors Stefon was referring to. In an earlier podcast recorded this summer at “Wait, What Is That?” ALBB learned from Reuben Simmons, a Highway Department employee, that Steve Bechtold had brought a personal gun to work on company time, making other employees uncomfortable. Reuben, who is Black, emailed management Michael (Micky) Manzi about it. Michael is the current department head (Reuben used to be his boss, but was demoted on a job title technicality), Superintendent of Streets. Michael emailed back that Steve would be told not to bring the firearm to work in the future.

Reuben requested to have Michael’s email about the gun included in Reuben’s personnel file, but City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero declined that request, Reuben told ALBB.

The bringing in of the gun was about 6 months after Reuben filed a harassment claim against Steve in 2019, after Steve allegedly circulated an unsanctioned petition which advocated to have Reuben not be on a negotiation committee for the Highway Department’s new contract, which has remained unsigned after it expired (the City of Beacon’s website links to a latest contract of 2015), and is up for renewal any day, or whenever it makes it to the next agenda of the public City Council meetings.

According to Reuben, who served as CSEA Union President from 2009 to 2017, Steve made an assumption that Reuben was on the negotiation committee, and Steve did not want him there, so he had written a petition and circulated it around to the white employees of the Highway Department, without showing it to the 2 other Black employees also in the Highway Department, according to Reuben.

Reuben learned about the petition, and went to the department’s current Union President, Paula Becker, about it, who allegedly said she did not know about the petition. “My issue was that if you're going to petition,” Reuben told ALBB, “show it to everybody so that it's fair.”

Paula works for the City of Beacon as a staff member, in addition to serving as the Union President for CSEA. The union structure is to have the president also be an employee of the city. When A Little Beacon Blog reached out to Paula in her capacity as union president to confirm a future development concerning Reuben’s current employment status with the City of Beacon, the current City Administrator Chris White (Chris replaced Anthony Ruggiero in January 2021) gave instruction not to contact any staff about these issues, and to contact him directly. Chris also did not comment as to Reuben’s current employment status.

According to Reuben, the 2 other Black employees were then shown the petition, and did not sign. The petition allegedly was delivered to Paula’s desk. Superintendent Manzi knew about the petition, Reuben said, as he and Manzi discussed it during a meeting with then-Mayor Randy Casale in his office. “Management [Michael Manzi] should not have been influencing and condoning this behavior,” Reuben told ALBB. Current Mayor Lee Kyriacou was a city councilmember at the time.

To follow up on the harassment claim rooted in the petition against Steve, then-City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero inquired with Paula to see the petition, but that time he was told that this was a Union issue, and protected under certain laws, according to Reuben. No one saw the petition after that, according to Reuben. He said that the City of Beacon, by way of City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero, did not investigate the harassment claim, citing that there was no physical evidence of its existence.

Months later, when the gun was allegedly brought to work, Reuben did not seek to file another harassment claim because of how his first claim was handled. Reuben still wonders why the petition to keep him off a committee was circulated, since he was not on the negotiation committee in the first place, he told ALBB.

It should be noted that the City Administrator works with a labor attorney on these issues. In this issue, the City was working with Lance H. Klein of Keane & Beane, the law firm that the city works with on real estate, labor, etc. When ALBB first started reaching out to get more information on this employment story in the summer of 2020, City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero could not answer all of our questions, and CCed the labor attorney Lance Klein on the responses, and offered to have a phone call instead.

This year, City Administrator Chris White has also offered to have a phone call in response to questions asked about job titles, and has decided that until an in-person conversation about how ALBB writes articles happens, after the publication of yesterday’s article “During Hot Mess Of Water Department Hires, Beacon Passes Diversity and Inclusion Statement,” he will not be answering any questions from ALBB.

“Completely Caucasian Department” - Diversity Needed

Now that we have partially unpacked that issue from 2019, let’s get back to September 21, 2020, the night of the City Council meeting and votes for Highway Department promotions. Stefon went on to state: “We need more diversity in the Water Department. It is a completely Caucasian department, and that's a little scary, being that we are a diverse town. I feel that we need to have a diversity look in every walk of life, everything we do for our town.”

A Little Beacon Blog looked into the demographics of the Water Department. The City of Beacon will not release stats, even when we asked about the demographics of the Police Department and were told by then-City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero to submit a FOIL to get the information. The FOIL was apparently ignored. This was before the City of Beacon published all of the names of the police officers on their website, after pressure from the national Black Lives Matter movement that went local on Beacon’s Main Street in the form of protests, emails, and calls into public City Council meetings, along with the New York State ordered re-imagining of the policing in the community with Executive Order 203.

To get an idea of the demographics, we asked for thoughts from Reuben Simmons, who has worked for the City of Beacon since 2002, and who served as the union president for the City of Beacon CSEA Local 814 unit 6662 from 2009 to 2017. His response: “I did look into it a few years ago while I was the union president, because an employee from the Water Department who was white was uncomfortable with racial slurs being spoken regularly by Water Department employees, including supervisors, in reference to other city employees who were Black. It resulted in me having to have an employee transferred from the Water Department to the Highway Department.”

City of Beacon Regulates Personal Guns In The Workplace in 2021

On December 14, 2020, during a City Council workshop meeting, Beacon’s new HR Director, Gina Basile, introduced new policies that she wanted the City of Beacon to adopt, one being a Firearms Policy. The Firearms Policy states that City employees cannot bring personal guns or weapons of any kind, including knives that are 4 inches or longer, and cannot store them on City property (ie inside of a locker or vehicle).

During that December 14, 2020, public City Council meeting, the councilmembers pondered the ramifications of this for Police Officers, wondering if this was confusing with their professional guns used for work. Gina and Anthony advised that there was no crossover; guns assigned for work were fine. The City Councilmembers were mostly certain that no person would bring a personal gun to work, but Councilperson Dan Aymar-Blair said that he had received a complaint from a constituent about a police officer bringing a personal gun to work.

Councilmember Jodi McCredo’s Statement To Pause Highway Department Promotions, Wanting More Information

Councilmember Jodi McCredo has been aware of the employee tensions in the Highway Department for some time, as have other councilmembers and Mayor Lee Kyriacou. Years ago, Jodi was the subject of a hand-delivered, unsigned letter written in the first person (using the word “I”) but from the Highway Department at large, delivered to her front porch.

That letter described discontent using ill logic at the appointment of a fellow employee, Reuben Simmons, to the position of Highway Superintendent (which he was later stripped of, using Civil Service rules to legally do so). The letter stated that the appointment did not encourage promoting “from within,” despite Reuben being a current employee. It was if he did not exist. A Little Beacon Blog has seen that letter, and published it along with the podcast here. At the time years ago, Jodi brought in the letter to a private Executive Session meeting, not knowing what to do with it, she told ALBB.

The results of that letter campaign resulted in Dutchess County telling the City of Beacon that Reuben did not have the qualifications to hold the Superintendent of Streets title because he “never held a supervisors title.” Thereby moving him and his salary back down to Maintenance Worker. The Superintendent of Streets position went to Michael (Micky) Manzi after Mark, the City’s first candidate off the Dutchess County list, turned the job down, according to Reuben.

Michael Manzi currently holds the position today. Back then, on February 4, 2019, Jodi was part of a unanimous public City Council vote for Michael’s promotion, where before casting it, she turned to the audience in the courtroom and asked: “What do you guys think?” She was met with shouts of agreement and applause, which can be seen on the Council video here at the bottom of the page. Jodi has gone on to say to ALBB that the letter “had absolutely no influence on any decisions.”

Back to September 21, 2020, with the promotion of the 3 Highway Department employees on the agenda for the evening. Jodi was not so sure this time. Resulting from Stefon’s comments, and having the prior experience of not knowing details and then learning them later, Jodi moved forward with speaking about her hesitation concerning the promotions. She stated:

“Stefon Seward mentioned a couple of things that I want to address: He spoke about people getting raises today. I want to clarify - “ At this point in her statement, then City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero, who has since left this job for another in Dutchess County, attempted to interrupt her to stop her from speaking with an "Um…".

Normally, the City Administrator likes the Council to not discuss personnel issues in public, but Jodi continued and kept speaking.

“It’s not an issue with a raise, it's an issue with a promotion because of position. But I also want to go back to something I have said in the past many times, which is I really don't feel comfortable voting on things like that without having all of the information. I don't know what it was he [Stefon] was referring to when he said what he said. Now I am in a position again where I do feel uncomfortable about this and I do think it is something we need to talk about.

“I'm just going to throw that out there because if I'm not in the situation and people aren't coming to me, I don't know what questions to ask, and it's a little awkward. I also want to put out to the public if you do have information that you think Councilmembers should have before a vote, please share that information with us. You have our phone numbers and you have our email addresses. Contact us, talk to us. Inform us. Nine times out of 10 we don't know, and that helps us know what questions to ask and what information to look for. I'm not saying anything about what he said specifically, because I have no idea. But the point is, I have no idea. And I probably should.”

All of the other City Council Members agreed to table the promotion, and Air Nonken Rhodes made an enthusiastic motion to move the discussion to Executive Session, where it could be further discussed in private.

There are times when people do know or are told about something, but may not be presented with paper documentation to prove something without a doubt, and then the information gets dismissed, contributing to a silent segregation. During this time, decades after the Civil Rights movement resulted in laws that are intended to prevent discrimination, actions taken even within those laws can still create a form of silent segregation that is harder to prove.

While the City of Beacon recently apparently hired a person of Color in the Water Department - Ricardo Brown - Mayor Kyriacou stated the night of that vote that diversity was added. Not only has the City of Beacon not confirmed with A Little Beacon Blog what Ricardo’s job title is - after a possible mix-up on the City’s agenda for Justin Herring (the agenda said Justin was Water and Sewer Superintendent but Edward Balicki is currently listed as that, even though Ed’s LinkedIn has him listed as Chief Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator at City of Beacon) - having true diversity means to embrace others, to listen to them, and believe them. Call them back after a job interview. Include an email complaint in a personnel file.

As to the confusing development of Water Department job titles after October 5, 2020’s meeting to hire employees, City Administrator Chris White has declined to provide confirmation.

Diversity Is Not Guaranteed By A PDF On A Wall Or Website

Any city can put up a PDF of a Diversity and Inclusion Statement on the City of Beacon on a wall or on a website, but that’s not a guarantee that diversity or even fairness and decency are happening. Not when complaints are ignored, dodged and delayed with FOIL requests. When Mayor Lee Kyriacou said that Beacon delivered diversity on October 5, 2020, with the hire of one person of Color, that does not make the diversity cup even half-full.

Diversity is speaking up against a vote. It is believing a story. It is asking questions about a story in public to find more connections in order to believe it. Diversity is being anti-racist, which means that you are actively speaking up against something that feels like a person was just made to feel invisible, and then became invisible, with a legal checkmate of a demotion. Diversity means to question current Civil Service laws, to see if they are working as intended, or if they are protecting a comfort level that doesn’t serve all equally.

And these are only the stories we know about. When a City does not comment to confirm a story told at a City Council meeting, like when Wendel Henson called in to say that he was interviewed for a position in the Water Department and was never contacted after that, these stories will require paper documentation, which the City will not release, and the reader will be left to wonder. Which often leads to doubt, but then fades away.

Silent segregation.

During Hot Mess Of Water Department Hires, Beacon Passes Diversity and Inclusion Statement

Related Links:

• Black Highway Department Employee & Community Organizer Put On 30-Day Unpaid Leave Since January 2021

• "Wait, What Is That?" Episode 5: Reuben Simmons And His One-Time Job Position As Highway Superintendent
  Hear it from Reuben himself, the summer before he was put on 30-Day Unpaid Leave

• Beacon’s New HR Director Hears From City Employees About Discrimination, Inequality, Growing Tensions; Suggests Solutions; Begins With Highway Department

• These 2 Black Beaconites Describe Being Ignored When Applying For Recent Water Department Or City Jobs

• "Beacon's Water Department Is A Completely Caucasian Department... Some Of Their [Highway Department Employees’] Behaviors Are Questionable"

• During Hot Mess Of Water Department Hires, Beacon Passes Diversity and Inclusion Statement

• Beacon Gets New City Administrator Chris White - Taking A Moment To Look Back At Past Administrator Actions

• Why Black Lives Matter (BLM) Signs In Storefront Windows Still Matter In 2021

Editorial Note: This article is long, but please consider reading in full. This article was intended to be a simple announcement of the City of Beacon passing “Resolution Adopting Diversity and Inclusion Mission Statement” on October 5, 2020. However, during the City Council Meeting where that vote took place, a lot of discussion happened around the hiring practices of Beacon’s Water Department.

Reporting on employment within the City of Beacon has been difficult because discussions about the hiring, firing and disciplinary action of employees happens in a private meeting called an Executive Session, which happens after a public City Council meeting, or within City offices presumably during the work day. The Executive Session will be announced, and Council will go into it for a designated reason, for example: “Personnel” or “Real Estate,” and the camera shuts off.

Therefore, what is said in public is often framed carefully by the speaker, and can imply further issues, but not state them explicitly. It requires the listener to read between the lines in order to follow along with what is happening. Once the full picture is learned, often these public meetings about employment make more sense. Until then, many quotes are needed in order to figure out what is happening, or not happening.

Beacon’s Presentation Of Its Diversity and Inclusion Mission Statement

Beacon’s Diversity and Inclusion Mission Statement, posted on the new Human Resources page, like a shield. Job Postings are now listed underneath this document.

The City of Beacon signed into law a Diversity and Inclusion Mission Statement on October 5, 2020. It came on an evening where the City of Beacon was announcing 2 new appointed hires to the Water Department: Justin Herring as Water and Sewer Superintendent, and Ricardo Brown as a Water and Sewer Maintenance Worker. During the presentation of the Diversity statement, the term “we’ve got work to do” was used several times. Councilperson Air Nonken Rhodes made a point to say: “This isn’t lip service.”

On the same evening, Mayor Lee Kyriacou also announced the hiring of Beacon’s new Human Resources (HR) Director, Gina Basile, who was hired on July 20, 2020 and previously worked as Human Resources Manager for the New York State Bridge Authority. She wanted the diversity statement published, which is currently included on the new main page of the Human Resources page, like a shield. You can read the Diversity and Inclusion Statement here, or it has been republished below for easy reading.

Mayor Kyriacou told the public: “We hired a professional HR person, Gina. We're not a big city; it's the first time we're doing this. We are sharing it with the Town of Fishkill. I look for sharing opportunities with the Town of Fishkill. I thank Gina for her work recently. Makes a difference on the messages we communicate to our managers, to our staff, and to our community as a whole.”

Public Calls In To Question The Hiring Process Of Water Department Hires

Two people called in to the public City Council Meeting on October 5, 2020, asking about the Water Department hiring process:

• Stefon Seward, a founding member of Beacon4Black Lives and appointee to the Police Chief Search Committee who identifies as Black, asked about the City’s expectations about that Water Department position, plus the Highway Superintendent position.

• The second caller was Weldon Henson, who called at the end of the meeting during the second opportunity for public comment, in order to express that he interviewed for an advertised Water Department job with Beacon’s new HR Director, Gina Basile, on August 26, 2020, but was never contacted after that. A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to Gina and the current City Administrator Chris White for confirmation, and received this response from Chris: “We do not comment on interviews and personnel issues.” ALBB would like to verify with Weldon, and if he is reading this, please feel free to reach out.

The callers’ questions, and the City’s answers, have been transcribed in full below. Because of their questions, more was expressed about the hiring process of city jobs, otherwise known as the Civil Service process. The hiring and firing process of city employees is hard to follow, namely because most discussions about them happen during Executive Session, which is a private meeting that happens after the public City Council meeting. Reporters reaching out with questions are usually told: “You’ll need to submit a FOIL,” (former Administrator Anthony Ruggiero told us this), or “The City does not comment on personnel items” (what current Administrator Chris White said to ALBB). Questions to the HR Director Gina Basile usually go unanswered, or she defers to someone else on staff.

Was The Water Department Job Posted Internally?
What Is The Hiring Process?

During the City Council meeting, questions were raised about if the Water Department job(s) were posted internally. It is not clear where that would be posted, or what the requirements are for that posting. As of today, there are job listings on the city website’s Human Resources Page, which is a new page for the City of Beacon. It is unknown if people are expected to refresh the page daily for new listings, or refresh a Dutchess County Civil Service employment page, or if employees are expected to simply notice flyers on the wall while they are walking by (if they are walking by), thereby putting the responsibility on them to see internal listings. It is unknown if emails are sent out to any lists, or if announcements are made in Department meetings, if such meetings happen.

The City Administrator last year, Anthony Ruggiero, explained that the job for the Water Department was posted internally at first, before being advertised publicly. After Anthony’s explanation, City Councilmember Amber Grant asked one more time about the internal posting before the final vote on the appointments of two people into the Water Department titles. This question of an internal posting seemed to be of high interest during the meeting.

In the past, and for another department, when asked if he knew about a Highway Department job opening, Reuben Simmons, a Maintenance Worker for the Highway Department, answered that he was not aware of open positions in the Highway Department toward the end of 2020 that were mentioned during City Council meetings in ways that indicated people were already being considered for the positions by the current Highway Supervisor, Michael (Micky) Manzi.

Reuben was the Highway Superintendent before Dutchess County told the City of Beacon that his job title did not exist - even though the former Mayor Randy Casale also held that job title decades ago - despite being recommended by and approved of by Anthony Ruggiero. Reuben was thereby demoted back down to Maintenance Worker, and Michael Manzi, a former co-worker, became Highway Superintendent of Streets. A slightly different job title that comes with a different required test and certification. It’s like being called “Boss” or “Boss The Boss,” with different tests to prove worthiness of either job title, but with similar (or the same) job responsibilities.

The “job title” question reference is notable because a single word change in a job title can alter someone’s career. Chances are, you don’t have to deal with this at your job. But City of Beacon employees do. The wording in a job title can mean that you lose almost everything that you have been working up for, if someone else wants your job and uses Civil Service rules to checkmate you out. Your job title and duties could change in the blink of a Resolution.

About The Hiring Process for City Employees, AKA “Civil Service” Jobs

The questions of Stefon and Weldon are transcribed below from the recorded City Council meeting. The previous City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero was always patient with explaining how the process works. The results of that process, however, can be surprising.

Stefon Steward: “I'm just curious if the titles on the agenda for the new hires are correct, and if they are, did the City consider hiring someone internally for this position? I was looking at the website... It says that Ed is on the Water and Waste Department. I want to know what Department does he manage, and does he have the proper license to run this plant and do this job? What are the duties and responsibilities for the Highway Superintendent. What are the City's expectations for this? Is it true that one of the appointees' family members, Justin Herring, has… The family does business with Beacon, is anyone getting any financial kickback from his appointment for his position?”

Ed Balicki, shown on the City of Beacon’s website as Water and Wastewater Superintendent on 3/2/2021. Justin Herring was appointed to his position on 10/5/2020.

Toward the end of the City Council Meeting, Anthony answered Stefon’s questions. As of today (March 2, 2021), Ed Balicki, who has worked for the City of Beacon since 2013 according to his LinkedIn profile, is listed on his LinkedIn as Chief Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator at City of Beacon. But on the City of Beacon’s website, he is listed as Water and Wastewater Superintendent.

Yet this new job appointment is for Justin Herring to be Water and Sewer Superintendent. (Note the slight difference in words in the title there. That can play a major difference in Civil Service rules by disqualifying someone out of their current job.)

Further, according to Reuben Simmons of the Highway Department, Justin Herring was a candidate for the Operator or Maintenance worker position. In the Meeting Agenda, he is listed as Superintendent.

On March 2, 2021, ALBB has reached out to HR Director Gina Basile and City Administrator Chris White for confirmation of job titles since this October 5, 2020 meeting, and was told by Chris that a response would be forthcoming. This response of a job title confirmation so far has not come. If it does, this article will be updated. If you are reading this, then a response has not yet come.

Anthony Answers Questions Regarding The Job Title and Hiring Process

Anthony answered Stefon’s question: “Titles: Those titles are in the municipality known as Civil Service. There are ‘competitive,’ which means there is a list [of qualified people] where you have to take a test, and there are ‘non-competitive,’ where you don't [have to take a test.] These titles aren't, but by the Civil Service Employee Association (CSEA) contract, first you have to post them internally. If nobody applies internally, then you can go out and advertise.”

ALBB has inquired with the HR Director Gina Basile and the current City Administrator Chris White as to whether the City’s contract with CSEA is current. According to city employee Reuben Simmons, who served as a past Union President for the City of Beacon CSEA Local 814 unit 6662 from 2009 to 2017, the Highway Department contract has not been negotiated or signed since 2019. The current contract posted on the City’s Human Resources page as of today is dated 2010-2015, and looks to have been first uploaded to the City of Beacon’s website in October 2020. Which would seem to mean that the Water and Highway Departments are currently not in any contract.

Anthony continued: “In this particular case, that is what happened. Nobody applied internally, so we went out and advertised. Gina handled the process. As the Mayor indicated, she's creating something from nothing. She's trying to get organized. The department head prepares a memo to her ‘requesting this position is budgeted, I'd like to go through the process.’ It comes to me, we talk about it, and then I sign off on it. If it's OK, we go after the process. Gina takes it from there and advertises.

“She tries to make it as diverse as she can. As I was saying, she's creating a whole process as it is. She's got work to do, we've got work to do. She's been wonderful, by the way, let me just say.”

Anthony continued to address Stefon’s question about Herring: “They do not, from my understanding, do any work. They do haul. They do take their trucks and their haulers down to the wastewater treatment plant. We might rent some of the port-a-potties that we have in the parks, but that's to the extent that we know right now. Nobody's getting any kickbacks, certainly we will verify that. Certainly that has not happened.

“There was questions about some of the titles. Ed Balicki was switched up to the Water Department. He was handling both. His title was Chief Wastewater Operator. We do have to fix that title for him. He did go to school for Water Certifications and License, and also all the operators in the plants have all the license. So we are fully compliant.”

You can find this quote in minute 55 of the meeting video.

Question From An Apparent Applicant For The Water Department Position

At the end of the meeting, during the second opportunity for public comment, Weldon Henson called in to ask about what he describes as an un-responded-to interview he had for a job in the Water Department. His question is in minute 1:10 of the meeting video.

Weldon: “I didn't quite hear you on the Water Sewer Maintenance. Were they looking for inside Beacon or outside Beacon for the hiring?”

Anthony: “Both. First, the first part of the process is to advertise internally, within the workforce, and then to advertise externally to anybody, if nobody internally is interested. So then it goes outside. For these positions, there is no list. So you can just advertise and interview candidates.”

Weldon: “Oh, OK, because I was a resident that applied for the job, actually got the interview for the job, but I never heard or received anything back.”

Silence followed from the City Council.

Anthony: “I can follow up with Gina on that.”

Weldon: “I had the interview on August 26, 2020, I think it was a Wednesday at 12:30pm.”

Mayor Kyriacou: “OK. And Anthony, you are able to do that? And Colin (the Mayor’s Assistant) has it on the record.”

Weldon: “Thank you for your time.”

Mayor Kyriacou: “Of course.”

The Voting Of The Diversity And Inclusion Statement

Sometimes, councilpeople state their thoughts before or after passing a Resolution. Statements from two councilpeople are below:

Councilperson Air Nonken Rhodes: “This isn't just lip service. I've observed in the ways that I've seen the City operate behind the scenes, and in conversations around hiring, and in everyday work. This is something that everyone I've talked with really believes in. I'm really glad to see it put in writing here. This will be something we can aspire to and really live up to. I'm glad to see this enshrined, and something we can look to in every hiring process.”

Councilperson Jodi McCredo: “Like we've said with so many other issues, this is a starting point. We do realize that we have a ways to go. This is a nice guidance towards making those changes and improvements that need to be made.”

The Diversity and Inclusion Mission Statement

Find this statement here, and it has been republished below for easy reading:

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The City of Beacon is an equal opportunity workplace – and proudly so. We do not just accept differences – we embrace, support and celebrate them – knowing that diversity improves our performance and better serves our community.

The City of Beacon’s mission is to represent and serve all of our residents, including providing them with high quality services at reasonable taxes and fees, along with excellent customer service. The way we accomplish this is by representing everyone, listening to all ideas, and through the hard work and dedication of our employees.

We want to represent everyone. To do that well, we need a workforce that is representative of the community.

The City of Beacon is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce. Our employees thrive when we achieve this. We aim to create a workplace that reflects and recognizes the diversity of our employees, and residents. We strive to provide services that benefit everyone in the community by including perspectives from backgrounds such as those that vary by race, ethnicity, social background, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, trans-gender status, veteran status, and national origin.

Having a diversified workforce builds a better team, enhances our skills, broadens our ideas, and is integral to effective performance.

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Salon Dae

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APG Pilates

“Whether you’re new to Pilates or at an advanced level, at APG Pilates we work with each person individually and in small groups to help you achieve your personal goals. Pilates is designed to improve physical strength, flexibility, and posture, and enhance mental awareness.” Located in Newburgh, NY, APR Pilates is designed to improve physical strength, flexibility, and posture, and enhance mental awareness.

Are you in the Black community and run a business in the Hudson Valley? Let us know about you! Listings in the Black Owned Business category are free. All other categories can sign on as sponsors for a listing.

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Why Black Lives Matter (BLM) Signs In Storefront Windows Still Matter In 2021

The BLM sign in Clutter’s window, at 163 Main Street, Beacon, NY

During the summer of 2020, some storefronts in Beacon put up signs that said: Black Lives Matter. Some residents put out flags on their lawns. Some people did nothing at all, perhaps showing their support in other ways, or maybe just watching and learning. Some people who said they were in favor of Black lives, mocked the signs, and refused to put them up.

While the summer of 2020 is over, as are those initial waves of protest marches in Beacon (for now), the signs are still up in storefronts. Pictured above in this storefront window is Clutter’s sign of support: a simple BLM inside of a box right under Clutter’s main logo, to the left of the front door. It’s located where it cannot be missed.

That sign - and all of the other signs in Beacon’s storefronts - matters because this discussion is not over. When the first march happened in Beacon, someone asked in social media comments: “Is there racism in Beacon? I thought that ended in 1970s after the riots.” That statement alone shows how close racial tension is - as the 1970s weren’t that long ago. But segregation took a different form - a silent one. For those of us living with it if our skin is Black; or writing about it; or for those of us marching; or for those of us speaking up at meetings; or for those of us speaking up in the family kitchen, it is not over.

Signs out on the street are important because they show support. Listen to the chat with Pete Seeger’s granddaughter, Moraya Seeger DeGeare, MA LMFT, at ALBB’s sister company, Tin Shingle. She is mixed race, calls herself “white passing” in that she lives with a privilege as her skin is lighter, has beautifully large hair, and on this late winter day speaks of appreciation for walking by a Black Lives Matter sign in someone’s lawn or storefront.

During that chat, she said that if she saw that a business made zero mention of race or social developments happening now in their social media or storefront, she began to feel a sense of distrust. In the new year of 2021, there have been some local companies who were dormant in their social media all 2020, or mentioned nothing of the world around them. The pandemic became politically charged, and social injustice was the other topic anyone was talking about. If a company comes back online after 11 months of silence, to have their photo being one of promotion of a new product, that could speak volumes. But we’ll never know, because silence. To get past silence, one needs courage.

“I Love Black People. But I’m Not Putting Out A Sign.”

Hearing that from a business owner was difficult to experience. It was said with disgust and waving a limp fist. The person confessed love for Black people, all of their Black friends, but saw no need to show it in a sign. In fact, they felt that the signs were not authentic.

This was not the first time the limp fist was waved by a person who professed to support Black people. With eyes lit up, a second person during a different encounter waved the limp fist, in mockery, when speaking of others who were showing support, marching in marches, hanging signs. It was heartbreaking to watch. It was unclear how to process the information.

Imposter Syndrome With BLM Signs

A person may feel Imposter Syndrome with the sign. The Biggest Fear is that one will get called out: “Hey, you don’t really mean it! You’re an imposter! You’re trying to be trendy!” Those are of course words of demon critics in one’s head, and of actual statements that people may fling. Truth is - it doesn’t matter. Of course, authenticity matters. But baby or big steps into these waters are important. No matter what one’s steps were in the past, or continue to be in the present and future.

Of course, having a sign out (or writing about it) doesn’t absolve anyone from participating in racist behavior. Every day, one needs to check their privilege (Myisha T. Hill)

With All The Buzz, Lots Of Silence, But Crickets Are Watching

While protest marches will continue, and news headlines will continue, and new legislation will be adopted, this issue will stay active. Yet, many in many communities will stay silent, watching. We learned that silence is violence in 2020, but still some may be more comfortable there. Not being silent is extremely uncomfortable. However, the heartwarming part is that from the crickets - the once-silent audience that doesn’t respond - there are whispers making their way to those of us writing about these issues. It has come in the form of participation from formerly silent people who didn’t feel comfortable in this space. It is why we continue. Crickets are coming from the Black community and the white community, in very subtle signs.

For the white community, the most silent of all, there are a lot of deer in headlights, moving cautiously with their learning and processing. For the Black community, they seemed to have said a lot already, and are maybe done speaking to crickets. While some have taken up the call again and continue to pound.

BLM Signs And Comfort In The Community

While some Black people have said they feel safer or welcomed walking into a store that does have a sign, or at least acknowledgements in their social media, reporters may feel it as well. While these topics have often not been covered - the most comfortable thing being to turn a blind eye and not research it - the results are extremely uncomfortable to write about at the community level. Nationally - it’s easier to report on uncomfortable topics when it is about faceless companies with multiple leaders, or politicians who are so far away.

Here in Beacon, or Poughkeepsie, or Peekskill, or Cold Spring, a reporter may have just written about someone they shared a play date with with their kids. Or bought a meal from. Or bought a trinket from. The goal being not bring down or tear down, but to report on an issue that may need repairing.

This Is Why The Signs Continue To Be Important.

For those who are staying silent - white people and Black people - for the myriad of reasons that keep a person silent, it’s OK. There are silent ways to show support, and you probably know what those are, and you are probably doing them. Your signs are subtle, and you’re taking your time.

Everyone’s journey is unique.

Inspiration Behind ALBB's Black Owned Business Directory - Property Ownership Matters

Back when the pandemic was declared a pandemic, Ahmaud Arbery was killed - shot - hunted down - by two white men in a pickup truck near Brunswick, GA. I watched the video on Twitter. Unfiltered. Un-”Graphic Warning.” I followed the local GA news for legal developments. Events happened to other Black people that did not make it to social media, but then George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis. Also video taped by many people as it happened. Everyone video taping stayed in their corners as events played out. That’s what we are used to - staying in our places in our corners. Thankfully these images made it to our newsfeeds, so that we could experience how Black people are seen, not seen.

Most people watching the social revolution/re-awakening of 2020 experienced deep feelings, and some people who are not Black wanted to do something. Black people started shouting: “Silence is Violence, Speak!” mainly to the white people in the room who have been bred to be mainly silent. To stay safe. To keep the place. The ground started shaking, and white people wanted to speak. White people wanted to support. But how?

The designer of ALBB’s Black Owned Business Directory logo, Perry Crosson (right), of the Hyacinth Group, a digital design firm founded and directed by Lauren Johnson (left).

Media across the country started making Black Owned Business Directories. Readers were writing in to ALBB: “Where can we support? Who can we support? What Black owned businesses can we support?” Here at A Little Beacon Blog, our fingers started typing. Writer Izdihar DaBashi feverishly emailed: “Are you making a Black Owned Business Directory? I want to make one - can we make one?” Designer Allie Bopp heard this, and said: “It needs a logo - I can make a logo!”

So we started on this Black Owned Business Directory. Right before I emailed Allie to brainstorm the logo, I realized: “Wait. We need to talk to someone who is Black, who experiences being an artist and business owner as a Black person. They are going to feel this, and this logo needs to be theirs. We need to find them to design the logo. Sadly, it has just occurred to me that I don’t know any Black graphic designers in Beacon, and I’m sure there are quire a few.”

ALBB Put Out The Call For A Logo Designer From The Black Community

And thank gosh we did. Because that’s how we met the architectural designer, Perry Crosson, and Lauren Johnson, a digital brander and founder of The Hyacinth Group (@thehyacinthgroup). We did the same for a Juneteenth logo for 2020. Did a call for artists, and met Nickeya Allen who answered the call on behalf of her children, which has blossomed into a beautiful friendship.

To Be Seen

Black owned businesses are here, they just aren’t always seen. Stereotypes could get in the way, blocking the vision of what is true. When I spoke to Perry to give him direction for the logo, my only direction was: “It could include many shades of color, to show different racial identities, but whatever strikes you. Take it and own it.”

Perry ruminated in it. As he developed it, his mother asked him what he was working on, and he told her. She suggested that he use the Alsdorf building in Newburgh as inspiration. It was a no-brainer for her. The building was built in 1915 as the Alsdorf School of Music and Dancing, a business started started in 1849 by Professor Dubois Alsdorf, formerly a slave in Ulster County who (acquired, gained, earned, was granted….what is the word here?) manumission. Manumission is something that frees a person from slavery. According to NewburghNY.org, George Alsdorf and his wife Caroline headed to Newburgh “within 20 years of his manumission) at 260-262 Washington Street.

Perry’s curiosity was piqued. He pursued it, dove into the research, looked into the rights of the building to make sure he could use it as a logo, and delivered. Perry’s background is in architecture, so this subject matter was even more up his ally.

The Alsdorf Building As Part Of The Logo

In preparation for the IG Live I did with Lauren and Perry on Wednesday (2/24/2021) about Black businesses locally and in general, I took a pause to reflect on why I loved the logo. Of course brick and mortar buildings are often used when representing businesses. But…

Black people owning property is a big deal. They were written out of property ownership - and voting rights - in the United States Constitution and had to work themselves into the Bill of Rights over many years. Undocumented practices that excluded Black people from property ownership (vague deterrences, suggestions to take education classes before owning property, things that white people do not usually get recommended to do) may not have been written into laws, were conducted that simply made it hard for Black people to acquire the title to property. A recent example: maybe the date of a contract to close on the home was 30 days, but suddenly move to 20 days (just happened to my Black friend in December 2020). Nothing that can be proven as racist, but something that keeps a friend who is Black out of almost owning her home in Poughkeepsie. When she appealed to the homeowner to have patience with the all of the documents they needed to file, his response was “It’s not me! It’s the bank!” And the hot potato hops around the room. Thankfully, she closed on the house.

The concept of “Generational Wealth” - is a term that is new to me, but is one that is common in my white community as “old money.” People in the Black community tend to speak of “Generational Wealth” as the goal of what needs acquired in order to help their children’s paths to security be more…secure.

“Old money” takes less effort, is usually something stepped into, is sometimes squandered, and is possibly not understood, if finances are not discussed in the open within families.

Hence, the selection of the building for this logo by the designer Perry takes even more meaning. Thank you for reading this far, and please do go visit and explore the businesses listed in the Black Owned Businesses section of ALBB’s business directory. There are other sections, but none that serve the purpose of elevating people otherwise not seen. Or not seen at their core for what they offer or make.

A Little Beacon Blog is always eager to hear from Black Owned Businesses to add to this directory - in any capacity - from construction to baking - so tell us about yourself. Other sections of the Business Directory are paid (we really appreciate and rely on the support!) but the Black Owned section is not.

Nursing Home Workers Stage Picket Calling For Owners To Be Transparent in Staff Treatment and Quality Care - In Poughkeepsie Thursday

Since the pandemic, the employees and residents of Nursing Homes have been in the national spotlight, out of concern for their physical and emotional safety. The pandemic has brought what may be systematic problems within the nursing home industry to light. Said Milly Silva, Executive Vice President of the Nursing Home Division: “Our members have been battling COVID-19 for the last year, but issues like low wages and a lack of adequate time to devote to individual patient care existed pre-COVID. Our goal is to enact real reforms to raise standards within the industry, and ensure that meaningful investment is made in residents and workers once and for all,”

In a prepared statement to the Legislature during hearings, which is published on NYSenate.gov, Milly stated: “The nursing home industry is not going to be the same after this pandemic. Resident census is lower, and it is unclear how quickly it will recover. Returning to the status quo pre-pandemic is impossible. More than that, it is not morally acceptable. New York ranked 31st in the nation for nursing home quality according to CMS surveys, and in the bottom 10 nationally for persistent pressure ulcers. Residents are only getting 2.38 hours of hands-on care per day, earning our state a ‘D”’on a national scorecard. Nursing home caregivers are forced to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, leading to staff turnover and burnout. We can, and must, do much, much better.”

Picket In Poughkeepsie By Nursing Home Employees

Today, Thursday, February 18, 2021, nursing home staff represented by the United Healthcare Workers East (1199SEIU) are hosting a picket and holding vigils in Poughkeepsie, calling for nursing home reform, transparency and investment in quality care.

According to the press release announcing the picket, “1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America,” it says. “We represent over 450,000 nurses and caregivers throughout New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Florida. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.”

What follows below is the press release sent by 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East 2/16/2021:

1199SEIU Nursing Home Workers Stage Statewide Pickets and Vigils, Call for Nursing Home Reform, Transparency and Investment in Quality Care

Hundreds of workers in the nation’s largest healthcare union will hold vigils and demonstrations outside nursing home facilities to demand investment in people over profits.

New York ranks 45th in the nation in an important quality metric due to the large number of nursing homes with below-average hours of care per resident 

When:      Thursday, February 18 | 2:30p.m.- 4p.m.

Where:      The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at River Valley | 140 Main St, Poughkeepsie

1199SEIU nursing home workers in Poughkeepsie are among the hundreds of members of 1199SEIU Healthcare Workers East, the nation’s largest healthcare union, who will be holding demonstrations and vigils at more than 20 nursing homes across New York State, calling for greater transparency and investment in quality resident care. 

Actions will also be held at nursing homes in Schenectady, Erie, Jefferson, Monroe, Nassau, Niagara, Onondaga, Oneida, and Suffolk counties and New York City.  Many of these facilities have low average hours of care per resident, use a high number of related parties to hide profits, or otherwise rank poorly in care quality. 

“For far too long, nursing homes around New York State have made investment in resident care an afterthought,” said Milly Silva, Executive Vice President of the Nursing Home Division.

“We are calling on these for-profit nursing homes to prioritize and invest in people – the residents and the workers who care for them day in and day out.  Our members have been battling COVID-19 for the last year, but issues like low wages and a lack of adequate time to devote to individual patient care existed pre-COVID. Our goal is to enact real reforms to raise standards within the industry, and ensure that meaningful investment is made in residents and workers once and for all,” Silva continued.

The demonstrations are the latest actions led by the union to call attention to the need for systemic reform of the nursing home industry. Last week, 1199SEIU launched a multi-million dollar ad campaign, Invest in Quality Care, to press the legislature to ensure nursing homes focus on quality care to protect residents and the dedicated workers who care for them, rather than maximizing profits. On Valentine’s Day, members across New York engaged in a virtual “sticker” campaign, using social media to urge their State Assemblymembers and Senators to enact key reforms and ensure the most vulnerable in the state get the investment and care they need. 

Lourdes Torres is an LPN at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at River Valley.

Forty residents. Two aides. And me. How is it possible for me to meet the needs of my residents? Today, I tried to spend time with a very scared man who recently almost died from COVID and still has a lot of anxiety. He has no family other than those of us who take care of him at River Valley. But there were 39 other people who needed my attention, and I had to walk away. He was upset. And I was upset. So many co-workers have left or are planning to leave. That’s terrible for continuity of care. It’s terrible for those of us left. But I understand. It feels unbearable so often. The state needs to make changes in how nursing homes owners do business.”

1199SEIU’s Invest in Quality Care campaign points out that Instead of investing in enough staff to ensure quality care for residents, many nursing home owners are hiding their profits by sub-contracting services to companies they own, often at inflated prices.

1199SEIU and its members are calling on Governor Cuomo and the State Legislature to pass systemic reform for the nursing home industry to improve transparency, hold operators accountable for misconduct, and ensure they prioritize resident care over maximized profits.

As New York Attorney General Letitia James found in a shocking new report on the impact of COVID-19 on nursing homes, “the current state reimbursement model for nursing homes gives a financial incentive to owners of for-profit nursing homes to transfer funds to related parties (ultimately increasing their own profit) instead of investing in higher levels of staffing and PPE.”

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. We representover 450,000 nurses and caregivers throughout New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, D.C. andFlorida. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.

City Of Beacon Plans To Prioritize How To Spend The $25K Food Grant Money From CARES ACT

Picture of pre-packed food prepared by the Beacon City School District Food Services Department. Example of free food distribution happening in Beacon since the pandemic, due to federal funding to all public school districts regardless of proving moderate or low income thresholds.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

While this Valentine’s Day was an extra heavy one to bear, being that the pandemic continues and there was report of one little friend in an elementary school who did not bring classmates Valentine’s cards because both parents lost their jobs, the safety net for food insecurity showed signs of strengthening in Beacon, while affordable housing in a booming real estate market remains a threat to those looking to stay here.

During Monday’s City Council Meeting, after which the council discussed once again and voted on a years long recurring agenda item of viewsheds (ie what constitutes as a protected view when a developer or property owner is looking to build upon their land), as well as other items, the $25,000 CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) that Beacon was awarded from the CARES ACT via Dutchess County in December 2020, made its debut as a planned talking point for the City Council.

Councilmember Dan Aymar-Blair, who is an advocate for affordable housing and community services, asked the new City Administrator, Chris White, for an update on any progress made to get a study created and funded in order to see what kind of needs the people want for an expanded Recreation Department and possible new public building for activities and services. It was discussed during Budget Season (October-December) that a study on the Recreation Department could range from $25K-$50K. Another study on Digital Broadband access was also considered.

The Unspent $25,000 Food Grant Makes It To City Council’s Attention

Chris White responded by saying: “We are trying to work through all of the budget initiatives that you put into the 2021 budget, for now we had prioritized the Mental Health Worker, and we are then trying to do the Food Program. Mark Price from our Recreation Department is trying to figure out a mechanism for doing that, and for meeting the CBDG guidelines. I’ve talked to Mark about doing the Recreation Plan next, and both that and the Broadband study I think should come back to Workshop so that we can get our goals and what you envisioned there…I do want to get the Food Program off the ground first.”

Pictured here is City Administrator Chris White, and below him, Councilperson Dan Aymar-Blair.
Photo Credit: Screenshot of City of Beacon council 2/16/2021 meeting.

Dan said that he had forgotten about the grant, and applauded Chris for taking it. Chris added: “We [Chris and Mark] were trying to think ‘What can we do, and what makes a difference?’”

How Food Access Is Working Elsewhere In Beacon; Elevated Systems With Lower Red Tape Since The Pandemic Started

The Community of Beacon and the Beacon City School District have been pulling together to provide free food to people as easily as possible. For example, the Beacon City School District designed a system to deliver pre-prepped or made cafeteria food via their Remote Bus Delivery to any registered child in the District.

When that federally funded food service was started, it was pick-up only. Many families did not go to pick up, as they were working at home on digital meetings, or weren’t home. Community members volunteered to pick up for each other. Some families who were scarce in emergency savings felt like they didn’t deserve the food and didn’t want to take from others who needed it more, yet they themselves had lost their jobs. Delivery made a difference for food reaching people.

Groups such as Fareground, Beacon’s Salvation Army by way of Captain Leilani Rodríguez-Alarcón who used to actually cook and deliver food to children years ago when Beacon lost qualification for its Free Summer Meals Program, I Am Beacon (see their Thanksgiving story) and others have been working together to continue to circulate food to the community.

Bureaucracy In Free Food Distribution with Federal Or Local Requirements

Back in December 2020 when this grant was awarded, A Little Beacon Blog followed up with Mark to inquire as to any movement on the spending of the grant. At the time, he spoke of a time consumption of organizing the required income survey.

“Of the groups in Beacon who work in food security, everyone would need to give assurance. They would each need to do an income survey.” When asked by A Little Beacon Blog if this grant’s required documentation of proof of need made it difficult to spend, Chris expanded: “Grant funds are to be utilized for low to medium income families, like all CDBG funding. There is no proof of need that has to be validated. We will have to administer a income survey to insure the appropriate population is being served.”

While this may not account for families newly unemployed or economically stressed who would otherwise not fall into the low to medium income bracket on paper yet, Mark and Chris hope to use the existing food distribution point on Wednesdays at Memorial Park to collect information before the funds can be distributed. Said Chris to A Little Beacon Blog: “We plan to focus the funds on expanding food provided at the Wednesday food distributions so that we can simplify implementing the necessary income survey.”

A Little Beacon Blog reached out to Fareground to see if they had been approached about assisting in this grant. While they had not directly, co-founder Kara Dean-Assael, DSW said that their members do participate on regular calls with other food groups. Kara also provided guidance on how to implement a survey, stating:

“Our recommendation is to not make our community members 'prove that they are in need of food. The scarcity mentality or the thinking that people may take advantage is not something we want to support. However, i do understand that bureaucratic processes often require 'evidence' and so if it's truly required, we recommend these 2 questions which have been proven to indicate food insecurity:

To easily assess for FI, Hager et al. (2010) recommend the use of a 2-item screen that utilizes questions 1 and 2 of the Household Food Security Scale (HFSS), asking:

• “Within the past 12 months, we worried whether our food would run out before we got money to buy more” and

• “Within the past 12 months the food we bought just didn’t last and we didn’t have money to get more.”

Kara continued: “Of late, this screen is used more often than the lengthy HFSS to assess FI risk (Garcia-Silva, Handler, & Wolfe, 2017; Helton, Cross, Vaughn, & Gochez-Kerr, 2018; Makelarski, Thorngren, & Lindau, 2015).”

Mark confirmed earlier that the Wednesday distribution at the Memorial Park location serves 150-200 cars per week, with the 9:30am Beacon Recreation Center distribution serving 75 families. Distribution lasts until the food runs out, which is early.

How does Mark envision the funding being used? “I would like to see it utilized to supplement and enhance the work already in place.” In terms of boots-on-the-ground knowledge of how people are needing the food, and best ways of getting it to them, Chris confirmed: “Mark participates in a bimonthly call with lots of the folks doing the work here in Beacon.”

Beacon's Mayor Lee Kyriacou's Comments Concerning The Storming Of The U.S. Capitol

Just days after the January 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol, Beacon’s City Council met for its regularly scheduled Workshop, where they would discuss regularly scheduled items like if the new building owner of the Kitchen and Sink building that was formerly Ella’s Bellas could build a 4th floor if he created enough public outdoor space for the public in exchange; or the debate on what is a viewshed; or how investment tools that the City uses are invested, Mayor Lee Kyriacou addressed the insurrection on January 6, 2021 with a moment of silence for the fallen officer of the Capitol Police, who died during the riot while defending the Capitol.

Mayor Kyriacou went on to give his memories of his time at the U.S. Capitol building, as a college student studying law. At time, his voice wavered, possibly pushed with emotion, or just with seasonal wavering. His full remarks are at the beginning of the replay of the meeting here in this video, and some are quoted below.

“My visit to the Capitol at that time did what it does to every 20-year old going there for this first time….It leaves you in awe. It gives you this incredible sense of the power of democracy, and the importance of that symbol.

“I was a History Major, and also an Economics Major. As a History Major I studied 20th Century World History, in particular, the period between the two World Wars.

“The Big Lie in Nazi Germany was that Germany had not lost WWI; that it was due to the betrayal of the leadership and the military leaders, and of course, the conspiracy of the Jews. That lie just kept on going. And built up steam, and eventually brought those to power. Which led to about 4 weeks after the installation of Chancellor…of the National Socialist Party, the Burning of the Reichstag, which was the German equivalent of the Capitol Building. I was reminded of that in the last week.

“I’m not going to go any further. I think we have all watched somewhat in amazement and with obviously many many different reactions. Mine is still the same, which is my belief in democracy is unchanged. I think there are enough people in this country who put democracy first, and our constitutional obligations that all of us as elected officials swore allegiance to. And I think we go on. I don’t want to be making political calls, as much as pointing out those are the things that have happened. They do have historical precedence, and I do think our democracy held.”

City Of Beacon To Vote Tonight On Resolution Condemning "Attack On January 6 Of The U.S. Capitol and Congress" and Supports Accountability

Today, Tuesday, January 19, 2021, Beacon’s City Council will vote on a Resolution officially “Condemning The Attack On January 6 Of The U.S. Capitol and Congress,” which they will vote upon during tonight’s regularly scheduled City Council Meeting, which is a public meeting that meets on Zoom and YouTube, where members of the public can speak for up to 3 minutes on any topic during the first 30 minutes of the meeting, and last 30 minutes of the meeting.

The Resolution in its entirety has been republished below for easy reading, and can be accessed here at the City’s website. You can attend the City Council Meeting digitally via the links found on the City’s website here.

During last week’s City Council Workshop meeting on January 11, 2021, Mayor Lee Kyriacou contributed comments to the January 6th event that were historically based on his studies in college as a History Major on the time period between the two Word Wars. You can read some of those comments here.

While some police officers in departments around the country (NPR) and within the Capitol Police itself (CNN) are being reported as to having participated in the riot, A Little Beacon Blog has inquired last week with the City of Beacon by way of the Mayor, City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero and new HR Director Gina Basile to see if the Police and Fire Chiefs have issued a statement describing if they have looked within their own departments for any participants, or if they have held team meetings to have group talks about the event, and how it makes everyone feel. Inquiry has been made again today. Should a response be received, this article will be updated.

CITY OF BEACON CITY COUNCIL
Resolution No. of 2021
RESOLUTION CONDEMNING THE ATTACK
ON JANUARY 6 OF THE U.S. CAPITOL AND CONGRESS

WHEREAS, on January 6, 2021, there was a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol and on the U.S. Congress, described succinctly by USA Today: “As a shocked nation watched..., a pro- Trump mob battled police, broke into the U.S. Capitol, and sent members of Congress fleeing as lawmakers were counting Electoral College votes.... Now, five people are dead, including a U.S. Capitol police officer.” And

WHEREAS, this attack on the U.S. Capitol and Congress was caused by the current President, as stated by third-ranking House Republican Liz Cheney, “The President of the United States summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack. Everything that followed was his doing.... There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution.” And

WHEREAS this attack on the U.S. Capitol and Congress followed the November national election with more than 150 million Americans exercising their constitutional right to vote, and thereafter by the counting and certification of votes by state election officials, as well as the meeting and voting by the Electoral College, and also by the adjudication of many dozens of court challenges by the current President that affirmed all the election results; and

WHEREAS, this attack on the U.S. Capital also followed months of assertions without proof by the current President that elections in states where the President lost were somehow unfair, which were repeated and amplified by the current President, culminating in and repeated at a White House rally immediately preceding the attack on the U.S. Capitol, which attack was largely perpetrated by individuals attending that rally; and

WHEREAS, the practical demonstration of a true democracy is the peaceful transfer of power from outgoing to incoming officials, which for President and Vice President of the United States has occurred peacefully and as prescribed by the U.S. Constitution after every national election since 1788 – until now; and

WHEREAS, each elected representative of the City of Beacon takes an oath of office, which includes supporting the Constitution of the United States;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Beacon condemns the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol and Congress, and supports all actions to ensure accountability for those inciting and conducting the attack.

MLK Day In Beacon: The Webinar Version From Springfield Baptist Church & Beacon Sloop Club: "Keep The Flame Alive"

The light is not out for the annual MLK Day Parade in Beacon presented by the Springfield Baptist Church and the Beacon Sloop Club (via Pete Seeger before his passing)!

In lieu of the parade, you can participate from home for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Virtual Zoom Celebration on Monday, January 18, 2021 from 11am - 1pm. The theme is "Keep The Flame Alive" and all are welcome.

From the presenters: "Join us for a fun-filled morning of Civil Rights, Gospel & Inspirational Music, Quotes from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and a message from Rev. Dr. Ronald O. Perry, Sr., Pastor of Springfield Baptist Church. All attendees are welcome!"

MLK Day Of Service
Springfield Baptist Church & Beacon Sloop Club Present: "Keep The Flame Alive"
Dates: Monday, January 18, 2021
Time: 11am-1pm
How To Log On: The Webinar ID, Passcode and Phone Number are in the flyer above.

Beacon Awarded $25K From CARES Act Funding via Dutchess County Through Block Grant (CDBG) For Food Purchasing - Spending It Is Next Step

Federal money was made available through the CARES Act for communities to apply for and be awarded money to spend on food security and/or ensuring safety for seniors at local senior centers. Dutchess County manages this money, and in a press release sent 12/22/2020, announced that all of the municipalities who applied for the money were awarded money, which was “based on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) income guidelines, for efforts to promote food security and safety at local senior centers to enable them to be open for seniors.”

Beacon applied for and was awarded $25,000 “for assistance to a local food bank to purchase food for distribution to low- and moderate-income households,” according to the press release. Beacon’s Director for Parks and Recreation, Mark Price, is the point person for the spending of this money, and says that spending the grant money is not so simple.

Because the money is federal, they require an “income survey” in order to prove the need a municipality says they have in their population. Says Mark: “The County was willing to fund a food purchase only, for moderate to low income families in Beacon. We have to give assurance to them that they are giving us money and we're using it for the population we say we are. Because we are using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money, there is usually a map that identifies the low to moderate areas (Editor’s Note: like with the small business Microenterprise Stabilization Grants currently available). When you use Block Grant monies, you are to use those to those areas. That map is slowly shrinking in Beacon. However, COVID funding doesn't use a map.”

How Does A Municipality Find The People To Prove The Need?

For this article, we asked Mark how he is going to find the people for the survey that identifies low to moderate income households. “We are hopeful that our Wednesday 9am free food distribution at Memorial Park, which serves 150-200 cars per week, in addition to our Wednesday 9:30am Beacon Recreation Center distribution to 75 families, will be a one-shot way to survey the need.”

The number of organizations who are offering food security services to people in need in Beacon has increased since the pandemic started in March 2020. “Of the groups in Beacon who work in food security, everyone would need to give assurance. They would each need to do an income survey. At this point, we are thinking that this one distribution location could be the most efficient way of getting a good sampling for the income survey. Some independent food security groups may need to do sampling for a month to get a good sampling.”

How Other Municipalities Proposed To Spend Money

Other municipalities made proposals for federal CARES Act funding based on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money guidlines, and were awarded. Ideas differed, and are included below:

City of Beacon: $25,000 for assistance to a local food bank to purchase food for distribution to low- and moderate-income households.

Town of Beekman: $20,000 for touchless bathroom fixtures for the Town’s senior program

Town of Dover: $17,200 award for substantive meals and home-keeping necessities for homebound seniors.

Town of East Fishkill: $20,000 award for HEPA sterilization units and UV air purifiers at the senior center.

Town of Hyde Park: $29,500 award for plexiglass partitions, air purifiers and UV-C lights, Wi-Fi network upgrades and 7 laptops at the senior center, as well as tent for outdoor programming.

Town of Poughkeepsie: $15,950 award for plexi-glass barriers, hand sanitizing stations, wall-mounted thermometers, HEPA filter, air purifiers, gloves/wipes/masks for the senior center.

Town of Pine Plains: $26,542 award for support to Willow Roots food pantry to purchase food for distribution to low- and moderate-income families.

The Beacon Democrat's Executive Committee "Condemns President Trump And The Insurrection He Incited On 1-6-2021"

The Executive Committee of the Beacon Democratic Committee issued a statement to the media, announcing their position on Wednesday’s insurrection and attempted blocking of the electoral college certification. As a group, they have not had the opportunity yet to meet to get the vote of all of their committee members on this statement.

The Beacon Democrats are representatives of the Democratic party in Dutchess County. Their local Beacon meetings are open to the public on the second Saturday of the month at 9:30 a.m., previously at Beahive and now via Zoom.

Their statement is below:

The Executive Committee of the Beacon Democratic Committee condemns President Trump and the insurrection he incited on January 6, 2021. Mob violence has no place in our democracy. We support the Constitution and the rule of law.

We also condemn the unequal, unfair, and un-American practices of law enforcement agencies, who allowed acts of violence and destruction to unfold in our nation's capital. This was white supremacy taken to its logical conclusion and was particularly shameful in light of the extreme tactics regularly used against protesters in support of Black lives.

We call on elected officials of all parties to also condemn the President and his accomplices, and we urge all appointed officials to uphold the rule of law and defend against any attempt to subvert peaceful self-governance.

Beacon Democrat’s Executive Committee:
Chair: Lisa Jessup
First Vice Chair: Pam Wetherbee
Second Vice Chair: Peggy Ross
Treasurer: James Cotter
Corresponding Secretary: Amber Grant (current City Councilmember At Large)
Recording Secretary: Adam McKible

Beacon City School District Superintendent Landahl Responds With Support To Student Community Regarding Imagery At The U.S. Capitol After The Insurrection

During the Remote Learning life of the pandemic, many kids of all ages are at home with parents or a caregiver, and were home during Wednesday’s storming of the U.S. Capitol Building, and watched the events happen in real time. Videos from inside of the Capitol from people participating in the swarming were also circulated.

Parents needed to speak with their children about events and meanings of symbols as they happened. Beacon City School’s Superintendent Matt Landahl sent an email to the community the following day, offering encouragement to parents and caregivers that the district community was there to give support.

His email statement is below:

Dear Beacon Community:

The events yesterday in our nation’s capital were disturbing, to say the least. We are open and ready today for students in-person and online. Knowing that many of our youngest students may not even be aware of the events that took place, we will emphasize safety and community today and always. Thanks again to our educators and staff for doing this every day.

Images have been widely circulated on social media and television of the confederate flag and clothing celebrating the Holocaust being brandished in our Capitol building yesterday. It has always been our practice to not allow these images in school and it was put officially into our Code of Conduct by the Board of Education last year. We want to reassure a sense of safety on that level as well because of how disturbing these images were to us all.

If you have any specific concerns for your child, please contact your child’s teacher, principal or guidance counselor. We are prepared to offer support to everyone who needs it.

I wish I could be more eloquent in times like this and words often fail me. I know our school community will continue to offer strong support for our students during what has been an incredibly challenging year. As I often say, I am inspired on a daily basis by the resilience and strength of our staff, families, and students this year. Thanks as always for your support.

Sincerely,

Matt Landahl

Beacon4Black Lives Community Responds To Attempted U.S. Election Certification Block At Capitol Building

After the sun went down on the blocked Election Certification attempt at the nation’s Capitol, Beacon4Black Lives organized an impromptu and peaceful vigil at Pohill Park, Beacon’s destination for public gatherings. They brought a projector and screen to project the news onto a screen. Stefon Seward, one of the original members of Beacon4Black Lives and current committee member on Beacon’s Police Chief Search, was one of the first to speak about the difference between the white people storming the Capitol who seemed to do it with ease and no punishment, versus Black people who get shot in the back sometimes in front of their children.

A handful of speakers spoke, including Xavier Mayo, a founding member of Beacon4Black Lives, sharing a story of him getting pulled over yesterday twice for a tail light being out, and of the two different emotional experiences he went through when pulled over by two different police officers. The experience with the first officer was normal and helpful as to how to fix a tail light, yet the second experience invoked fear as the officer smirked and laughed at Xavier when the he said he felt afraid.

Justice McCray, who is also a founding member of Beacon4Black Lives, spoke about how Black people are treated differently and how basic needs for some Beaconites are not being met, and how the Black community in Beacon does not feel safe with police. Justice is connected to several food insecurity initiatives like the Community Fridge, and is an advocate for community safety in new ways. “We’re here to build something better. What’s happening now is not OK, and is a slap in the face of democracy.”

Paloma Wake also spoke, who is a member of Beacon4Black Lives and has been involved in several Beacon based organizations including the Beacon Farmers Market when she was its manager. She currently holds a seat and is the Vice Chair on Beacon’s Human Relations Commission.

Other speakers included former regular participants of past protest marches down Main Street over the summer in favor of Black lives mattering more, as well as the protest of the Beacon 2021 budget.

One speaker was new to the group, after moving to Beacon recently. He said that having been down in the dumps earlier, he turned to his wife and they agreed to come down to the vigil. He expressed happiness that he came, and sadness at the new life navigations he needed to make with his family who are Trump supporters and he is not. He expressed dismay at not being able to communicate with them because of their political differences, which was a choice he made, after not being able to tolerate tolerance any longer.

Beacon Councilperson for Ward 4, Dan Aymar-Blair, spoke about his experience during the day with his child at home who was asking questions about democracy. Dan has a BA in Political Science and Government and stated that while watching the events unfold, he expressed desire to explore his own relationship with democracy, as he tried to answer his son’s question.

The day seemed to have launched a deep dive for many as events developed. Listen to all of the stories and speeches at the vigil here at Beacon4Black Lives Instagram.

Racist Zoom Bombing Targets Desmond-Fish Library Bake-Off Awards Ceremony While Black Employee Hosts

During the holiday season of December, 2020, the Desmond-Fish Public Library in Garrison held a month-long bake off contest for kids, who could bake at home and submit their entries. The submissions would be presented in a video montage Awards Ceremony on January 2nd, 2021, where participants could gather on a Zoom call, hosted by Justice McCray, a well known lover of books and creative programming, having worked at Beacon’s Howland Public Library, and currently works at the Desmond-Fish Public Library, as well as Split Rock Books in Cold Spring. Justice is also an emerging local activist in the social revolution to make Black lives matter more, and has been a leader in most of the protest marches down Beacon’s Main Street and educational story circles held at Memorial Park and Pete & Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park.

The bake-off program was well marketed in advance across social media channels and in the local press. As the program got started, with eager children, parents and caregivers on the call to look at delightful attempts at baking, the The Great Desmond-Fish Public Library Bake Off award ceremony was interrupted by people or a person masquerading as participants on the call - using participants’ names like a wolf in sheep’s clothing - typing words such as the N-word dozens of times in all caps across the screen. The Desmond-Fish Public Library Director Jen McCreery confirmed to A Little Beacon Blog: “The interloper appropriated the identities of several program participants, which is how they were able to access the program through the waiting room.”

The program had been “hacked by one or more interlopers who used the platform to spread racist and sexist messages” the library director explained in an email press release sent soon after the incident, and on the library’s Facebook page, in a message from the library’s Board of Directors, posted 2 days after the event, and after the authorities had been notified, and participants began to process what had happened. As to if the library or Justice himself were targeted, Jen emphasized: “I do want to clarify that we have no way of knowing whether this was a targeted or random attack on the library and Justice specifically.”

The program’s host, Justice McCray, expressed in his social media that he wasn’t sure what to do after the targeted incident. He has since co-hosted an evening vigil at Pohil Park in Beacon, in honor of finishing the Election Certification that was derailed at the Capitol yesterday (1/6/2021) by people, some of whom were armed, climbing the building and breaking windows to get inside to sit in offices and put their feet up on the desks of people who had evacuated.

This was the first time that the Desmond-Fish Public Library had ever been Zoom Bombed, Jen confirmed. Library staff was able to handle the breach “as quickly as possible in the moment, but, sadly, the Zoom participants were exposed to this hateful and illegal behavior,” Jen told A Little Beacon Blog. In their message to the public, the library Board expressed: “The Library Staff and our Board of Trustees are horrified that a program created as a positive and joyful celebration of our community was derailed by one hateful individual, We are especially sorry that this attack was witnessed by children. No family should have to encounter such hate speech.”

According to Jen in response to A Little Beacon Blog’s questions, the library notified Putnam County Sheriff's Department. “They have taken our full report and it's my understanding they are looking into what charges might be brought against the perpetrators.”

In terms of moving forward, “we are looking into alternate online platforms as well as additional security measures we can take for future online events,” Jen told A Little Beacon Blog.

Jen also expressed: “Everyone at the library is grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support we've received from local organizations and families and we hope that, going forward, we can channel that support into creating programs and educational resources to help our community members come together in addressing the larger systemic issues that contributed to this incident.”

Justice McCray told A Little Beacon Blog in response to an email asking him if he had comments he wanted to share regarding his and this experience: “This was a traumatic incident for me. There’s no way for me to not take this personal. To be the first Black staff member at my job to host an event and to have this happen cuts deeper than I can explain. I’m glad the library and community aren’t sweeping this incident under the rug. It’s necessary to center to voices and needs of those most impacted by this event. It’s also equally necessary not to center them in a way that amplifies the trauma.

“The work ahead is as vital as it is difficult and painful. Now is a necessary time for or communities, especially Philipstown, to reflect on the impact its history of racism has on its dreamed future of inclusivity. The next questions that need to be asked are not “how can we improve security on our events to prevent this from happening?“ but rather, “How is this something that can happen in our communitiy? What behaviors have we dismissed or ignored that led to this escalation? How can we create a community where harm like this doesn’t continue?”