Juneteenth 2021 Celebrations In Beacon and Newburgh

If you know of an event not included here, please email it in to us!

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Juneteenth Panel
Day: Saturday, June 19, 2021
Time: 6pm - 7:30pm
Register for @newburghlgbtqcenter's Juneteenth panel, and block out your Saturday night! There is a fun evening of black liberation celebration planned, so turn on @beacon4blacklives post notifications and stay tuned!
Register at bit.ly/JuneteenthPanel

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Juneteenth At The Sanctuary
Day: Saturday, June 19, 2021
Time: 10am - 1pm
Location: Crystal Lake, 61 Temple Ave., Newburgh, NY
Information >
“They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds.” Ground into the Earth with this JUNETEENTH at the Sanctuary. With so many happenings, let this be the experience that sets the mood for the rest of your day: meditative, joyful, in nature! There will be sowing poems, and prayer, and dance, and LOVE for Our people into the morning. Thank you for rocking with us - see you there!

Juneteenth Celebration
Day: Saturday, June 19, 2021
Time: 7:30pm
Location: The Yard, 4 Hanna Lane, Beacon NY
IT'S HAPPENING! The Beacon 4 Black Lives is Celebrating Black Joy with the theme of Love and Liberation. Enjoy performances by Local Black Artists, dance, eat, paint, heal, and breathe! We're creating a space for Black folx to celebrate ourselves and see the beauty beyond our resilience.

Annual Fish Fry @ Springfield Baptist Church
Day: June 19, 2021
Time: 11 am - 3 pm
Location: Springfield Baptist Church, 8 W Church St., Beacon, NY

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Smoking Of Cannabis Can Be Permitted Where Tobacco Is Not; Municipalities Can Adopt Favorable Regulations

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From the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) presentation from Beacon’s retained law firm Keane and Beane, which prompted the report that Beacon was considering banning cannabis, tobacco and vapor in public parks, a note about allowing the smoking of cannabis in locations where smoking tobacco is prohibited was noted in print, but lingered upon as an option for the City Council. The City Administrator Chris White brought the reverse to the Council, for them to consider prohibiting tobacco, vapor and cannabis in Beacon’s public parks. Banning tobacco can be done, however, minus the ban on cannabis.

Since the MRTA legislation is written so favorably towards selling it, growing it and using it, to regulate open air public spaces seems counter-intuitive to the intent. Restricting that amount of land could have the effect of corralling people into tighter locations. It also has the possibility of new laws against smoking cannabis in the open, without fear of charges or judgement, which is again part of why the law was written.

Additionally, while smoking tobacco is banned from trails, City Administrator Chris implied his favor with discretionary application of the regulation, stating that he simply wanted to give people more teeth when asking people next to them to stop smoking at soccer games. He implied that if people were smoking “way up in the woods, we are not going to see,” regarding an action that is now legal, where people can smoke marijuana and be seen.

From Keane and Bean'e’s presentation, here are the guidelines on smoking cannabis effective immediately:

  • Adults 21 and older can generally smoke cannabis anywhere it is currently legal to use tobacco.

  • Smoking cannabis is prohibited in schools, workplaces, and in cars.

  • Municipalities can also adopt regulations to allow the smoking of cannabis in locations where smoking tobacco is prohibited.

Beacon City Council Considers Smoking Ban In Public Parks, As Marijuana Is Legalized (Tobacco Would Be Included In Ban)

As Beacon’s City Council considers its new obligation from New York State to respect marijuana smoking in public, the Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA), a law passed after much delay prior to the racial reckoning of 2020 and into 2021), Beacon, along with all municipalities, is required to decide if it wants to opt out of retail sales tax revenue from Adult-Use Retail Dispensary stores (a store that sells cannabis that a person takes away from the store), or an On-Site Consumption Establishment (like a bar for alcohol that a person consumes on site and cannot take away). When signing the law, New York State declared that it became the “15th state to legalize cannabis with commitment to social equity.” So far, after the 6/14/2021 City Council Workshop meeting discussing the development, Beacon’s City Council is leaning in the direction of remaining opted-in to profiting from revenue from cannabis sales generated from within Beacon’s city limits.

Along with this retail choice, as presented in detail by Beacon’s retained law firm, Keane & Beane from attorney Drew Victoria Gamals, Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White brought to the Council the consideration of prohibiting smoking or vaping tobacco and marijuana in public parks to the Council, separate from the state-mandated retail decision. During the meeting, he said doing so was in the name of public health.

However, it should be noted, that in Keane and Beane’s Adult-Use Marijuana presentation, municipalities are able to “adopt regulations to allow the smoking of cannabis in locations where smoking tobacco is prohibited.” This option was not discussed during the Workshop where this topic was first breached.

New York’s lifting of the prohibition of marijuana smoking has brought new aromas to the city, which you may have noticed while walking down the sidewalk where bar patrons gather to smoke outside. Or someone driving in their car in front of you may be openly smoking cannabis while driving (which, according to Drew Victoria Gamils with Keane & Beane is not legal, nor is sitting in your car smoking cannabis while the car is off).

Is It The Aroma That Is Bothersome?

While it is a new aroma for some, it is making others uncomfortable. Yet one thing is known: the Black community is disproportionately penalized for even carrying cannabis, let alone smoking it, as was pointed out by Councilmember Air Nonken Rhodes during the presentation of the ban on smoking in Beacon’s public parks during the meeting.

City Administrator Chris White responded to Air’s concern by stating that “enforcement would need to be closely watched.” Which would require data collection and review of each citation. Something which Beacon’s City Council is new to acquiring in the aftermath of the spotlight on criminal justice. It is also not clear if the City Council or the City Administrator is in the habit of regularly reviewing the data that the City of Beacon Police Department collects.

During this City Council Workshop, City Administrator Chris White equated publicly smoking marijuana to smoking tobacco, as he brought to the council the consideration to ban it from public parks and “soccer games.” Chris stated that on Beacon’s trails, there is a ban on smoking, but he was unclear as to why that was, and not banned in parks. He wondered if it was because people are walking in a “linear” path. In his pursuit of a policy to be able to enforce, he expanded: “If you're way up in the woods, we are not going to see. However if you are at a soccer game, and not being respectful of others, I'm sure you are going to be reminded of that,” he stated, explaining that a person complaining to their fellow parent would have new legislation supporting their complaint to a person sitting next to them.

Not that soccer games need more opportunities for conflict among overly aggressive parents, who continuously need their own refereeing by the professional hired to ref the kids and enforce rules of the game in play.

(The no-smoking rule on trails could be for fire prevention, like that time when Breakneck caught on fire in 2020.)

Soccer Games and Smoking

Having been to many soccer games and practices, as well as those for flag football, I have not encountered folks smoking tobacco or cannabis. While that is a broad statement, people usually step away when smoking, out of respect for others. As for Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, that area is so spacious and windy, most aromas don’t linger - unless it is the regular aroma of charcoal burning for burgers and hot dogs.

Meanwhile, New York State considers cannabis a potential thriving business that it can regulate and profit from, while encouraging agricultural involvement from traditionally oppressed groups. Expanding limitations on where it can be smoked is counter to that intent.

From New York’s new Office of Cannabis Management, the new law “Establishes a robust social and economic equity program to actively encourage members from communities disproportionally impacted by the policies of prohibition to participate in the new industry. … [It] encourages small business and farmers to participate in the cannabis industry with the creation of microbusiness, cooperative and delivery license types.”

Proposed Penalties For Smoking In Beacon’s Public Parks

A majority of Beacon’s City Council leaned toward accepting the sale of cannabis in Beacon, but banning smoking in public parks. The penalties, they agreed on, could be light. The financial penalty by default, City Attorney Drew said, has a maximum fine of $1,000 per day. City Attorney Drew confirmed that the penalty would be settled in Justice Court between the City and the Defendant. City Administrator Chris attempted assurance: “It’s usually much less than the maximum penalty.“

City Attorney Drew added: “If you go to trial, you could get $40,000. Working with the police and the defendant, you might end up settling for $9,000. That's a high example. You might end up settling for $500 in Justice Court.”

Councilmember Dan Aymar-Blair requested that the financial penalty be light, so as to not impact anyone’s rent. He and other Councilmembers agreed that jail time would be not ideal, and they would want to specifically exclude that penalty from Beacon’s legislation.

City Attorney Drew recommended that the City Council hear from residents before moving forward with drafting legislation on how to regulate the sale of cannabis in Beacon.

Moraya Seeger DeGeare Reflects On Black Joy Felt From Matcha Thomas - Code Switch Relaxed

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Editor’s Note: After ALBB began producing the first review of Matcha Thomas in a more traditional format, one reader was too excited not to write about Matcha Thomas after going there more than a few times, and especially after experiencing with a friend. She reached out to ALBB asking if she could write about her experience. We encouraged her to lean in, and looked forward to what she wrote. Below please find a review from an experience point of view of Matcha Thomas by Moraya Seeger DeGeare.

Written By Moraya Seeger DeGeare

I want to share with you a moment in time on Main Street. The Black joy that was created as the paths crossed of Black folx all converging in a search of delicately delicious Matcha, to pull up to support Black female business owners. I think a deeper thirst was quenched by having a moment of belonging as we spoke, our unique expressions of Blackness only gave us each deeper connection, instead of divide. If only for a few glorious minutes, instead of feeling othered, we found a place that welcomed us as essential as the air.

Does she have Celiac also? Seeing gluten free Back folk always excites me. Food allergy people, you know what I’m talking about.
— Moraya Seeger DeGeare

I both want to share my rainy afternoon with you and keep it hidden to protect it. I don’t want someone else’s opinion to spoil it. How do you capture Black joy in the written word? Probably the same way you put sunshine in a bottle...You can’t. I can’t capture it because the joy of today was in the simplicity. We are just existing out here having tea nestled between a Black barbershop and gentrification - expensive condos.

I walked down Main Street in Beacon, NY into Matcha Thomas, my five year old hopping, a wiggly, tired baby on my hip, and a dear friend slightly twirling in a purple, iridescent, rain poncho they just got from a new thrift store in town. We awkwardly hold up traffic as we make our way in and start reading the menu aloud. The Black woman who enters with us double checks that everything is gluten free. This is the first moment in my mind when I multi-task talking to my kid and acknowledging my people, a little tingle as I glance around. Does she have Celiac also? Seeing gluten free Back folk always excites me. Food allergy people, you know what I’m talking about.

As we take up space and order, we laugh with these Black women. Our laughter expands and yet that feeling of are we being TOO much never comes. I feel my body brace for the discomfort to happen anyway. It doesn’t. I’m okay. It’s the alertness I always carry for when I need to code switch to be safe, for when I need to tell my Black child to come closer instead of being curious. My brain starts to say that’s not needed here and part of my body doesn’t know what to do with this relaxed feeling. The woman who walked in with us smiles with their eyes behind the mask and shares, “as I was walking behind you down the street, I was like ‘are they going where I’m going?’”

I know those words sound simple, but it was the way she said it. It was the is this happy group of Black humans and giggle kids headed into the same direction as me? As we meet this wonderful, intuitive astrologer and tarot card reader, the energy and excitement only goes up. We laugh. My friend invites her to Beacon’s Juneteenth celebration, saying, “we are having a celebration of Black joy, will you come?” Business cards are exchanged. Yes, let’s gather community and organize on Black joy, not just Black pain and murder. I don’t want to trauma bond. I want to celebrate your existence.

As we take up space and order, we laugh with these Black women. Our laughter expands and yet that feeling of are we being TOO much never comes. I feel my body brace for the discomfort to happen anyway. It doesn’t. I’m okay. It’s the alertness I always carry for when I need to code switch to be safe, for when I need to tell my Black child to come closer instead of being curious.
— Moraya Seeger DeGeare

As we sit outside at an adorable green table and try all the new treats, moment after moment like this roll in with abundance. I turn to my friend genuinely curious: “Is this normal for you? The continual deep connection to strangers?”

We meet Black moms who quickly tell us their stories as they run to get kids from t-ball, about moving to Africa, IG handles are exchanged for future hiking playdates with our Brown children.

It’s not just that I saw the likeness of me reflected here. It’s that I truly, genuinely made new friends even if we connected for just a few moments. I also chuckle now because in the moment it doesn’t cross my mind that who Justice McCray and I are probably does impact the magic that is happening, not just our Blackness. We both love collecting people’s stories: I’m a therapist and Justice is many things including organizer, future city council member, writer, and storyteller. I’m sure our craving for understanding and healing the world around us added to how we befriended strangers, I know it adds to our friendship.

I grew up in Beacon, born at home in a cabin on the mountain my grandparents built in the 50’s. My parents met on the school bus in elementary school. My father, a high school basketball star. Beacon is a town that has had mixed families and kids growing up here for generations. That’s important. My Black grandmother was an artist and worked at Talix (what is now that big building with the Black fist and Pride flag currently). I say this tiny bit of history to say, this is my home town and yet what happened today I had not experienced here before as an adult raising a family here.

Growing up appreciating the closeness and connectedness of small town life, I spent much of my childhood with my grandparents. Grandparents that everyone knew: The Seegers. My childhood experience in Beacon was that everyone knows your family and says hi to you in the Post Office. I think many kids who grew up here would actually say the same, as you walk around town someone knows you or your aunt and they have an eye out for you. For me it was often my proximity to whiteness, to fame that would have someone saying hello. Today at Matcha Thomas, it was my Blackness.

The week before, I read an Instagram Story that Katie from A Little Beacon Blog posted saying, ”an MTA media relations spokesperson I’m speaking with while researching an MTA Police story, who lives in NYC and has visited Beacon as a tourist, responded to my mention of BLM protest marches: ‘There is a Black community in Beacon?’ I didn’t know how to respond execpt by saying ‘Of course there is a Black community here!’”

It truly gave me pause. Wow, this town that was historically, beautifully rich in diversity. I would say Beacon was even known as a Black town, especially compared to the nearby sundown town of Cold Spring. Now it’s known as a place Black people don’t exist? It made my whole body tense. Am I no longer welcome here? Is this not a place for my Brown children?

For me it was often my proximity to whiteness, to fame that would have someone saying hello. Today at Matcha Thomas, it was my Blackness.
— Moraya Seeger DeGeare

So to have this moment of pure joy of Black people just existing and living and clearly craving more connection to each other, I could not help but smile, breathe deeper, even laugh. As I sipped my Mango matcha boba, Brown baby nibbling a cookie, I watched with a deep appreciation as this friend, a queer non-binary Black human talks Juneteenth, Black joy, and running for city council. My 5 year old tucked next to them listening, experiencing the happiness of Blackness in community. It was this moment that I wish was captured on film, so I can go back and savor it.

The owners of Matcha Thomas have intentionally cleansed and called in a deep healing energy. They have cultivated a space that in the most delicious way gives room to celebrate the intersectionality of humans. I inhaled it instantly as I walked in the door.

Later that evening, we strolled down Main Street, my baby now snuggled in a carrier on my back waving and saying hi to folx as we passed. The rain started to mist down on us and my 5 year old son quietly catches raindrops on his face…

Singin' brown skin girl.
Your skin just like pearls.
The best thing in the world.
I never trade you for anybody else.

A Family-Owned, Black-Owned, Vegan And Gluten-Free Wellness Teahouse Opens With A Give-Back Board: Matcha Thomas

Written by Teslie Andrade

New Matcha Cafe In Town!

Matcha Thomas officially opened their doors on May 21, 2021, for a soft launch featuring iced, creamy matcha lattes, strawberry milk matcha boba, and an assortment of treats (all 100% vegan & gluten-free). Those building their Beacon Business Trivia card deck will remember that this used to be the catering space of Homespun, the cafe of which remains across the street.

How Matcha Thomas Came To Be

Photo credit: MatCHA Thomas ”WE'RE THE "THOMAS" TO OUR "MATCHA"!”

Photo credit: MatCHA Thomas
”WE'RE THE "THOMAS" TO OUR "MATCHA"!”

The owners, the Thomas family of 4, have dreamt of this day for as long as they could remember. As avid matcha lovers, they would go around different towns to visit cafes, trying as many different matchas as they could. The 2 daughters, Haile and Nia, even created the concept of Matcha Thomas as a joke on Instagram sharing the matchas they would try. It was the one day that Haile and Nia decided to make their own matcha latte at home and thought “Wow…” Then, the planning for the storefront for Matcha Thomas began!

The Thomas family lives right by Woodbury, NY - where they have been for 5 years after moving from Arizona. They travel about 30 minutes to Beacon simply because they love Beacon so much! “When we first came to Beacon, we just fell in love and thought ‘Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a shop down here?’” said Haile and Nia.

Well, all it took was one evening of picking up dinner on Main Street during the pandemic and spotting a “For Rent” sign at 259 Main Street. As an entrepreneurial family, the planning and collaboration was a success and Matcha Thomas is up & running with many people bustling in and out saying, “We saw what you posted on Instagram today and we want it.”

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Why Vegan & Gluten-Free?

“We chose vegan because our entire family is Vegan. We have been for 7 years. It’s been a journey for sure,” said Haile. “After going through health issues with my dad, we all decided on a plant-based diet. With this, we also want to contribute to the world - the ethical & environmental side. Being Vegan and wanting to contribute to the world is also fun. It’s a space where you can be creative.”

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Treats are made each morning and recipes are created right at their home. In fact, the delicious brownie recipe was created one night when Haile and Nia wanted brownies but didn’t want to search for a recipe and decided to whip up their own batter! Gluten-free flour/almond flour are used as substitutes for all-purpose flour, and sweeteners are refined sugar-free - coconut sugar, maple syrup, etc. “There’s just so much you can do”, said Haile.

You can also stop in and sample two different teas! The teas are brewed each morning in 9.5 Alkaline Kangen Water for maximum flavor extraction and nutrient absorption. Read more about alkaline here!

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What Is the “Matcha For The People” Wall?

The wall was inspired by the fact that we felt we had space where we could potentially offer an opportunity for people to tap into kindness and really acknowledge and affirm the people around us that make the world go round.”

How Does the “Matcha For The People” Wall Work?

“Basically,” explains Haile, “you come in and buy X for a person (someone struggling with mental health, having a bad day, a single parent, or whoever!) and write it on a sticky note and stick it to our wall. A person who comes in and identifies with a sticky note on the wall can then redeem it and get something free that was paid for by someone else.”

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Good Vibes All Around!

When you walk in, a cinnamon scent will envelop you, which immediately makes your heart happy and your taste buds yearn. Matcha Thomas is a minimalist cafe with beautiful fiddle leaf figs in the window and a selenite crystal located on your way out. It’s the little things! The selenite crystal known for having the ability to purify energy - whether you believe in it or not - it feels like a good thing.

Both Haile and Nia lean into the selenite crystal, explaining: “Adding the selenite crystal was an idea from an amazing woman who owns a spiritual shop in Chester, NY. She came in and helped us assess the energy in our space and shared the idea of the stone with us. We loved it!”

The energy in Matcha Thomas is magic.

Pictured: Matcha Thomas - the signature latte! Recipe is a plant milk of your choice (oat, almond, or hemp) blended w/ premium ceremonial-grade matcha and coconut vanilla cream base. It is GOOD.

Pictured: Matcha Thomas - the signature latte! Recipe is a plant milk of your choice (oat, almond, or hemp) blended w/ premium ceremonial-grade matcha and coconut vanilla cream base. It is GOOD.

When Faced With The Choice Of Just One Drink, What Does Matcha Thomas Recommend?

“It depends! If you want a classic experience, definitely our signature Matcha Thomas. If you want to have some fun, any of our boba drinks!”

Always ask for recommendations if you’re torn! Haile and Nia are guaranteed to pick something delicious for you depending on your mood. As a first-timer, I wanted to try one of everything but was eager to try the Matcha Thomas Signature Latte. If I could describe it in three words, it would be, rich, creamy, and decadent. But not so rich that it was heavy. It is a light, creamy feel - a MUST try! Part of what creates the creamy sensation in the non-dairy latte is the matcha green tea itself. Known as a Japanese plant, the green tea leaf is crushed into a powder.

The Matcha Thomas Instagram is run by Haile Thomas who has been in an influencer space for years. Check out their photos but be prepared to drool!

City of Beacon Police Respond With Detail Of New May 25th Incident Involving Mentally Ill Man In Question

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RELATED LINKS:

PLEASE NOTE: this article series is discussing 2 different incidents of a man who has been in Beacon for some time, harassing people, which has escalated after he was Tasered on Main Street by MTA Police on May 19, 2021. Later, he was Tasered again on May 25, 2021 by a New York State Trooper. This response from the City of Beacon Police deals with the May 25th incident. It does not address the May 19th incident because the City of Beacon Police Department was not involved.

During the research for the story on the man who was Tasered by MTA Police on Main Street on May 19, 2021, in response to an alleged complaint of threats, ALBB learned that a new incident occurred on Main Street on May 25, 2021 that involved City of Beacon Police and New York State Police. On that day, we reached out to the City of Beacon Police for confirmation and any detail they could provide.

Today, Lt. Figlia from the City of Beacon Police responded to ALBB with detail from the City of Beacon Police. The detail is provided in full below:

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The following message has been written by Lt. Figlia of the Beacon Police:

We believe that the nature of this incident is, at least to some extent, related to the mental health of an individual. In order to protect that individual’s privacy, we will not be releasing any identifying information about the individual, nor will we comment on any incidents that did not involve City of Beacon Police Department members. However, the matter you are inquiring about is of considerable public concern, so we want to provide the public with as much information as we can responsibly share.

On 5/25/21 at approximately 10:48 AM the Beacon Police Department received a call for male, who was identified by name, inside of a business on Main St. screaming, “fuck you bitch” at a female employee and refusing to leave. When officers were dispatched to the call, MTA PD advised BPD over the radio that they had an active warrant for individual. BPD officers then located him on Main St. and took him into custody without incident. He was then transported directly to MTA PD’s Beacon HQ where he was turned over to them. Any questions about the nature of the warrant should be directed to the MTA PD.

At approximately 1:25 PM the same day the Beacon Police Department received three separate calls about the same individual on Main St. yelling at people and being involved in an altercation. BPD officers responded and approached the individual, who was now in need of psychiatric evaluation at a hospital under New York State Mental Hygiene Law, as it had become apparent from his actions that he was presenting a danger to himself and others. As officers approached, the individual fled on foot before they could speak to him. BPD officers pursued him with the intent of taking him into custody for transport to MidHudson Regional Hospital. During that time a passing New York State Trooper observed this and self-initiated joining the pursuit. The trooper utilized a taser on the individual. BPD officers then took the individual into custody without further incident and transported him to MidHudson Regional Hospital for psychiatric treatment. As of approximately 12:30 PM on 5/26/21 the individual was observed to be out of MidHudson Regional and back in Beacon. Any questions about the use of force and the taser should be directed to the New York State Police.

On 5/26/21 someone came into BPD HQ to file charges against the same individual for allegedly threatening to kill them. This year, from 2/28/21 to 5/26/21 the Beacon Police Department has had 42 contacts with the individual in question. Of these contacts, 36 have been due to calls from the public. They have primarily been for threatening or harassing behavior, walking in front of vehicles and very aggressive panhandling. The individual in question has been approached by our co-housed Mental Health America of Dutchess County Behavioral Health Specialist on numerous occasions and has continuously refused many attempts at assistance and services.

Gathering & March Tonight Against MTA Police Tasering Mentally Ill Man On Main Street During Mental Health Month

The MTA Police Station in Beacon, NY. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The MTA Police Station in Beacon, NY.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

RELATED LINKS:

PLEASE NOTE: this article series is discussing 2 different incidents of a man who has been in Beacon for some time, harassing people, which has escalated after he was Tasered on Main Street by MTA Police on May 19, 2021. Later, he was Tasered again on May 25, 2021 by a New York State Trooper. This response from the City of Beacon Police deals with the May 25th incident. It does not address the May 19th incident because the City of Beacon Police Department was not involved.

Yesterday, A Little Beacon Blog reported that a Black man reportedly known by MTA Police for mental illness was pursued from the MTA train station in Beacon and was tasered last Wednesday, May 19, 2021. The MTA Police told bystanders that the man harassed a woman, compelling them to pursue him and detain him Main Street, which is no longer MTA property. MTA Police then tasered the man after they detained him on the ground.

UPDATE 5/25/2021: We have since learned that MTA Police jurisdiction covers the Hudson line, and that they can go into the communities along the train. One reader wrote in to say that she received a ticket for expired registration on her car on the road while passing Boscobel, which is on 9D. We have also learned that the man was not chased from the platform to Main Street. According to MTA Media Relations, a complaint was made about him by “a pair of women” after he verbally harassed them and then he walked away from them. After the man walked away from them, the women made the complaint. The MTA Police Officer put the complaint over the wires, and about 20 minutes later, according to MTA Media Relations, two other MTA Police Officers detained him on Main Street just a few storefront shops in from Wolcott Avenue.

The organization Beacon4Black Lives has organized a March and gathering to speak against the actions taken by the MTA Police tonight (Tuesday) at 7:45pm. Beacon4Black Lives state: “Meet at Chase Bank at 7:45pm. We are going to March to the MTA Police Station (on Beekman Street, across Wolcott) for a peaceful gathering. Bring signs, megaphones, and flashlights! Share this and invite friends, family and anyone or everyone in the area who is willing to stand up and say this can’t go any further. They can’t hurt a Black life in our town or anywhere. I hope as many people who came out last year when Black Lives Matter was trending and said they support us come and help us get justice. We cannot allow the police to hurt us anymore.”

View of the train platform at Beacon’s MTA train station, from the MTA Police Station. According to MTA Media Relations, the man was apprehended  and tasered 20 minutes later on Main Street in Beacon outside of storefronts. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

View of the train platform at Beacon’s MTA train station, from the MTA Police Station. According to MTA Media Relations, the man was apprehended and tasered 20 minutes later on Main Street in Beacon outside of storefronts.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

EDITORIAL NOTE 5/25/2021: The MTA Media Relations has responded with detail since this publishing, and this article has been updated to reflect what they say happened.

According to a bystander at the scene of the tasering, when the MTA Police apprehended the man and pushed him up against storefront glass windows on Main Street, where one bystander said they thought the window would break. After getting him to the ground, according to a bystander, the MTA Police Officers told the man they were going to taser him, and then did taser him at least 3 times, according to the bystander.

The reaction to this story in Beacon has been similar across the board:

  • “I didn’t know that the MTA Police were real. I thought they were like mall security guards.”

  • “I hope it’s not that guy who I think it is. He’s a Black man not too tall and clearly has some mental health issues. I see him walk between the train and town all the time.”

One bystander described to ALBB how the MTA Police Officer answered when asked why the man was being tasered: “He held and rubbed his jaw a bunch of times saying that the taser shook him up (referring to himself the officer as being shaken from taser) and that the man was threatening people on the street and he keeps getting worse. They have been dealing with him for years,” the bystander said they heard the MTA Police Officer say.

Upon listening to the video, some readers are recognizing the man’s voice. If it is the same man, one female reader said: “I am making red mad faces for the way the MTA Police detained him. I’ve seen him be calm and kind and I’ve seen him be irritable and aggressive. He approached me on Main Street not long ago asking for money. He had his mask down so I asked him to put it up and he did. I told him I didn’t have anything to give him (I didn’t) and he moved along. I see him walk from the train talking to himself sometimes. Over the winter, he would walk up with a blanket wrapped around himself. I have no idea where he lives or if he is houseless.”

Where Does The City Of Beacon Police Fit Into This?

Questions were emailed to Beacon Police Chief Sands Frost, Mayor Lee Kyriacou (technically in charge of the Police in Beacon), City Administrator Chris White (works closely with every department), Colin Milone (assistant to the Mayor), Dan Aymar-Blair (Councilmember who co-authored Beacon’s Police Reform Resolution and has questioned Beacon’s inventory of tasers, even though this was MTA Police action), Air Nonken Rhodes (Councilmember who co-authored Beacon’s Police Reform Resolution), and Terry Nelson (Councilmember representing Ward 1, which is where this incident happened).

So far ALBB has not received a response from the City of Beacon, but if one comes in, this article will be updated. MTA’s Media Relations team did respond to us within 24 hours after questions were submitted. The questions emailed to the above mentioned City of Beacon group are as follows:

  • How does jurisdiction work between MTA Police and Beacon Police?

  • If a person is accused of doing something at the train station, and then runs up the hill and into Beacon via Main Street or other street, are the MTA Police allowed to pursue and apprehend that person?

  • Do the MTA Police call Beacon Police when entering Beacon?

  • Readers are beginning to comment that they are familiar with the man who was electrocuted. That he is known to walk between the train station and Main Street often, who is known to have mental health issues. One of the MTA Police Officers also said the man is known to have mental health issues, and is “getting worse.” Is electrocuting him the recommended way to help him?

  • With the new Mental Health professional, Lashaveous Dicker, working for Beacon alongside Beacon Police, would this be something he would be called for?

  • Does the MTA Police know that Lashaveous Dicker is working in Beacon?

  • Do the MTA Police and Beacon Police communicate as to how to handle people that they both encounter on a regular basis?

The pictures below show one of the paths up from the train station to Main Street. The walk involves the long and winding road of Beekman Street, which is where the MTA Police Station is, past the Beacon Police Station which is built into a hill, and then across Wolcott Avenue, where Main Street starts.

MTA Responds With Details Of Tasering Of Mentally Ill Man On Main Street In Beacon

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RELATED LINKS:

A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the MTA to confirm or clarify details of the Tasering of a mentally ill man on Main Street on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. ALBB sought the details of how the MTA Police were alerted to the initial issue to cause them to pursue the main in question.

A reader submitted partial video of the incident, along with testimony of what that person recording video said they saw. Other people who were on the street that day, and other days, have chimed in with additional details. These details are being included here if they cross referenced each other.

According to the MTA, the man in question was harassing people on the train platform at the Beacon station, shouting obscenities, and threatening. Prior to this, an MTA Police Officer who was just walking on patrol at the Beacon station saw this man behaving erratically, saying curse words.

The man in question then left. After the man left, a pair of women reported to the MTA Police Officer that he had been threatening them, saying “I am going to kill you,” and cursing. Once those threats were made clear to the officer, the officer informed - aka “put it over the wire.” ALBB has not pursued video footage of the platform to confirm the activity. ALBB is awaiting answer from the MTA on if its officers wear body cameras.

Roughly 20 minutes later, a pair of other MTA Police Officers responded by finding the man in question, who at that point was at the beginning of Main Street. That is where they sought to detain the man. That is when he resisted arrest, and the Taser came out and was used on the man on Main Street outside of storefront shops.

According to a witness, the MTA Police Officers pressed the man in question up against storefront windows in order to apprehend him. The witness on Main Street told A Little Beacon Blog: “The officer said he was resisting arrest, but they had him in a hold, so the other cop said: 'I’m going to taser you’ like 3 times. And they did. Several times, and he screamed.”

A witness on Main Street said: “They told me the man they apprehended has a long history of arrests and is mentally ill, but they Tasered him a lot…There were caps all over the place. The cop cleaned up some after.”

As seen in the video, after being Tasered, the officer delivering the electric charge tells the man to “stand up.” The man is held by the second officer from behind, and the man states: “Help me get up.” According to the MTA, after the officers placed the man in the car after he was Tasered, and they took him to a hospital, where he was checked to make sure he was fit enough for discharge after being Tasered. He was processed at the MTA District 7 Headquarters (aka “barracks”) on Beekman Street. He was given an appearance ticket for court, and released. He was charged with 3 charges:

  • Aggravated harassment

  • Menacing in the 3rd Degree

  • Resisting arrest

According to the City of Beacon Officer Reynolds on Beacon's information desk, the Beacon Police were not called for this incident.

The man in question is in his early 20s, and may have an address in Poughkeepsie. He has been arrested 22 times by the MTA Police, with several arrests happening in Beacon. Within this month - Mental Health Awareness Month - the man in question had another incident in the middle of Main Street with officers. There was a warrant out for his arrest on a trespassing case, where he had not shown up to court. It is not known if he is houseless, or if he is functional enough to open the mail, or write down a court appearance date in his calendar. It is not known at this time if he carries a calendar.

Beacon Police were dealing with him on Main Street recently. The man has been attempted to be Tasered before in a separate incident by New York State Police, but the taser didn't “stick.”

ALBB has not pursued the number of arrests, if any, made by the Beacon Police or New York State Police. New York State Police also have jurisdiction in Beacon and throughout the state. Here is New York State’s Arrest Without A Warrant criminal procedure that explains where an officer can go throughout the state to make an arrest.

How Does A Taser Work?

According to this New York Times article, a Taser has 2 prongs that are discharged from the Taser to the person. According to the article, for each charge (or discharge), 50,000 volts of electricity are pulsed into the person’s muscles for up to 5 seconds. The goal is to render the muscles frozen. According to the New York Times article, “the shock can cause pain that has been described as excruciating.”

According to this DIY Taser Maker web page, “this gadget generates substantial voltage pulses which can disrupt muscle tissues and neurological system, forcing any individual who touches it into a condition of mental bewilderment.” You can also read about the effects on a person’s body here at ABC News.

Are Tasers Recommended For People With Mental Health Conditions?

According to the New York Times article, “The devices can bring an abrupt halt to a confrontation and disable an uncooperative person, but if they are discharged and don’t work — or even when they do — sometimes the effect can be to make things worse.”

“If a person is angry, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or has a mental illness, the use of a Taser can exacerbate those conditions and inflame a situation, said Joel Feinman, the chief public defender in Pima County in Arizona.”

The man in question in Beacon is known to MTA Officers. The situation that involved this particular Tasering happened after the man allegedly cursed and made threats to the people on the train platform, and had left. It was on Main Street that he was apprehended, resisted, and was Tasered.

This man is one of several mentally delicate people who walk up and down Main Street on a daily basis. He does mumble to himself, curse to himself, and approach people for money. People like himself have been known to walk into storefronts and places of business - or to parking lots - to encounter people with an ask or demand. The experience of when he does that can be jarring and frightening.

Dutchess County prides itself on providing several Mental Health services. During Beacon’s City Council Meetings, several Mental Health presentations have been made this year alone, including information about why hiring a Mental Health professional from Mental Health America of Dutchess County was a good idea. According to the Mid Hudson News: “The addition of a mental health intensive case manager was highlighted as one of the initiatives called for the City of Beacon’s newly adopted police reform plan.

It is not known at this time if that professional thinks it a good end game to continue Tasering this man in question in order to bring peace to his life, and to residents, visitors and businesses owners in Beacon. It is also not clear if Beacon’s new Mental Health professional was consulted by MTA Police on their tactic for dealing with a known mentally unstable person who regularly behaves the same way.

Perhaps they think that electric therapy delivered on the sidewalk is the best treatment. Perhaps Tasers are just protocol, and perhaps MTA Police Officers aren’t encouraged or trained in other ways of dealing with a regular person in the community after in non-violent situation 20 minutes after an alleged incident.

Tasers Mentioned In Beacon’s Police Reform Report

After the murder of George Floyd and the reckoning that awakened after that across the nation, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 203 that all municipalities must deliver their visions of how to police in their communities. At this time, it is not clear if that Executive Order 203 includes MTA Police, other train police, and New York State Police.

The MTA Police, which the MTA says has roughly 30 officers working from the barracks just below the City Of Beacon Police Station who can patrol up and down the region of the Hudson line all the way into Long Island, were not factored into public discussions on Police Reform, but do drive regularly through Beacon, and are authorized to do police work in Beacon.

According to the Highlands Current, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department (MTAPD) was formed in 1998 when the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North Railroad Police Departments merged. "After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the department expanded and dramatically expanded its counter-terrorism capabilities," the article reports. In 2005, the department expanded when the Staten Island Railway Police Department also became part of MTAPD.

The MTA Police are used as “mutual aid” with the City of Beacon when necessary, much like how neighboring Fire Departments cross municipalities and county lines during a fire to help each other.

The City of Beacon worked very hard on its Police Reform plan, with input from the community, and submitted it to New York State in March 2021. It includes mention of Tasers and how officers are trained. An excerpt from the City of Beacon’s Police Reform and Modernization Collaborative Report is below:

 

The Beacon Police Department has a recent history of progressive training. All patrol officers are trained in a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training(“CIT”) course, which helps to train officers to help persons with mental disorders and addictions to access medical treatment rather than place them in the criminal justice system.

This evidence-based strategy has been found effective in reducing the risk of injury or death during emergency interactions between police and persons with mental illness. In addition to the CIT Training, the Department conducts regular in-service training on topics including Workplace Violence, Sexual Harassment, Use of Force Policy and Law, De-escalation Techniques, Administration of Narcan (to address opioid overdoses), CPR/AED, Defensive Tactics, Active Shooter Response, Blood-borne Pathogens, and Taser and OC spray (pepper spray) use.

The Department is adding eight hours of Procedural Justice training and eight hours of Implicit Bias training for all officers for 2021. Procedural Justice training focuses on how the police interact with the public. Procedural justice is based on four central principles: "treating people with dignity and respect, giving citizens 'voice' during encounters, being neutral in decision making, and conveying trustworthy motives." Research demonstrates that these principles contribute to relationships between authorities and the community in which 1) the community has trust and confidence in the police as honest, unbiased, benevolent, and lawful; 2) the community feels obligated to follow the law and the dictates of legal authorities, and 3) the community feels that it shares a common set of interests and values with the police.


 

Man Tasered On Beacon's Main Street; Allegedly Pursued By MTA Police From Train Station

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UPDATE 5/25/2021: A gathering and march is being held on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 to march against the actions of the MTA Police. Details here.

According to a witness, a man was tasered several times on Main Street in Beacon by MTA Police Officers on Wednesday, May 19, 2021, after he allegedly harassed a woman or women on the train platform down at Beacon’s MTA train station. The MTA Police Officers are separate from the City of Beacon’s Police Department.

During the scene, a MTA Police Officer told a person who witnessed the incident that the man they apprehended has a long history of arrests and is mentally ill. According to Officer Reynolds with the the Beacon Police on May 24, 2021, their department was not called about the man the MTA Police pursued and arrested.

Recently, the City of Beacon hired a Police Officer who specializes in mental health, Lashaveous Dicker, a full-time mental health intensive care manager, who is also an employee with Mental Health America of Dutchess County. He assists Beacon officers on calls relating to mental health issues and substance addiction, and has been introduced to the public during City Council Meetings.

UPDATE 5/25/2021: MTA Media Relations has confirmed to A Little Beacon Blog that the incident first started on the platform at the train, and that a MTA Police Officer patrolling the platform saw a Black man described to be in his 20s behaving erratically and was shouting curse words. The young man then left. After the man left, a pair of women reported to the MTA Police Officer that the man had been threatening them and cursing. Once those threats were made clear to the officer, the officer informed his department by putting it over the wire. Roughly 20 minutes later, a pair of other officers responded to the incident. It is at that time, according to MTA Media Relations, that is where the officers sought to detain the man on Main Street, that is when he resisted arrest, and the taser came out.

The witness on Main Street during the tasering incident said that the officers pressed the man up against a storefront “window so hard, I thought they were going to break it,” the witness told A Little Beacon Blog. “The officer said the man was resisting arrest, but they had him in a hold. The other cop told the man: ‘I’m going to taser you’ like 3 times. And they did. Several times, and he screamed. They continued to taser him after they had him down. I yelled at them to stop. There were caps all over the place. A cop cleaned up some after. I didn’t know what he was doing. They sent someone back later to collect all the caps.”

The person who reached out to A Little Beacon Blog with this information elaborated: “It was quite a scene. Main Street was frozen; stand still for at least 5-10 minutes. At least 3 others were filming with 2 on the street 1 person in a car.”

A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the MTA Police to confirm the incident, and were referred to the MTA’s Press Office, which handles all of the media relations for any question from any MTA location. Police Officers work for the MTA Police in Beacon are not listed on the MTA Police website, including the name of their Police Captain. When A Little Beacon Blog called the MTA Media Relations to inquire, they said they would seek information to confirm details, and needed to confirm how jurisdiction works (ie train station vs Main Street, and if there even are boundaries of jurisdiction), and asked for time to do some digging to find the answers. They have since responded within one day!

UPDATE 5/25/2021: MTA Media Relations has responded with several answers to questions, which have been updated to this article.

At A Little Beacon Blog’s request, Detective Stewart with the MTA Police who answered the phone at the Beacon MTA Police Headquarters, provided the MTA Police Captain’s name as Captain Charles Pisinelli. Detective Stewart said that all questions seeking confirmation needed to go through the MTA Media Relations Office. When asked for the phone number, Detective Stewart stated that only Captain Pisinelli could give it, who was unavailable, but Detective Stewart called back to provide the number to MTA Media Relations. Which is appreciated, since the Media Relations office is quite large, so any point of entry to pursue confirmation is helpful, even though they do have a website.

After the witness saw the taser incident, the witness called Beacon’s Councilmember Terry Nelson, who represents Ward 1, where the apprehension took place. The witness also called Beacon’s Human Rights Commission. What happened after the call to the Human Rights Commission? “It was just a voice mailbox No one has called me back.”

UPDATE 5/25/2021: The Human Rights Commission has since called the Beacon bystander back, saying they have had problems with the phone. These details seem mundane, but it is common in Beacon for inquiries to go unanswered from time to time.

A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to MTA Media Relations representative. Should we hear back, we will update this article. UPDATE 5/25/2021: We have heard back from MTA Media Relations! And this article updated where necessary.

  • Do the MTA Police have jurisdiction to pursue someone from the train station up from the train into Beacon? To pursue a person from the platform, the person would need to run down the platform, down the stairs from the platform, then up the stairs to the parking lot, then up through the parking lot and up the long steep and curving hill from the train station, cross the busy street of Wolcott Avenue, run past the Beacon Police station, and then run up to Main Street storefronts, where the man was apprehended.
    ANSWER: Yes. According to MTA Media Relations, the MTA Police have jurisdiction over the region, which includes Long Island, Hamptons, Westchester, and more. In this case, an officer patrolling the platform informed his department, and two other officers in a car apprehended the young man by the time he was on Main Street.

  • Was the man apprehended charged with anything?
    ANSWER: Yes. According to MTA Media Relations, the man was charged with:
    - Aggravated harassment
    - Menacing in the 3rd Degree
    - Resisting arrest.

  • How many times was he tasered?

  • Where did the man go after being brought to wherever he was brought to?
    ANSWER: According to MTA Media Relations, the man was brought to the hospital after being tasered, to see if he was fit enough for discharge. He was processed at the MTA Police District 7 on Beekman Street, and given an appearance ticket to court, and was released.

  • Where do people go when apprehended by the MTA Police?
    ANSWER: According to MTA Media Relations, they go to the MTA Police District 7 on Beekman Street in Beacon.

  • How many MTA Police are there, and what are their job titles? Like, a Police Chief, Officer, Detective?
    ANSWER: According to MTA Media Relations, there are about 30 officers at District 7. They patrol a large area up and down the Hudson River line, not just in Beacon. Beacon happens to be the town in which the barracks are based.

  • Can you tell me the names of the officers who pursued him, and who made the arrest?

  • Can you confirm how the MTA Police were alerted to the issue?
    ANSWER: According to MTA Media Relations, an officer patrolling the platform first saw activity, and then was complained to by a pair of women, and then notified his department. Two other officers went out to find the man.

March For Palestinian Freedom In Newburgh (Videos) - March Congregates At Rep. Sean Maloney District Office

In mid May in response to the Palestinian neighborhood, Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, protesting to save their homes from being taken over by Israeli forces, the world started paying attention to the centuries long conflict between Palestine and Israel, which are essentially in the same place.

Local Beaconite and former Councilperson Ali T. Muhammad helped to organize a march with Next Step Hudson Valley and people in the Palestinian and Arab communities living in the Hudson Valley. Several people attended, marching down Broadway and side streets, ending at Rep. Sean Maloney’s district office.

Speeches were made on the steps of his office. Several are posted below for you to view and to hear. Beacon locals Lena Rizkalla and Kamel Jamal were some of the speakers. Kamel later recorded a podcast with ALBB’s sister podcast, “What, What Is That?” which you can listen to here.

The first of many speeches, on the steps of Rep. Sean Maloney’s Newburgh office. This video includes a speech given by Beacon business owner, Kamel Jamal, who is a Palestinian refugee (see minute 9, but don’t miss the other speakers). Kamel spoke with ALBB’s sister podcast, “Wait, What Is That?” for an hour long episode on his experience and thoughts on Palestinian liberation.

Local Beaconite, Lena Rizkalla, a first generation Palestinian, speaks about her Palestinian experience and connection.

This speaker noted how Palestinians helped fight the Nazis in World War II.

Local Beaconite, former Beacon Councilperson, and current Newburgh resident, Ali T. Muhammad, speaks about supporting each other.

Little friends encouraging each other to speak about human rights in Palestine.

A little boy makes simple demands on the steps of Rep. Sean Maloney’s Newburgh office.

A speaker encourages people to continue spreading the word about Palestine.

Some Public Bathrooms To Open In Beacon Parks. Why Now? A Response To The Fall 2020 Protests Of Beacon's 2021 Budget

The public bathroom at Memorial Park. It is normally closed to the public, and is treated as a mural space for community art commissioned by Wee Play, who maintains and fundraises for equipment in the Memorial Tot Park and the Wee Woods behind it. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The public bathroom at Memorial Park. It is normally closed to the public, and is treated as a mural space for community art commissioned by Wee Play, who maintains and fundraises for equipment in the Memorial Tot Park and the Wee Woods behind it.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

An 18-year-old Beaconite who grew up in a relative’s house in Beacon near Green Street Park recently moved with her family to Newburgh, as they could only afford to buy a home in Newburgh. The teen and other family members continue to work in Beacon, so she is on this side of the bridge daily. The 18-year-old Beaconite couldn’t remember when, if ever, the Green Street Park bathroom was open when she lived nearby.

Said a longtime Beacon resident, Danielle Soto-Eckert: “The bathroom at Memorial Park has been closed literally my whole life. I’m 30 years old and can think of less than 5 times that it’s been open while I was there as a child, and now an adult with kids. I take my kids to Bowdoin Park (in Wappingers Falls) because their bathroom is always open.”

The Beacon park bathroom issue is not new. People who use the public parks, including teenagers, caregivers and parents, have lived with them for the most part closed, with some people having access to a key maintained by the Recreation Department for a birthday party or volunteer clean-up day.

The Bathroom At Memorial Park Is So Pretty - But It’s Been Closed? It’s Just A Mural Space?

A celebration of the painting of the mural at Memorial Park in August 2019, commissioned by Wee Play, to cover the public bathroom, which had been closed for years, and continued to be, closed after the community painting project, which included special guest, then Mayor Randy Casale. Photo Credit: Wee Play

A celebration of the painting of the mural at Memorial Park in August 2019, commissioned by Wee Play, to cover the public bathroom, which had been closed for years, and continued to be, closed after the community painting project, which included special guest, then Mayor Randy Casale.
Photo Credit: Wee Play

The grassroots organization Wee Play Community Project has been maintaining the public tot parks, mainly Memorial Park, in a volunteer capacity for a number of years. Wee Play is instrumental in fundraising for, purchasing, and designing the play structures at the parks like Memorial Park. In fact, they are working right now on their biggest fundraising event of the year - the Ree Play Sale - an affordable way to buy used kids clothing and gear.

In August 2019 while Raquel Verdesi, Margaux Lange and others were on the Wee Play Board, Wee Play commissioned artist Joe Pimentel to paint the closed bathroom at Memorial Park. Everyone got in on it, as Wee Play sought out volunteers for a community contribution experience.

Then Mayor Randy Casale painted as well, and was a Special Guest at the Celebration unveiling event. But his administration, which included then City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero, cited vandalism as the reason why the bathrooms couldn’t be re-opened. Beacon’s current Mayor Kyriacou was a City Councilmember then, as were several current Councilpeople George Mansfield, Amber Grant, Terry Nelson and Jodi McCredo.

While the mural project was happening, Wee Play Board Member Raquel Verdesi told A Little Beacon Blog that they got several inquires about using the bathroom: “Wee Play gets a lot of, ‘hope this means they'll open the bathrooms!’ whenever we are working on a new project at the park. Wee Play would like them open, too! We encourage folks to write letters to their representatives on the City Council if they want open bathroom hours.”

The Key To The Bathrooms - The Literal Key

Because Wee Play maintains the Memorial Park tot park, they were given a key to the bathroom by Recreation Director Mark Price. Wee Play could open the bathroom during the commissioned mural project so that the artist could use running water, for example, said Board member and artist Margaux Lange. During regular, volunteer-based cleanups of the park, the bathrooms might be opened then for all to use, while the volunteers are there.

Says Wee Play Board Member Raquel about bathroom key procedure: “The Beacon Recreation Department has opened the bathrooms for tournaments, park events, and parties. The City cites the expense of having them cleaned and repaired due to repeated vandalism as to why they are closed, except by appointment. They would have to hire someone to monitor them. It would make sense for the City to hire more help to be able to maintain the bathrooms.”

The bathroom at Green Street Park, which has been closed for years. Before opening in 2021, it will undergo repairs to fixtures, City Administrator Chris White said during a City Council Meeting. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The bathroom at Green Street Park, which has been closed for years. Before opening in 2021, it will undergo repairs to fixtures, City Administrator Chris White said during a City Council Meeting.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Over at Green Street Park, some people who have booked birthday parties have spoken of a key they get so that their guests could use the bathroom. Said Pheobe Zinman, who writes a column for A Little Beacon Blog, had experience organizing use for the key for more people to use. Pheobe told A Little Beacon Blog: “In 2017, I did a fundraiser for trees in Green Street. Beacon’s Recreation Director Mark Price helped me plant them. One is still there, the other was damaged by careless mowing and then vandalized.”

She continued: “Then I threw a big party to celebrate with music and potluck and a lot of neighbors came out. At that time, I scrubbed both bathrooms, which were filthy despite not ever being unlocked unless someone got a permit/key for a birthday party or gathering. We made a big list of things everyone would love to see in the park. I passed it on to City Council. There were supposed to be murals painted on the bathrooms, but that never happened. Mark said anyone could get a bathroom key as long as they signed up and made sure it got locked up etc... I tried to publicize it, but I don’t know if anyone signed up. I used to have a key, and then someone in the Recreation Department couldn’t find theirs, so I gave mine back. Everyone is still peeing outside behind the bathrooms, which is pretty unfortunate.”

In 2017, then Highway Superintendent Reuben Simmons proposed a plan to have the Green Street bathroom regularly cleaned by Beacon staff. Nothing happened with that proposal. Reuben was later stripped of his job title and salary due to a Civil Service technicality in Job Titles, and is currently a Maintenance Worker, who is on paid leave since the end of January 2021, as he fights to keep his job with the City of Beacon after receiving repeated complaints made about him by his supervisor, Michael Manzi, who replaced Reuben as Highway Superintendent of Streets.

Who Cleans The Bathroom, Anyway?

Beacon’s current and new City Administrator, Chris White, explained during a City Council Meeting on 4/26/2021 that he approached City staff to clean the bathrooms for overtime, but only 1 person said they were interested. The Highway and Parks Department work the City’s public parks to maintain the grounds and facilities. “We tried to figure out a system to use our own staff to clean them, but our hours were weird. We had staff who did not want the overtime. Only 1 staff [showed interest] and that is not sufficient.”

It is unknown at this time who the 1 interested staff person was, who was denied the overtime opportunity. Reuben Simmons, a longtime employee of the Highway Department who started working for the City of Beacon’s Parks department in 2002 as Summer Help, says he remembers cleaning the bathrooms: “In the past, I cleaned park bathrooms as Summer Help when assigned by then Park Foreman Dave Eraca.”

Reuben later served City of Beacon staff as the CSEA Union President for staff. He had this response to A Little Beacon Blog’s inquiry regarding job assignments: “I didn’t know employees had options to choose what work they would like to do and what they don’t want to do. What does CSEA (Union) say about all this? As a Union Leader, I was never a fan of contracting out work. Contractors tend to not take pride in public service. They seek financial benefit from public dollars. I'd look at the numbers and consider the option to pay our everyday hard working employees overtime before paying an outsider. You might just find it to be cheaper.” Paula Becker is the current CSEA Union President for Beacon, and works in the City of Beacon’s Finance Department.

Since the City Administrator Chris White said that Beacon’s staff wasn’t interested, he has hired Millers Touch Cleaning Service, “a minority-owned business” out of Newburgh, he described them, who he said cleans his own condominium during the 4/26/2021 City Council Meeting. Chris confirmed: “The contract is for $14,500 for 6 months. Maintenance of the facilities will be through Beacon’s own staff.” Chris said that he hopes cleaning can start the first week of May. “Then we’ll implement it as soon as Latreece Miller [of Miller’s Touch] can get his crews here.”

When Councilperson Dan Aymar-Blair asked when the bathrooms would be open, City Administrator Chris responded: “7am or 8am ‘till 5pm or 6pm. They will start at one of the parks and then shift over. Will be clearing some of the garbage from pavilion areas as well.” Additional collection of trash and recycling was an issue raised at City Council meetings in previous years as well.

It is not clear at this time what days of the week the bathrooms will be open on, and what the cleaning schedule is.

The Revised 2021 Budget submitted by Mayor Kyriacou states: “There will be $14,000 for trash and recycling collection from parks on Saturdays and Sundays. Park bathrooms will be open, maintained and cleaned regularly from March to November thanks to $25,000 in new funding.”

City Administrator Chris says there will be a delay at opening Green Street Park’s bathroom because “we are still working on fixtures,” he told the Council.

“Remind Me Where We Are At With A Bathroom At Loopers Park / South Avenue Park?”

After the Memorial Park and Green Street Park bathroom discussion, City Council Member Air Nonken Rhodes followed up with a question about the bathrooms (or lack thereof) in their ward, at the Loopers basketball court, tennis court, and kids park at Loopers/South Avenue Park. “Remind me where we are at with having a bathroom at South Ave. Park?” Councilperson Air asked City Administrator Chris. He responded: “I don’t think we have public restrooms. Just portajohns.”

John Galloway Jr., current Beacon City School District Board of Education Member and frequent basketball player at Loopers, confirmed to A Little Beacon Blog that there have not been accessible bathrooms at Loopers/South Avenue Park: “For as long as I have lived here (all 24 years), there has never been an accessible bathroom for the kids at the Loopers basketball courts at South Avenue Park. We always had to pick a tree or use the one in Sal’s Pizza. He always lets us use it even if we aren’t a customer because he indeed also knows that there isn’t a bathroom provided for the community that uses the basketball court.”

The new porta potty at Loopers Park/South Avenue Park. According to John Galloway Jr., there has not been an accessible bathroom at Loopers in the 24 years he has lived in Beacon.

The new porta potty at Loopers Park/South Avenue Park. According to John Galloway Jr., there has not been an accessible bathroom at Loopers in the 24 years he has lived in Beacon.

Councilperson Air persisted: “Was cleaning the portajohns part of that schedule? Just an update on where we are at with that process.” City Administrator Chris confirmed that he would check and get back with an answer. Councilperson Air responded: “I don’t want South to get left out.” City Administrator Chris reminded Councilperson Air that a new retaining wall was getting put in for Loopers. Councilperson Air responded: “Bathrooms too.”

City Administrator Chris responded: “I wish we had more bathrooms in place. Starting from scratch is diffilcult. Portajons I know we can have clearned more frequently. I know they are not the best choice.” Mayor Kyriacou responded by suggesting that City Council looks at the “fancy ones” used by Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival. “The Shakespeare Festival has some really cool ones,” the Mayor stated. “Maybe we'll take a look.”

The porta potty at Loopers arrived last week, as reported by City Administrator Chris during this week’s 5/3/2021 City Council meeting. “We did put a portajohn at South Avenue Park and it is being cleaned 2x/week. We did get that installed.”

The video of the new porta potty at Loopers Park / South Avenue Park is below.


Why Now? Why Are The Bathrooms Opening Now?

Beacon4Black Lives Summer and Fall Protest Budget Demanded Investment In Community Services

After decades of not being regularly opened and cleaned, with known complaints and longing by constituents, why open the bathrooms now? During a COVID-19 semi-shutdown?

In the summer of 2020, Beacon4Black Lives consistently organized protest marches down Main Street, followed by educational sessions at Memorial Park. On October 19, 2020, when the 2021 budget was being presented to the public to be discussed and transparent, Beacon4Black Lives organized a protest of Beacon’s 2021 budget, as it earmarked an increase for Police Department, and a decrease for the Recreation Department. This protest was demonstrated on Wolcott Avenue, outside of Mayor Kyriacou’s house.

In response to the protest, Mayor Lee Kyriacou, then-City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero, and the city’s Finance Director Susan Tucker defended the budget by saying that there was planned increase to the Police budget. Collective bargaining with the Police Union (PBA) conducted earlier had guaranteed raises for the Police Department.

Reversely, the Recreation Director, Mark Price, had on purpose cut the Recreation budget in order to stay slim during the pandemic. The cuts came from the After School Program, which was not operating due to the shutdown, and he did not feel it necessary to financially plan for an opening in 2021. However, when he hired back his staff for an opening in 2021, he did so with a raise to those After School Program employees, he told A Little Beacon Blog at the time of he budget protest.

Public Comment In Defense Of Funding Community Services

Public Comments about Police funding and cuts to the Recreation Department was not lost on the City Council or Mayor Kyriacou. During the 2020 budget protest, one of the organizers with Beacon4Black Lives, Justice McCray, emphasized the importance of investing in the community. Justice called in on the Public Comment line to the City Council meeting from the protest on the street, and stated:

 

This increase to the Police Budget has been a slap in the face to all of us, to this entire community. (Justice called back to other attendees: "Can you guys shout for me?” They respond: “BLACK LIVES MATTER!”) We are asking you to invest in the community. The last thing that we need is for you to spend more money in policing. We need you to put the $24,000 that you took out of the Recreation Department and put it back into the Recreation Department. We need you to fund community safety programs that focus on community’s actual safety, rather than having the police department outside of your house right now having police circling around your community as if they are going to attack? We want to feel safe in this community, and we don't feel that right now. (Another person shouted over the phone: "You are being protected against us right now!") This entire summer, all we have been asking is for our Black lives to matter. That means investing in community safety options, that don’t shoot us, that don’t kill Black people. We are asking you to invest in community wi-fi, community housing, community food, community fridges. Invest in your community, not in the police.”

 

Justice McCray has taken their protest to the ballot box by way of putting their name on the ballot. Justice is currently running for Beacon’s City Council.

Community member Tina Bernstein, who does serve as Secretary on Beacon’s Commission on Human Rights, but was calling in as a citizen, was the next caller during Public Comment to contribute a reaction to Beacon’s 2021 budget presentation. Tina stated:

 

I want to express very significant concerns about the proposed budget for the City of Beacon. A city's budget should be determined with serious consideration of the needs of the entire community. It should prioritize much-needed services, and should be based on a vision for maintaining equity and quality of life for all of its residents.

It should be responsive to concerns that have been expressed for several months now, by Beacon4Black Lives as was just expressed, Mutual Aid Beacon, as well as a variety of community members. The current budget includes an increase for police funding, while it calls for a net shortfall in recreational programming.

Our mayor has, in defending the budget, cited the rationale that we pay less for police services than other municipalities in the Mid-Hudson region. In addition to the fact that it ignores the express sentiment that no more money should be spent on policing, this is the same rationale that has been stated before in response to concerns for the need for more affordable housing options.

It is irrelevant what other municipalities are doing. Beacon's budget should reflect what matters to the residents in the community, and the services we need… We no longer have a community center…. We haven't invested in an expansion of programs, pavilions, or open spaces that protect youth from the elements... There is no money in this budget to support such efforts.

 

At this point, Mayor Lee Kyriacou cut Tina off, as callers have a 3-minute maximum. Mayor Kyriacou stated: "Her time’s up, come on."

Future Spending

The protest and the number of residents calling in their reactions in defense of the Recreation budget during subsequent City Council Meetings outlining details of the budget in different departments was enough to push the Council and Mayor to allocate funding to the opening of existing bathroom facilities.

In his Revised Budget published in the City of Beacon’s website, Mayor Kyriacou said, “This year’s budget involved greater scrutiny and community participation than any in past memory. I’d like to thank all those involved – city staff, the council and many residents who came and voiced their views. I believe this budget properly uses city reserves to keep any tax increase to a minimum, while funding needed one-time programs for these difficult times, as well as continued improvements in quality of life community programs.”

Other financial allocations included, as stated on the City’s website:

  • “$25,000 for emergency supplemental grants” from the CARES ACT managed by Dutchess County “to strengthen Beacon’s food distribution programs and provide groceries to hundreds of families.“

  • “Another $70,000 were earmarked for alternative policing – which can be used for community mental health services.”

  • “The Council dedicated $30,000 for a study of municipal broadband.”

  • “The Recreation Department will issue income-based fee waivers for programs thanks to a budget dedication of $20,000.” While this is unclear at this time in how it is intended to be used, residents may want to ask for payment plans or financial assistance on childcare programs like Camp @ The Camp or the After School Program.

Meanwhile, the City of Beacon is considering a years long renovation project of the dilapidated Tioronda Bridge for over one million dollars, which may double if the Council agrees to renovations required to keep the bridge on the National Registry. In 2017, the City of Beacon was granted $500,000 towards the project from the New York State Department of Transportation.

The City of Beacon has entertained plans for various bathroom renovations at Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park and the Settlement Camp, but those fall by the wayside and have not been put to bid for construction estimates.

One of the Beacon residents who spoke during various Public Comments during budget season was James Case-Leal, a former Board of Education Board Member, who was commenting as a resident. A Little Beacon Blog followed up with him to confirm that he asked specifically for the opening of public bathrooms. His response in part is below:

 

I was definitely one of the voices calling for opening the bathrooms as part of Beacon's reinvestment in community services and reimagining public safety. That was part of a set of demands put together by a collective of community organizers that I'm involved with working on the city budget. This issue was something I had heard numerous times from parents as something that would make their park time feel more accessible.

There are so few places to safely be in public, so it's really great that the city is finally providing sanitary bathrooms for parents and children. It's a small step, but a little bit of proof of how good we'd have if the city spent even just half of the $5.5million dollar Police budget on services we actually need.

We could expand the summer camp so parents aren't scrambling online the second slots become available. We could have an indoor All Sport style rec center where kids and seniors cool off during the summer. We could give residents priority for reserving University Settlement for parties. We could keep our bathrooms clean all year round. I really hope this trend continues.


More Bathrooms

The bathroom issue is big in Beacon, as there are several public bathrooms that are used on different days, at different time. In Memorial Park, there are 2 more bathrooms: one at the baseball field and one at the football field. At Sargent, there is one at the soccer field that is opened during some soccer game weekends and possibly maintained by the soccer league.

The bathroom at the Visitors Center on Wolcott and Main Street is maintained by a volunteer with the Chamber of Commerce.

The bathroom at the Settlement Camp pool is maintained by the pool staff, and as a structure, is more like an out-house. Plans have been designed to improve it, but they were shelved, as they were connected to a larger renovation.

There is a row of porta potties at Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront park. That park also has a renovation planned, which includes bid-ready drawings. It is earmarked in the Capital Plan, but has not been sent out to bid, as the Recreation Department is waiting for the right time to get the best price.

 

City of Beacon's Mayor Lee Kyriacou Issues Statement In Response To Guilty Verdict In Derek Chauvin Trial

On Wednesday afternoon, just before the end of the business day, City of Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou issued the following statement in response to the guilty verdict in the Derek Chauvin Trial:

“Yesterday’s verdict holds accountable a former police officer for the killing of George Floyd, a horrifying act recorded and seen across the globe. I hope the verdict will provide at least some comfort to Mr. Floyd’s family and friends. On a broader level, this verdict provides a measure of justice and is a milestone in promoting healing and change across our nation.

“I continue to believe fervently in Martin Luther King’s words, that ‘the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.’ Mr. Floyd’s death has been and will continue to be a catalyst for change in policing, and more broadly for change on how our country lives up to its ideals, to ensure true justice and equality for all, regardless of race, color, creed, ability, or who you love.”

Beacon Listens To Verdict Of Derek Chauvin; Justice and Accountability For George Floyd And World

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On a summery Spring Tuesday afternoon, the verdict on Derek Chauvin arrived. This was after national morning news reports of speculation on how this decision could take weeks to deliberate.

Social media started lighting up at 4:30pm when news surfaced that the verdict would be read in court in moments. It had only been 2 days since the trial ended. Personal texts started arriving with predictions. Prep-time for after-school activities for parents and kids began as some people had the TV on live cable news channels or SiriusXM radio to hear live coverage.

Laces for cleats for soccer and flag football, as well as ballet slippers were pulled tight as the verdict was read for ex-police officer Derek Chauvin: Second-Degree Unintentional Murder (Guilty), Third-Degree Murder (Guilty) and Second-Degree Manslaughter (Guilty). The jury took 10-hours to deliberate over 2 days, according to CNN.

Quietly, the Black community has been watching this trial in revived trauma, afraid of no justice, while listening to reports of what the jurists were shown and told. Yet surprising testimonies were given by police training experts condemning the use of force, including the Police Chief Medaria Arradondo of the Minneapolis Police Department, who testified against former police officer Derek Chauvin during the trial: “To continue to apply that level of force to a person proned out, handcuffed behind their back — that in no way, shape or form is anything that is by policy,” said the chief as reported by the New York Times. “It is not part of our training. And it is certainly not part of our ethics or our values.”

Moraya Seeger DeGeare, MA, LMFT, a therapist based in emotional therapy in Beacon who until the last few years also lived in Minneapolis (she was born and raised in Beacon), tagged A Little Beacon Blog with the thought: “As we sit in anxious limbo…waiting. It’s come up a lot in therapy how although only kids at the time - remembering the Rodney King verdict, how this feels the same 30 years ago. Remember that fact, no matter the outcome of this trial. We MUST have the conversations with our kids.”

And each other. Thanks to local people and groups who organically organized over last Summer 2020, Beacon showed up and pulled up for the injustice and mistreatment that has been happening to Black people for ever. Groups like Beacon4BlackLives, which organically started with a few people including Justice McCray, Ciarda Hall, Stefon Seward, Xavier Mayo, and Cedric Parksdale, gave Beacon the opportunity to speak out, and tell stories that have otherwise gone untold or not believed.

Statements From Local Officials

A Little Beacon Blog has reached out for statements from Beacon’s Police Chief Sans Frost, the Vice President of the Beacon Police Union Michael Confield, and Mayor Lee Kayriacou. Should any of them respond, this article will be updated.

UPDATE: The City of Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou has responded with a statement.

Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro has issued a statement via Instagram: “With faith in our justice system, and sincerest prayers to the Floyd family, I’m hopeful out of atrocity today’s verdict will help heal our nation. It won’t bring George Floyd, Gianna’s father back - may we always seek accountability, justice and peace.”

The work has just begun and as George Floyd’s brother, Philonise Floyd, said in a speech after the verdict, “We have to do this for life. We have to protest,” as he spoke of the work ahead as the family celebrated the moment, but vowed to continue for police reform, beginning with the the George Floyd Justice In Policing Act of 2020, co-written by Vice President of the United Sates Kamala Harris.

Locals responded, including Fareground, Poughkeepsie Observer, Beacon Hood Chicken, Zhanes Pallette, Twinkle, Beacon4Black Lives, Yvonne de Salle, and others.

Opportunities To Gather

Those who are wishing for togetherness have an opportunity to gather in Newburgh for an evening organized by former Beacon Councilmember Ali T. Muhammad, who is a Beaconite currently living in Newburgh and running for Orange County Executive. Details are here, and the trip to Newburgh for the event would be worth it. The event will be co-hosted by Melanin Unchained and Ali at Sunset, with a potluck available for those breaking fast for Ramadan. Address is 29 Prospect Street, Newburgh, NY.

Governor Cuomo Continues To Skip Dutchess County As A NY State Partner Vaccination Site - Why That Matters

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Dutchess County entered 2021 by opening 3 county-run vaccination centers dubbed as PODs, which is in addition to any privately run locations at pharmacies or grocery stores. The locations are at the former JC Penney at the Poughkeepsie Galleria Mall, the former CVS, 3081 Route 22, Dover, and at Dutchess County Behavioral and Community Health - Mental Health Campus.

Why JC Penney? The retailer had filed for bankruptcy at the end of 2020 due in part to the pandemic shutdown, and has since emerged with new owners, possibly saving 60,000 jobs of the 85,000 jobs lost. The space inside of the mall with plenty of parking and public transportation drop-offs was available.

The only way to know about these locations in order to make an appointment at them is to follow Dutchess County announcements and local news. Why? Because the Dutchess County locations are not included in New York State’s Vaccine Hotline or Website to book an appointment. Only sites that Governor Cuomo designates as “Partner” sites are included in that very popular, state-wide website.

Beaconites like Joe Robitaille, owner of Homespun was eligible in late February for his vaccination, and used New York State’s website to book the only appointment he could. “The staff and I were sitting here looking at the website, clicking Refresh and appointments were just going, going, going right before our eyes. Finally we just clicked on anything, and I got Plattsburgh, NY.” That location is in the northern most part of New York State, near Vermont and Canada.

In early March, a location in Binghamton opened, and he switched appointments. “I'm off to Binghamton today to get my first vaccine shot! Got my appointment switched. So excited,” he told ALBB. Joe used the New York State website, and said he wasn’t aware of JC Penney location operated by Dutchess County.

Another local Beaconite was helping her dad, age 70, book his appointment back in February. “He called the New York State hotline. He didn’t use internet—at 70, I think the phone was less stressful than Internet. He got the appointment for April in Binghamton.” But the family wasn’t satisfied. They wanted an appointment sooner, and possibly closer. “We decided he should just call every day,” the resident continued to ALBB. “One day he called and they said they couldn’t really tell him details but they’d heard that Tops in New Paltz had appointments, and he called them, and got an appointment for 3 days later! He gets his second shot this Friday!”

When ALBB asked if her dad knew about the JC Penney location, the resident answered: “I don’t think it was an option he was given.”

Dutchess County’s Vaccination Plea To New York State To Add As A State Location

The entrance to the JC Penney COVID-19 Vaccination Site, run by Dutchess County. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The entrance to the JC Penney COVID-19 Vaccination Site, run by Dutchess County.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

On February 19, 2021, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro wrote to Governor Cuomo, the letter of which was shared with media, which requested that the JC Penney vaccination POD site be added as an official New York State Partner vaccination site.

County Executive Molinaro stated in the letter: “I respectfully request New York State partner with Dutchess County Government to create a joint vaccination site at this current Poughkeepsie location. Due to the lack of supply given to our county, local residents must travel more than an hour to the nearest State-operated mass vaccination site, located at the Westchester County Center or SUNY Albany, and most cannot obtain an appointment in the next several months at either of those sites.”

Individuals can still get vaccinations at the JC Penney location - and any county-run location - but the option to book an appointment are not listed in the New York State website, which is what Governor Cuomo refers to daily when encouraging people to sign up for their vaccinations. Other locations are available in this region, including at pharmacies, but those are not included in the NY State appointment website.

New York State’s Incomplete Vaccination Appointment Website

Should all vaccination sites be located in a central website for New York State? Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro and the CDC believe that they should. Says Colleen Pillus, Communication Director for the County Executive Office told ALBB: “The County Executive has been openly advocating for a clear picture of where all vaccine is allocated and a centralized place to schedule appointments at any vaccine provider.”

With Governor Cuomo’s consistent display of data aggregation across multiple web pages in New York State’s COVID section of the website, as he tracks patterns of the virus to display to the public, it is not clear why the vaccine locations across the state are not included in that portal. From a website build standpoint, that build-out is not difficult using Google Map tool at the very least. Local design firms nation-wide have already built some for their communities (including my own website design firm for a company producing an antibody test to display various locations in CVS drug stores).

Additionally, when the COVID-19 tests rolled out across multiple private locations, Dutchess County was not designated as an official testing center by New York State. The omission of Dutchess County from New York State’s test center location finder website added time and confusion to the testing process.

When a person called the New York State testing hotline, as Governor Cuomo told people to do daily when he was marketing how easy it was to get tested, the closest location Dutchess County residents was the parking lot at the Bear Mountain Bridge. Despite multiple Dutchess County run testing centers in operation, like the one at Dutchess Stadium just up the road for Beaconites. ALBB reported on the confusion of testing locations and insurance early on.

“Vaccination Czar,” Impeachment Issue, and County Access To Doses

This location-with-benefits logic is now repeating itself for vaccination locations. And is part of why County Executives were so shaken up when New York State’s “Vaccination Czar,” Larry Schwartz, called County Executives across the state asking them for the support of Governor Cuomo during his current impeachment consideration, which is based in part on megalomaniac tendencies and political bullying.

Dutchess County Marcus Molinaro, who is president of the New York State County Executives Association, told NPR in a report on the multiple phonecalls: “[Molinaro] says in the eyes of these local officials, Schwartz's calls were troubling and that after receiving the calls, 3 to 4 executives contacted him or his staff to express their concern and disgust. Here is Molinaro. ’That these calls would be made at all was troubling. That they were made by the individual responsible for, really, with a great deal of discretion, distribution of vaccines was extremely disturbing to them.’”

Dutchess County Executive’s Response To Omission Of Dutchess County Vaccination Locations In NY State Website

The empty parking lot at JC Penney, the location of a Dutchess County run vaccination site that New York State continues to not grant partnership benefits to. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The empty parking lot at JC Penney, the location of a Dutchess County run vaccination site that New York State continues to not grant partnership benefits to.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Despite Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro’s repeated request to have the JC Penney POD be a “Partner” location by New York State, Governor Cuomo has not granted this designation. Though he has been adding partner locations regularly, and announced 2 in the Hudson Valley recently: one in Ulster County and in New Palz, which Governor Cuomo says, are not ready for the public yet. Dutchess County’s however, is already open and operational.

Despite New York State officials visiting Dutchess County’s JC Penney vaccination location prior to it opening and declaring it ready for scale, Governor Cuomo won’t make the partnership. "County Executive Molinaro has been advocating for the JCPenney location to be a mass vaccination site for several months,” said Colleen to ALBB. “In fact,” she continued, “as noted in his letter [to Governor Cuomo on 2/19/2021], officials from the Governor’s Office were on site at JCPenney when we first opened in January and noted how the capacity was certainly there to be expanded."

County Executive Molinaro pointed out in his 2/19/2021 letter to Governor Cuomo: “Though Dutchess County’s current 185,000-square-foot site in Poughkeepsie, inside the former JCPenney store at the Poughkeepsie Galleria, currently vaccinates fewer than 1,000 essential workers and seniors each week, due the limited number of doses we receive from New York State, our DBCH staff has the capability and space at the site to inoculate five times that number.”

Governor Cuomo Relevance To Dutchess County Executive Molinaro

Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro ran against Governor Cuomo in the last election for governor, and was defeated. Actress Cynthia Nixon from Sex and the City was also running. Governor Cuomo refers to County Executive Molinaro as “some county executive who ran against me” in a press conference delivered on February 19, 2021, the same day the letter was sent, after Governor Cuomo encouraged people to check with their counties for individual sign-up locations, emphasizing that New York State was opening state-run sites in “socially vulnerable communities.”

Governor Cuomo has been pressured by Republicans and a growing number of New York State politicians about the nursing home issue, which questions how the Governor designated nursing home deaths (if the person died at the hospital, but was a resident in a nursing home, then it did not count as a nursing home death in figures released by New York State). That questioning has erupted into a broader discussion of how Governor Cuomo works with - or doesn’t - other politicians running different parts or departments of the state, including his staff. The question of bullying and megalomaniac power tenancies have been questioned.

Governor Cuomo’s dismissive statement was made while the Governor was being questioned by the media about the nursing home issue, as he attempted to discredit critical voices. You can read the full transcript of the February 19th, 2021 press conference here. The Governor has since denied taking questions from the media during a later press conference, as the investigation into him begins, and impeachment is discussed.

“Socially Vulnerable" Communities In Poughkeepsie, Beacon and the Hudson Valley

In terms of “socially vulnerable” communities being the reason for the lack of New York State partnership with Dutchess County, there are plenty of people in Dutchess County who have lost jobs, were already in a lower income bracket, or don’t have a car.

Said County Executive Molinaro in his letter to Governor Cuomo: “[The people who book an appointment] are the lucky ones – residents who have personal transportation and can travel at a moment’s notice, should a much-coveted appointment open up for them. Residents in our underserved communities, who rely on public transportation to take them to appointments to receive this life-saving vaccination, cannot readily travel an hour or more to the State’s sites; they can, however, travel to our Poughkeepsie site, which is easily accessible by Dutchess County Public Transit.”

Public transportation from Beacon regularly circulates to the Poughkeepsie Galleria Mall, including the G-Line, which is the pretty blue bus line introduced as a partnership with Beacon, Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County last year.

How To Add Yourself To Dutchess County’s More Convenient Vaccination Location List

Dutchess County has a web page that shows what their allocation was of vaccinations for the week, as well as a signup form to sign up once, and wait to be called for an appointment at a Dutchess County location. Other locations, such as pharmacies, are listed there as well for convenience.

As for the number of allocation doses since the County Executive’s letter, Communication Director for Dutchess County Colleen Pillus confirmed to ALBB on 3/17/2021: “Vaccine doses have increased statewide (and decreased) over the past several weeks as more vaccine become available from the federal level. Overall, vaccine allotment is up from what we been receiving in Jan/Feb, but last week’s allocation was lower than the previous week’s allocation.”

Dutchess County makes weekly updates to many vaccination sites on their vaccination web page, including pharmacies and hospital facilities. Do check this page weekly if you are in pursuit of a vaccination shot for yourself or a family member, as you may find a dose at a nearby location to you in Beacon, Fishkill, or other communities.

Volunteers who are pursuing and booking vaccination appoints on behalf of those who are too challenged in technology or physical condition to do it themselves have been making a big difference to connect people with doses. Read ALBB’s interview with a Vaccination Appointment Whisperer, Heidi Harrison, to learn her tips and tricks.



We See You... We Know You're Out There...

To send the recently published articles about the racial discomfort happening in some departments of the City of Beacon, namely Highway and Water right now, I wrote something special to the newsletter subscribers. I wanted you to see it too - because not everyone is subscribed to the ALBB newsletter. A few notes, however, before I proceed:

  1. I do not like using first person here. And I do not like interjecting myself into these stories. There is a person commenting to me in the 30-Day Unpaid Leave story, who seems very upset at the City Administrator’s treatment in that article. This is not a drama I want to continue. We all have better things to do. Like keep our jobs and treat people with respect. But.

  2. This type of story needs a personal narrative. Otherwise, it will get glossed over. Civil Service is too boring with this slodge of requirements. And that tedium is what has given all of this protection. Boring Civil Service stuff, and decisions made in “Executive Session,” those private meetings that happen after public City Council meetings.

  3. This story is being pursued so heavily because it is not just about Reuben Simmons. It is about so many employees with the city - Water, Highway, Beacon City School District Building Department, maybe Police. And it’s not just this year. It’s decades ago. It’s part of Beacon’s fabric. And probably Wappingers. And Fishkill. And Poughkeepsie. So we’re going hard on this topic. A slap of cold water on the face because it’s not OK. I mean… What personal stories do you want us to put up here? Personnel files are denied paper trails. There are no other places for inquisitive people to go. Don’t challenge this story if you don’t want inequalities revealed, of what white employees get away with when employed, while Black employees are dismissed. Keep insisting on this, keep treating people unequally, and the stories will follow. I don’t know what else to tell you.

The Message Newsletter Subscribers Received:

On Friday, while ALBB sends the happy weekend retail newsletter, one of the City of Beacon’s employees, who normally plows snow from the streets and fixes stop signs, was in a “Hearing” with city officials, listening to how his job would be taken from him. Community organizer and volunteer, Reuben Simmons, is mixed race and identifies as Black. He has worked for the City of Beacon since 2002, coming in as “Summer Help” and at one point, making it up to Highway Superintendent. He was placed on Unpaid Leave for 30 days starting January 2021, during a pandemic, during Black History Month, and after the City of Beacon legislated a Diversity and Inclusion Mission Statement.

A Little Beacon Blog has been following this story for two years, recorded a podcast on it, and has several articles that present more of the story than what is widely known today. The story is being told because it impacts other people - people who work in Civil Service (jobs in Police, Highway, Water, etc. departments) and in many ways, how Black people are treated in an environment within those jobs.

While Reuben's professional fate at this time is unknown, he says this about his years-long experience with this issue: "Maybe I'm the best person to be in it. I'm embarrassed to be in this. I'm ashamed of the city. In my 19-year career here. It's disturbing and disgusting. Beacon is better than this."

The articles closely covering this are below. But first, we have to unpack the silent segregation in the room.

The Silent Segregation In The Room

Listen. When your family says racist things to you - thinking you'll laugh at their statement, observation, joke, whatever - you don't divorce your family. I mean, you could divorce your spouse of course, but your blood family is your family. When they say an egregiously racist thing to you - about any race - Black, Arab, Puerto Rican, Asian - anybody - it takes a tremendous amount of courage to call them out and ask them to stop. Better to get that out of their heart. To not think those statements in the first place.

The only way to do that is to call out your friend. Your family. Beacon as a community is family. We have all heard the racist statements made. To different degrees, we have heard them in our homes. In our driveways. On the sidewalk. In the grocery store. At a City Council Meeting from the Public Comment microphone to whispers or hollers in the audience area of the courtroom (listen to minute 51 of the City Council meeting years ago when the Highway Department cheered a new hire after someone or something triggered Reuben's job to get dissolved by Civil Service law).

Additionally, extremely condescending statements or chuckles count as impacting someone's life the same way direct racist statements do. Those in and of themselves are oppressive in any situation for any race or gender. Every day, every one of us - even those of us writing about it - needs to keep ourselves aware of what we say and think and do to others. Little people around you - kids in school - may have already put someone in their place. Because they are growing up right now in this open environment, are seeing their adults struggle through it, and are so far, hopefully, having clearer vision.

Black people in this community have not been heard regarding their employment opportunities and experiences. Laws exist to keep those experiences very private and confidential. Having no other official and legal avenue to be heard (lawyers are expensive, and even during that time they’re involved, rules can require something to be private; sometimes nondisclosure is a requirement for settlements, thereby locking the issue into secrecy forever), people from the Black community - mixed race, Jamaican, and people from more cultures - have started using open mics at rallies in Beacon, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, and surrounding communities to hope their voices are heard.

Beaconites cannot not hear these voices anymore. No PDF on a website or a wall is going to fix this. It has come time to say: "Dude. Bro. Girlfriend. It is time to take a deep look into your roots, into your soul, ask yourself why you are so comfortable making someone else so uncomfortable and not heard, and begin your journey to uproot that from your body."

Some of you are going to unsubscribe from this newsletter right now. We see you each time you do it when we feature something remotely Black. Others will reply with a "Thank You." And that's all we need to keep going.

The time has come to talk about this. Beacon is not alone in the treatment of people in Civil Service (aka City or County jobs). This is a nationwide issue that is currently not on the national radar, as police reform is/was. Civil Service needs a second look.

Thank you.

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