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

Beacon’s new City Administrator, Chris White, pictured in front of Beacon’s Municipal Center in the Beacon Free Press.

Related Links:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The City Administrator for Beacon is a position that is responsible for knowing about every nook and cranny about the City, and managing the City’s projects and intentions. Without a City Administrator, Beacon would have a hard time functioning. The former Administrator, Anthony Ruggiero, had been with Beacon for 5 years, and gave his notice at the end of 2020 that he would be taking a new position as Assistant Commissioner for Administration with the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health.

Background On Beacon’s City Administrators

When Anthony came to Beacon, he stepped away from an administrator position in Peekskill, where he reportedly had a “tumultuous” experience with the Peekskill Mayor Frank Catalina. Mayor Catalina took issue with a settlement for a suspended police officer that Anthony approved, according to reporting in the Poughkeepsie Journal. “‘The City of Peekskill is a council-manager form of government,’ said Ruggiero in that article in 2015, “which is a ‘weak-mayor’ form of government where the city manager handles hiring and firing,” he said. “Beacon, on the other hand, is a mayor-council, or ‘strong-mayor,’ form of government,” he said.

According to quotes from the mayors of Peekskill and of Beacon (then-Mayor Randy Casale) in the Poughkeepsie Journal, Anthony was encouraged out by Mayor Catalina, who introduced Civil Service-type rules to find disqualifications regarding whether Anthony was qualified for the job, which included having a college degree, having at least 3 years managerial experience, and living in Peekskill.

According to the article, Anthony was given a deadline to move to Peekskill, when he lived in Fishkill. When Anthony took the job in Beacon 5 years ago (Beacon does not have a rule where the Administrator needs to live in the city), he nevertheless worked very close to work, with a 5-minute commute, according to the article. Anthony went on to have a successful career in Beacon, shepherding it through many projects and the spending of improvement grants on the City’s infrastructure.

Civil Service Rules As Foundation For Employment Shifts

Anthony is no stranger to a city employee being pushed out of a job position due to Civil Service rules. He was the City Administrator when Reuben Simmons, a longtime employee with the Highway Department who is of mixed race and identifies as Black, was promoted to the Highway Superintendent position. He was recommended for that post by Anthony, according to Reuben, who stated that in a podcast.

After a stint in that position, someone disagreed, and found disqualifications in Reuben’s position when it was determined that Beacon actually had a Supervisor of Streets position, and not Superintendent, which required a different Civil Service test and management qualifications. Reuben was demoted back to a maintenance position after a process involving Dutchess County, Beacon’s City Council, and a letter anonymously delivered to the front porch of a Beacon councilperson from the Highway Department.

At the time, Anthony replaced Acting Administrator Timothy Dextor, who was a volunteer firefighter for the City of Beacon, and Building Inspector until he retired a few years ago, after a long history of aggressive fire code zoning and enforcement, and a dramatic sign battle with a business owner who hung a resist white supremacy sign, and a community of Airbnb owners who feared his code enforcement if they did not invest in fire-safety code requirements.

Enter Chris White As Beacon’s Newest City Administrator

After Anthony gave notice, Beacon Mayor Lee Kyriacou went through a hiring process and appointed Chris White, a former city councilperson for Beacon in Ward 3 from 1996-1997, with whom Mayor Kyriacou served years ago.

Chris told the Beacon Free Press in mid-February: “Serving on the Council also was the start of my career in public service, so my years in Beacon were a formative time for me.” Formerly, Chris had been the Deputy Director in the Ulster County Planning Department. Mayor Kyriacou has praised Chris’ management of land projects for infrastructure, development, and acting on the side of the natural environment.

According to the Highlands Current, Chris spent 10 years managing a district office for Rep. Maurice Hinchey, and holds a bachelor’s degree in politics from New York University and a master’s degree in public administration from SUNY Albany. He told the Beacon Free Press that serving as Beacon’s City Administrator was his goal job: “When I earned a Master of Public Administration degree more than a decade ago, my intent was to work towards being a City Manager. When the opening came up in Beacon, I thought it was worth leaving my position in Ulster County, particularly because of my familiarity with and fondness for Beacon and my prior experience here as a City Councilmember.”

According to Mayor Kyriacou, he screened over 30 applicants and felt the best with Chris. The Mayor had worked with Chris before in Beacon, during Chris’ councilperson days. “Chris stood out because of his planning and project expertise, his regional knowledge, and his genuine passion for Beacon,” the mayor told viewer-attendees during a City Council meeting.

Chris is known for being involved with stopping the construction of a proposed sewage sludge incinerator, telling the Beacon Free Press: “[My time on Council] was a time of transition for the community and for me personally. Beacon was sorely in need of revitalization when I was on Council in the mid-1990s and Main Street was dominated by vacant and underutilized properties. Some of the zoning changes and decisions made during my time on Council boosted early revitalization efforts.”

Since coming on board, Mayor Kyriacou, known for delegation of administrative tasks and responsibility, has taken action to give Chris as much administrative authority as possible. For example, during the 2/1/2021 City Council Meeting, after discussing “Resolution Authorizing City Administrator Christopher White as the Primary Log-In Holder for the City of Beacon Equitable Business Opportunities (EBO) Account,” the Mayor asked the City’s Attorney, Nick Ward-Willis, to draft a law “describing the nature of our government that we can provide to somebody that says something like: “The City Administrator can actually do this… You don’t need to go to the Mayor for… whatever, like taking title to a vehicle… It arises every so often, and it’s usually the dumb reasons, not the really good ones.”

Ice Storm Starts Monday Night - Warnings Issued For Tuesday - How School Will Handle

Ice began covering the Midwest on Sunday, impacting Virginia, continuing in Ohio, and now is in the Hudson Valley. In Beacon on Monday at around 4pm, driveways started to get slick. By 5:30pm while misty rain fell and froze, as if Beacon were in a cloud, some neighbors attempting to take their trash out reported slipping on the steps, like @yaya_love_312: “OMG I almost died at the bottom of my steps taking the trash out 🤦🏾‍♀️.”

As we approach the year anniversary of when the COVID-19 pandemic became official, we are reminded that Disney+ was one of the first to make a blockbuster more easy to stream - Frozen 2, and almost broke the Internet as newly stressed people began binging TV: ”The Internet Is Getting Overloaded. Netflix Limits Streaming In Europe To Preserve Bandwidth”

Hudson Valley Weather forecasts for Tuesday: “Freezing drizzle mixed with sleet and plain rain... tapering off by mid morning. Temps in the low to mid 30s. NE wind 3 to 7mph. Treacherous conditions possible north of I-84 due to icing.” Central Hudson issued a warning to customers for power outages, which is reprinted below.

The Beacon City School District Superintendent Dr. Landahl announced on Monday morning that normally for an icy morning, a 2-Hour Delay would be probable. However, he explained the difference the pandemic induced Remote Learning schedule has on the traditional delay: “This year, due to the differences in our school schedules, we do not have a 2-Hour Delay, so on those days, we will offer remote instruction. However, one of the things we will have to take into account is if teachers and students have access to the internet. Power outages and internet outages across the region could make remote instruction impossible for us. This all becomes more real to us when we have a potential ice storm coming in on us.”

The District’s decision for the Remote Instruction will be announced at around 5am after the district team inspects the roads.

Message From Central Hudson:

Central Hudson is advising residents to prepare for wintry conditions that could bring snow, sleet and freezing rain to the Mid-Hudson Valley on Monday night into Tuesday. These conditions have the potential to cause service interruptions in the region, especially in Orange County and southern portions of the area.

The National Weather Service has issued an Ice Storm Warning for Orange County until Tuesday afternoon while Albany, Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Putnam, Sullivan and Ulster counties are under Winter Weather Advisories.

“We are closely monitoring the incoming weather system and have a full complement of crews as well as our core contractors ready to respond if power outages occur,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations at Central Hudson. “Our customers, too, are also advised to take precautions. Icing can damage trees and cause limbs to break and fall, bringing down power lines and causing outages and hazardous conditions.”

The current forecast is calling for a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to move into the area on Monday night. Higher snow totals are expected in the northern and western parts of the Mid-Hudson Valley while ice accumulations of up to a quarter of an inch are possible further to the south. Visit Hudson Valley Weather for the latest forecast information, or follow them on Facebook.

Our crews and support staff are practicing social distancing in an effort to keep employees and communities safe.

Remember to stay at least 30 feet away from downed power lines and remember that lines may be entangled and hidden in fallen trees and limbs. Assume all downed lines are live and keep a wide distance from fallen trees and limbs. Motorists should also be aware of the potential for downed limbs and power lines that may block roadways and should never attempt to drive over or around downed power lines.

Please review the preparedness and safety tips below and use the resources listed in the right column of this message to report an outage and seek restoration estimates should you lose power.

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People are reminded to avoid trees, as branches could fall, and to avoid standing under anything. Central Hudson also advises people not to use a grill or stove for heat, and other tips which you can read here.

Beacon's Fee Structure For Fines For Unshoveled or Unsatisfactory Snow On Sidewalks - As Of February 2021

After the City of Beacon robocalled residents to remind them to shovel their sidewalks, and shovel them better or face fines after 2.5 feet of snow fell, plus a few more inches a few days later, and more snow forecasted, A Little Beacon Blog followed up with Beacon’s City Administrator, Chris White, to find out what the fines were and what was required in snow removal from sidewalks.

ALBB: What is the fee for the City to remove snow from a sidewalk?

“The fee for the city to clear a sidewalk is a $125.00 administration fee plus $1.25 per lineal foot of sidewalk cleared.”

ALBB: When the City of Beacon Highway Department clears the sidewalk of a resident, and the resident pays the fee, are the employees of the Highway Department paid additional? Or is this part of their general work description?

“No. This is part of their general work.”

ALBB: Would shoveling of sidewalks fall into overtime for them?

“No. This is done during the normal work day on regular time.”

ALBB: Regarding width of shoveling: the robocall mentioned that baby strollers could not get through. If a resident has shoveled their sidewalk, but only so much for adults to walk through, and not a stroller, is that enough? Or is there a width requirement of snow removal on a sidewalk?

“The Beacon City Code requires the width of the sidewalk be cleared. That said, the City prioritizes clearing sidewalks that have not been cleared at all.”

ALBB: Regarding plowing done by the Highway Department: the trucks do mound snow back onto the sidewalks and driveways. According to some older residents of Beacon who have been here for 20+ years, the plowing did not seem to push back onto the sidewalks as much. Can you comment as to this snow clearing strategy?

“I can’t comment on what people say. I lived here in the 1990s and remember people complaining about that in the past as well. When you have heavy snowfalls, it is difficult to deal with the volume of snow.”

ALBB: Regarding snow removal into the street: There are at times nowhere else for the snow to go. If a yard is small, or has bushes or trees, there is literally nowhere to blow the snow if a snowblower is used, or a shovel. Can you advise?

Awaiting response. Will post when updated.

ALBB: A reader asked if there are zones of the City that have little foot traffic, like a side street, that are not subject to fine?

This was a new question in addition to the original list. Awaiting response. Will post when updated

After Double Blizzard, Beacon's Mayor's Office Says Sidewalk Snow Subject To Fine

After February’s blizzard dropped 2.5’ feet of snow, the Dig Out process began. Beacon’s Highway Department drove into Overtime in order to clear the streets day and night. Residents shoveled and powered up snow blowers to clear the snow. Which snowed twice within a 24hr period. Requiring 2 rounds of snow removal for those who were trying to keep up with it.

The following week (yesterday), another snowfall occurred, with more inches of heavy, ice-like snow falling. This prompted the Mayor’s Office to call residents with a reminder to remove snow, stating that baby strollers could not get through some sidewalks. As a pusher of a stroller for 10 years, it is common knowledge that sidewalks in Beacon will never be 100% clear enough for a stroller to get through (and the sidewalks themselves are broken or in some cases, non-existent). Of strollers that can get through plowed snow, a 3-wheel jogging stroller is usually required, which compares to an off-roading vehicle, as opposed to a more common 4-wheel stroller with small wheels, which will barely get through any snow at all.

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In the evening of Beacon’s 2nd blizzard, as people returned home from a commute if they have one, or turned away from Remote Learning if they had kids at home during the Snow-Day-Not-A-Snow-Day, the Mayor’s Office delivered a robo-call to residents, reminding them to clear their sidewalks, and letting them know of a fine that could happen if the Highway Department needed to clear their sidewalks for them. Instead of the Mayor delivering the message as he had hours earlier to deliver a vaccination awareness message, residents heard from his assistant regarding snow removal consequences:

Please help us keep everyone safe during this inclement weather.

Keep the roads clear by avoiding unnecessary travel; park in City parking lots or in your driveway. Any car parked on a city street after two inches of snowfall is subject to being towed.

Your car needs to be move out of City parking lots 24 hours after the snow has stopped falling so the Highway Department can clear the lots.

Let’s keep the sidewalks cleared for everyone, there were a lot of baby strollers struggling to get through narrow paths last week. It is your responsibility to clear your sidewalk within 24 hours after the snow stops falling. If you do not do so, the City will clear it for you and charge you a fine.

Please do not throw snow in the road as it can turn to ice and can become a hazard.

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Sidewalk Path Width

Following up on this message, A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to the Mayor’s Office to gain clarification on the required width - if any - on how wide the shoveling of the snow on a sidewalk needs to be.

Shoveling is a lot of work. People who cannot, due to time or physical hardship, hire locals or companies to dig out for them. Blue Green Lawns, a new landscaping company serving Poughkeepsie and Beacon, dug out 10 properties for the first storm, and 4 properties for the second storm. According to Blue Green Lawns, some homeowners specified: “We need you immediately so that we don’t get fined.”

Sidewalk Snow Throwback From Highway Department Plow Trucks

While the sentiment of gratitude is there for the Highway Department to be plowing, and earning anticipated overtime during the winter blizzard season, residents do dread when the truck passes by and pushes the snow from the street back onto a freshly shoveled sidewalk. “It didn’t used to be this way,” one long-time Beacon resident stated, who has lived in Beacon for 30 years and has a corner lot. “They didn’t used to push the snow back into our sidewalk. They left it in the street.”

Also notable is the corner of a sidewalk. If a resident digs out but stops at the corner, then a person must turn around to walk back

Running Out Of Room To Put The Snow

While removing 2.5’ feet of snow, it is unclear on what to do if there is no room at the resident’s property to put the snow. One person’s yard may be spacious, another person’s yard may have large bushes or trees in front, thereby making snow placement impossible after shoveling it from the sidewalk, and forcing it into the street, as it has nowhere left to go.

After snowfall, from time to time and for certain areas, the City of Beacon does remove, or cut, snow from the street to place it in piles near Memorial Park.

Sidewalk Fines If Highway Department Digs Out A Resident

During Monday night’s City Council Workshop meeting, the new City Administrator, Chris White, and Mayor Lee Kyriacou indicated a schedule of pricing, for how to calculate how much a homeowner would be fined, depending on the area needing cleared.

Beacon's Mayor Kyriacou Robo-Calls Community With Vaccine Information

Today (Tuesday, 2/9/2021), Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou sent a health message via Beacon’s robo-call system, to tell people how to get a COVID-19 vaccination near Beacon, NY. His message is below:

This is Beacon Mayor Lee Kyriacou with an update on COVID-19 vaccines.

Eligibility: Those who are currently eligible for a vaccine are: people 65 and older, frontline workers including first responders, public safety and transit workerse, educators, front-facing grocery store workers, certain funeral workers, and those working or living in homeless shelters

Everyone who is currently eligible for a vaccine will be able to get one within three to four months.

There are several vaccine distribution locations in our area. All require an appointment. Please be patient, but persistent. I will list them starting with those in Beacon.

• Sun River Health on Main Street. Visit sunriver.org or call 845 288 0850. Available wit appointment only. No walk-ins.

• Local pharmacies are vaccinating those 65 years and older. Check RiteAid.com and BeaconWellnessPharmacy.com later this month for more information. Please do not call to schedule.

• The former JC Penney in the mall and Dover High School. Visit dutchessny.gov/covidvaccine.

• The Institute for Family Health in Hyde Park, Ellenville and New Paltz. Visit institute.org

• Westchester County Center and SUNY Albany. Visit am-i-eligibile.covid19vaccine.health.ny/gov or call 1 833 697 4829

• Castle Point, for Veterans who are either 65 or older or are essential workers, call 845 838 7668.

To sign up for these robo-calls from te City, click here to get an introduction and to get started.

Trash Tip: What To Do If You Missed Garbage Pickup After A Snow Storm Blizzard

Shoveling Tip: Carve a place out for your trash cans to sit at the end of the street.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The past 2 snow storms have hit on a Monday. How do I know? Because trash pickup for our neighborhood is on a Tuesday, and after the first snow storm, I forgot to carve a place in the snow for Trash and Recycling cans, and needed to leave the cans at the end of the driveway. Don’t assume that garbage pickup is canceled just because of a major snowfall. Those collection trucks from Royal Carting, the trash company contracted with the City of Beacon to remove your trash and recycling weekly, usually ventures out in the worst of weather.

However, if your cans are wedged into the snow during a storm and cannot be easily lifted out, the Garbage collectors might move on. They do need the cans to be easy to access. If you carefully carved out a place in the snow for your cans, and then dragged your cans to the end of the driveway the night before, only to find them boxed in by new snow heaps from the snow plows overnight, there is a chance that your garbage won’t get picked up.

Fear not. You can call Royal Carting directly and request to be put on their “list” of a pickup, possibly the day you call if you call early enough. You’ll need to have your cans back out by the street and easy to access for when the collection truck swings by again. However, if your cans aren’t back out in time, they will keep on driving by.

Good luck!

Knee High In February...Snow Continues To Bury Beacon and Dutchess County. Closures Continue.

Snowfall accumulation in Beacon is up to 22” inches in places by Monday night, and is not over yet. The winter storm warning is in effect until Tuesday, with snow predicted to continue falling. The Beacon Highway Department was out plowing since 5:30am Monday morning, said Beacon’s new City Administrator, Chris White during the weekly City Council Meeting Monday evening. He noted that this is one of the longest runs they will do, running plows continuously throughout the day and overnight in attempts to keep up with the falling snow.

Dutchess County at large is also having trouble keeping up with clearing the snow, as Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro said on Monday afternoon via press release: “Our Public Works Highway crews have been out all day, and will continue through the night, plowing roadways. However, the rate of snowfall is making work very challenging and road conditions are poor. Please avoid traveling to let crews do their work safely. Stay home and stay safe.”

Governor Cuomo declared a State of Emergency for 44 counties, and included the Hudson Valley in that, according to a press release sent by the Dutchess County Executive. While there are no specific travel bans at this time, the Governor’s announcements notes portions of key roadways, including I-84, may face travel bans if snowfall rate reaches between 2” -3” inches per hour.”

The Beacon City School District remains closed on Tuesday, with no Remote Learning taking place, as buildings are closed (and teachers have kids too! that would be really hard for a teacher to have a full Remote Learning day with kids at home).

Public bus transpiration remains closed until at least 12pm Tuesday, as do DMV and other Dutchess County offices. On Monday, Metro-North suspended services this afternoon, with the final trains leaving Grand Central Terminal at 3pm. Dutchess County 911 Communications Center call volume has been within normal limits throughout the day, according to the press release sent by the County Executive.

City of Beacon public offices remain closed Tuesday, but some employees are working remotely. People are encouraged to call the main line for a directory.

Dutchess County Government offices will be on a delayed opening Tuesday. Offices are scheduled to open at noon. If Dutchess County residents had a DMV appointment for Tuesday morning, those appointments will honored on Thursday, February 4th at the same time and location.

Dutchess County Public Transit Service is expected to resume full route service Tuesday, February 2nd starting at noon. Bus passengers can check for updates at www.dutchessny.gov/publictransit, on the DCPT mobile app, or call 845-473-8424, TDD/TTY: 711.

The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office reports only a small increase in the number of auto related accidents or disabled vehicles as motorists heed guidance to avoid travel, as reported by the press release.

Main Street In Beacon - Closed Early If Open At All

Normally Beacon’s Main Street is very resilient. Many stores usually dig out and wedge their sidewalk signs into the mounds of plowed snow. but even Beacon’s long haulers could not sustain the snowfall, and closed early to help their employees go home safely. Citizens Bank was closed on Monday, but Artisan Wine Shop dug out and was open for win re-stocks.

Digging Out - Did You Start?

Depending on when you started shoveling, you may not have even made a dent. Snow blowers powered up in the early afternoon, and stayed on into the evening, with neighbors removing snow in different shifts. Fortunately for shovelers, the snow was light and powdery. Sometimes if you wait too long, the snow begins to melt and gets heavy. People had different strategies:

Said @mdhairstylist: “🙋🏽‍♀️For the sake of cardio, we shoveled out our cars- just as an excuse to come inside and eat our snow-day snacks!😂”

@mattaewan was taking a different approach: “I plan to wait and let the snow release my car naturally, like a pressure cooker.”

@yaya_love_312 hedges her bets on tomorrow: “My strategy is to do it tomorrow 🤷🏾‍♀️”

A whole new dig-out will happen for Tuesday, despite massive efforts made by people on Monday. Will check in again then.

Digging Out Tips this round:

• Leave your gate open. The show will pile up on either side of it, making it very hard to open. Your mail person would really like for that fence to not be jammed.

• Dig a place for your trash cans, if your garbage/recycling collection is the next day after a blizzard.

Monday's Forecasted Heavy Snow & Wind Closes Dutchess County Offices, Public Transit, Meal Delivery, and Beacon Schools

With sideways snowfall starting already in Pennsylvania, Washington, DC and parts of Virginia, which is part of a storm system headed to New York, Connecticut, and all the way up the east coast, Dutchess County is staying ahead of it by announcing emergency actions on Sunday evening, prior to the predicted time of snowfall.

The Beacon City School System has called a full school closure, which means that the Remote Learning plan will not be activated. Beacon Superintendent Landahl has made it clear at Board of Education Meetings and in community correspondences, that he - and his own young children who are in the district - want “good old fashioned snow days” during this new remote learning life.

The snow in Beacon is excepted to start on Monday morning at approximately 4am and continue into Tuesday. High accumulations and wind gusts are expected (see below for Dutchess County predictions). Wind gusts typically cause power outages in the Beacon area, so have everything charged, and turn your heat on overnight. Do not use propane heaters or leave them unattended, as those are a fire-hazard.

Cars must be off the street after 2” inches of snow, so that plows can come through. When shoveling, try to shovel the snow into your yard and not the street, as the snow plows will simply plow it back onto your sidewalk. Of course, if your neighbor kindly snow blows your sidewalk for you as a favor, and blows the snow into the street, #whatareyougoingtodo.

Have cash on hand to hire locals walking by to shovel you out if you need the help, or visit A Little Beacon Blog’s Business Directory for snow plow services.

According to a press release issued Sunday evening by Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro, he has activated several steps to help keep the county safe:

Snow Warning + Weather Forecast From Dutchess County

According to the press release: “The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning effective now through Tuesday, February 2nd. Snowfall is expected to arrive very early Monday morning, continuing into Tuesday until approximately 10pm. Prediction models vary widely for this storm with heavy snow fall expected between 9”-18'“ inches, with 12”-15” inches likely, and wind gusts as high as 25mph during the day Monday, and 30mph Monday evening. Both morning and evening commutes on Monday are expected to be impacted significantly, and motorists are reminded to allow extra time and exercise caution on the roadways.”

County Executive Molinaro said, “Reports indicate this storm is going to give us significant snowfall and winds. We are monitoring the situation carefully and emergency responders are prepared. We want all residents to be safe and avoid travel if possible. If you must travel, recognize that you'll need to allocate extra time for safety purposes, as crews work to clear roadways.”

Dutchess County To Activate Emergency Operations Center, 7am Monday

Dutchess County Emergency Response will activate the Emergency Operations Center at 7am Monday with representatives from County Public Works, NYS DOT, New York State Police, County Sheriff, County Behavioral & Community Health, Central Hudson, NYSEG, and Red Cross for the duration of the storm.

Previously Scheduled Weekly Call With Mayors and Supervisors To Review Storm Conditions

County Executive Molinaro will host a previously scheduled weekly conference call with local Mayors and Supervisors on Monday afternoon to review storm conditions and coordinate resources as necessary.

Dutchess County Public Works highway crews have loaded trucks with materials, salt will be applied to County roadways as the storm begins, and crews will be out through the duration of the storm to clear roadways.

Dutchess County Public Transit Suspended Monday

Dutchess County Public Transit Service will be suspended Monday, February 1st. Bus passengers can check for updates at www.dutchessny.gov/publictransit, on the DCPT mobile app, or call 845-473-8424, TDD/TTY: 711.

Home Delivered Meals For Seniors Suspended Monday

Dutchess County Office for the Aging has suspended Home Delivered Meals delivery for Monday, February 1st. Recipients should utilize previously provided frozen or shelf stable meals.

Dutchess County Offices Closed Monday

Dutchess County Government offices will be closed Monday, February 1st. If Dutchess County residents had a DMV appointment for Monday, February 1st, it will be honored on Wednesday, February 3rd at the same time and location.

The City of Beacon’s offices will also be closed to the public on Monday, but the regular City Council Meeting will continue, as they have been remote since the pandemic.

Residents can stay up-to-date on the County’s storm response online at dutchessny.gov or on the County’s social media pages on Facebook or Twitter.

Childcare Grants Available For 75% Of Childcare Cost - But It's Complicated - Deadline February 16, 2021

Dutchess County has made available a Childcare Scholarship Grant to residents since 2020, and is promoting it again in 2021. There are requirements and limitations of the scholarships, which limit the application pool. According to the Beacon Recreation Director, Mark Price, who runs Beacon’s After School Program in Beacon’s 4 elementary schools, users of this scholarship have been slim. “I thought this would go like hot cakes, but it hasn’t.”

Beacon’s After School Program launched a few years ago, and has been a wild success. South Avenue Elementary has seen the most participation, and is also the school associated with the most families considered in a lower income bracket.

Last year, South Avenue’s After School Program had 25 kids. This year, it has 2. During the time of the mysterious sickness that had many people out sick in January - March 2020, before the pandemic was declared - South Avenue’s program easily had 7 of 25 kids out a day, with sick kids also in attendance. As a parent in the program, it was a rotating mess of sick kids and siblings.

This year, with school on a Hybrid schedule (2 days in school, 3 days at home), and with kids split between attending on Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday combos, the number of children in one room at the After School Program is significantly lower.

Is this reduction by family safety choice? Or is it for economic reasons? This answer is unknown. The Dutchess County scholarship is designed for families in the lower income bracket. However, families in (or formerly in) a higher income may also be squeezed financially, and cannot apply.

Additionally, the scholarship requires that the parents be working, or looking for work. This seems to exclude parents who are not working by choice or circumstance, but are overcome with children at home, which can contribute to mental health declines. Dual parent families at times make the choice early on to have one parent not work, as they don’t want to spend the childcare, which can contribute to a mental health decline for the parent staying at home.

Some Trips To Applying For The Childcare Scholarship, Or Childcare In General, During A Pandemic And Economic Squeeze

There is $180,000 allocated to all of Dutchess County, not including the City of Poughkeepsie. The City of Poughkeepsie has its own $90,000 to work with, according to the Dutchess County website.

Scholarship stipulations from Dutchess County include:

• 1. Parent(s) or guardian(s) must be working, looking for work or in school to be eligible, unless there are extenuating circumstances and a demonstrated COVID related need for childcare despite not meeting this criterion.

• 2. The child cannot be receiving any other childcare subsidy or scholarship (i.e., DCFS subsidy or Dyson Scholarship. If eligible for a subsidy from the DCFS, applicants must apply for funding from that program.

• 3. The child must be currently enrolled in a regulated childcare facility within Dutchess County.

This last bullet of #3 is in bold on the Dutchess County website. When people sign up for a childcare program, it is presumably because they can pay for it. For Beacon’s After School Program, people sign up online (this was at first a milestone, and now is a hurdle for if the website works, and becomes a race for who can operate the Internet and their registration system fast enough - I have bee known to simply drive to the building when the website opens). This year, however, for example, there are 2 kids (out of 25) in the South Avenue Program. So there is no race.

However, in signing up, the online message is very clear in the online sales process, that one must pay the tuition in full. For a family even in a higher income bracket during a pandemic, paying over $1,000 up front for 2 kids for one semester is difficult. It takes a personal phone call to ask the people at the Beacon Rec Center if a payment plan can be worked out. And the answer is: “Of course! We just want your kids in the program!”

People who are afraid or embarrassed to ask for a payment plan or payment deferral may not make this phone call. And thus not register for the program, and not apply. And then maybe not apply for this scholarship from Dutchess County. Dutchess County requires that kids are already enrolled in a daycare program. If the family can’t pay initially, they won’t be enrolled in the childcare program.

As for requirement #1: this seems to exclude families or single parent families where the main caregiver is not working. Unknown how this works for a single parent family who would then need to prove that the other parent is looking for work. At times, communication breakdowns can happen between parents, making this a daunting task.

Dutchess County is aggressive on creating mental health initiatives. Primary caregivers who are not working and not eligible for this program may be suffering at home, under the weight of their children suddenly at home all day with very little outside stimulation provided by programs such as childcare facilities who are required to follow strict safety guidelines, which parents trust.

How Dutchess County’s Scholarship Works

Beacon’s After School Program is promoting the scholarships. Their email to previously enrolled families was:

“Scholarships are being awarded for the balance of the academic calendar year by a random selection process to low and moderate-income families. The funds will cover 75% of the tuition for each child, paid directly to the childcare facility. Families will be responsible for 25% of the tuition. Low- and moderate-income Dutchess County families with children enrolled in a regulated childcare program are eligible to apply.”

Some of Dutchess County’s language on the application is as follows:

“Dutchess County and the City of Poughkeepsie received funding through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) made available through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. These CDBG COVID (CV) funds are to be used to prevent, prepare for, or respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

“With schools not opening in their traditional formats, families have been challenged with the unprecedented need for childcare for their school aged children to allow parents and guardians the ability to work, look for work or attend school. The intent of this scholarship fund is to fill the gap between the number of days students will be in school and those days where students are not in school. Families are encouraged to consider their natural resources and supports and to request the minimal number of days needed so this funding can be maximized”

Income requirements are listed here on the Dutchess County application. If you do not meet these requirements, consider reaching out with questions on if an amendment can be made.

Latest Active Case COVID-19 Numbers 1/18/2021 For Beacon, Fishkill, Wappingers, and Poughkeepsie

Dutchess County has been busy with their website of dashboards, to keep people informed about the different numbers available from New York State, Dutchess County, and drilling down into our own communities/municipalities. There are currently several types of dashboards identified on the Dutchess County Department Of Community and Behavioral Health web page dedicated for all things coronavirus (COVID-19).

This weekend, locals on the street were exchanging numbers: “Did you know there are 100 active cases in Beacon?” one man said to another. So we thought we’d take a look. Here at A Little Beacon Blog, we don’t refresh the numbers every day. That said, the numbers have taken quite a jump over time. Surrounding communities have been posted below.

Today (Sunday), the Beacon City School District robo-called called district families with 2 new cases in the district that do require the impacted school buildings to go Remote tomorrow (Tuesday) after today’s MLK Day holiday. South Avenue Elementary School and Rombout Middle School have a new case each, and this time, will require a switch to Remote. A move which has been rare among the 6 district school buildings, as most new cases at different school buildings have included a student or staff member who had already been isolating at home, or were in the 100% Remote program already.

COVID-19 Active Case Numbers By Neighboring Communities

The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health web page for COVID-19 has evolved, and now has more items organized, like Executive Orders, Vaccine Information, etc. The Dashboard of current cases by community is currently (1/18/2021) at the bottom of their webs page.

Active COVID-19 Cases around our region as of 1/18/2021 are as follows:
To give perspective, in April 28 2020, these were numbers were this. Beacon was at least 100 active cases then, and continued even until May. In the summer, Beacon’s numbers lowered into the two digits, hitting 47 or into the 20s.

Now we are back up into the 100s. Could be that more people are getting themselves tested. Whatever the reason, people’s personal stories exist, of the near-play-date encounter of a family who all of a sudden got it, and a grandparent died. Or of COVID Long Haulers. For those looking at numbers, the numbers we also consider at ALBB are the hospital bed numbers across the country, as we work to keep local hospital numbers down. Poor L.A. County in CA. Heartbreaking over there.

Beacon: 105
East Fishkill: 313
Fishkill: 200
Fishkill Village: 24
LaGrange: 121
Pleasant Valley: 64
Poughkeepsie: 400
Poughkeepsie City: 329
Rhinebeck: 97
Rhinebeck Village: 27
Wappingers: 232
Wappingers Falls Village: 57

Mayor Kyriacou on 1/11/2021 at the beginning of a Workshop meeting, said this about Beacon’s confirmed cases: “Cases are up of COVID. I know it’s getting hard for everyone because the numbers are up. Our New York numbers are up bove where they were in March in terms of confirmed cases. The silver lining in that is that we have learned a lot. The hospitalizations and death rates are significantly lower given those numbers. And that’s exaactly what I think the Governor and the CDC and others were hoping for. That we could whether this without totally shutting down our economy. By getting enough prevention for those that are most at risk. I think we’ve managed that. I know the numbers are scary. I will point out that the Beacon numbers are consistently better than the County. I think that means that you all in the community are doing our part, and we need to keep doing that. We are exposed more than than other parts of the County for those who need to commute to the city (NYC).”

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

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

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

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

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

A Virtual Town Hall for Hudson Valley on the New York Health Act Will Be Held January 28th

Guaranteed Comprehensive Healthcare for All New Yorkers is Closer Than You Think is a free, virtual event, open to the public, organized by Hudson Valley Demands New York Health, and hosted by the Newburgh Free Library and the Desmond-Fish Public Library, on Thursday, January 28th, 7pm. Attendees will learn about the bill, its legislative trajectory and why it is important for New Yorkers to demand its passage in 2021. The panel discussion will focus on how the bill would affect various aspects of the healthcare system, including patients and healthcare providers, as well as the cost to municipalities. The keynote speaker will be NYS Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, followed by a panel discussion including Dr. Reena Agarwal (MD, MPH, FACP), Darius Shahinfar (Albany City Treasurer), and Lynn Esteban (patient/healthcare activist), and moderated by Jess Robie (RN). The event will be facilitated by Jeff Mikkelson (Co-Founder, HVDNYH). Registration for the event is required to attend: bit.ly/NYHealthActJan28.

Affordable, accessible, healthcare is an important issue for many Americans. Although most New Yorkers have health insurance, many people have long struggled to afford premiums, co-pays, deductibles, and the high cost of prescription drugs. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed the dysfunction and inadequacy, as well as the racial and class inequality, of our current healthcare system.

If passed, the New York Health Act would guarantee comprehensive health coverage to every New Yorker while eliminating premiums, deductibles, and co-pays, and would help address the structural inequalities of our current system. It would also save money for individuals, local governments and New York State.

This public education event is organized by Hudson Valley Demands New York Health (HVDNYH), a coalition of grassroots groups and individuals working to guarantee comprehensive healthcare for all New Yorkers by passing the New York Health Act (NYHA).

WHAT: Guaranteed Comprehensive Healthcare for All New Yorkers is Closer Than You Think: A Virtual Town Hall on the New York Health Act
WHERE: Virtual Event, Register Here: bit.ly/NYHealthActJan28
WHEN: Thursday, January 28, 2021 7:00pm - 8:30pm

Speaker Bios

Jessica Gonźalez-Rojas, NYS Assembly Member
Jessica Gonźalez-Rojas was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020 to represent the 34th Assembly district, which encompasses several diverse communities in Queens. She has been an unapologetic leader for social justice on the national and local level for over two decades. For 13 years Jessica served in the leadership at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice. She has fought for immigrant rights, racial justice, and gender equity. Prior to running for the Assembly, Jessica served as a community liaison for Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez. As a long time leader in community and electoral politics, Jessica has received numerous proclamations for her advocacy work.

Reena Agarwal, MD, MPH, FACP
Dr. Agarwal is a primary care physician trained in Internal Medicine. She completed her residency in Social Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and a residency in Public Health/Preventive Medicine at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She also has an extensive background in quality improvement. She has spent her career working in New York Hospitals and Community Health Centers where her focus has been on providing care for the underserved as well as teaching resident physicians.

Darius Shahinfar, Albany City Treasurer
Darius Shahinfar is the elected Treasurer and Chief Fiscal Officer of the City of Albany.

His work as City Treasurer led him to research the effect of health care financing on municipal budgets and local property taxes. He has testified on this subject to the NYS Legislature and has spoken on these issues to numerous organizations. He believes strongly, not only in the moral imperative of universal health care coverage, but also that single payer will result in dramatic tax and cost savings. He is a graduate of Bates College, and Albany Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Albany Law Review.

Lynn Esteban, Patient/healthcare activist
Lynn Esteban is an artist and activist who lives in Poughkeepsie with her family. A bout of Mono (Epstein Barr virus) in 2011 triggered a chronic illness, the severity of which has left her unable to work. She has had a protracted and challenging battle with the healthcare system to reach a correct diagnosis and effective treatment. Lynn is a disability activist and volunteer with MEAction, an international advocacy organization that educates physicians and the public about managing post-viral conditions.

Beacon's Highway Department and Transfer Station Closed For COVID Exposure Until January 19, 2021

Beacon’s Highway Department’s Garage. If you lose something in the fields, the Highway Department combs the fields to clean them, and the item may end up inside of this building.

The City of Beacon issued a robo-call to announce that the Highway Department is in quarantine and the Transfer Station (aka “The Dump”) is closed until January 19, 2021. This is the second known quarantine for the Highway Department, and limits their ability to conduct otherwise day to day activities, like picking up Christmas trees.

City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero said during this week’s City Council Workshop that the Highway Department employees are dubbed Essential Workers, and should a snow storm or related event happen, that they could come out to work. He also indicated that the department is reviewing protocol to improve its chances of exposure.

There was no indication on where any individual was exposed to COVID, if it was on the job or during personal life.

Wishing everyone health as the virus passes through.

Warm Up To Winter: An Energy Showcase - Free Online Event January 14

The New Paltz Climate Action Coalition is hosting their free online event, Warm Up To Winter: An Energy Showcase, on Thursday, January 14th, 6-7:30pm, on ways to efficiently heat your home this winter. The event is open to all homeowners and renters in the mid-Hudson region. It will include speakers from New Paltz Climate Action Coalition, Interfaith Earth Action, and Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess & Sullivan Counties.

This session will provide valuable resources to save money on your heating and utility bills this winter as well as the environment. Topics will include:

• free energy audits to help you find ways to save $ on heating bills & electricity

• grant programs/funding for renters, low & moderate income households

• low-interest financing & tax incentives for households looking to switch to renewable energy, do energy upgrades, & more

• renewable energy- community solar (great for renters), home solar power installations, heat pumps, geothermal & more!

• DIY weatherization, winterization & energy efficiency techniques, programs, and companies

Renters and landlords are especially encouraged to join us- there are specific programs we'd love to link you to that are vetted and will help you save both money on your bills AND will help the environment!

To receive the Zoom for the showcase, click here to register and join on Thursday, January 14, 2020 6-7:30pm!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How Other Municipalities Proposed To Spend Money

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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