Poof :: Beacon's Parklets Are Gone To Prepare For Repaving And Painting Of Main Street

Just as swiftly as they went up, the parklets that enabled additional outdoor dining opportunities for restaurants and patrons due to the COVID-19 pandemic have come down by September's end. The parklets are the orange barricades out front participating restaurants. The barricades were filled with water, making them very heavy for increased safety for those sitting on the other side of them. Restaurants often decorated them with flowers and in some cases built patios below them with coverings above them. They first appeared in Beacon in June 2020, but the concept has been in other cities for much longer.

The early take-down is a result of anticipated milling and paving of Main Street, as first announced by Beacon's City Administrator Chris White during the City Council's Meeting on 8/2/2021. He explained that a new surface coat will be going down, with epoxying using a high quality paint that will hold up for many years. He stated that all parking spaces, cross walks, and more will all be repainted. "We are in a state of flux right now," he expressed, "but hoping that by end of October, Main Street is tightened up."

Screenshot of the City of Beacon’s Schedule of Autumn Road Closure Schedule For Milling And Paving as of 9/29/2021.

City Administrator Chris announced again during the City Council Workshop Meeting on 9/27/2021 that the parklets would be pulled to begin milling and paving. On 9/29/2021, the City posted a brief Road Closure schedule through October 5, 2021, which includes some Main Street intersections, but are a fraction of the mile long Main Street that offers dining experiences from restaurants using parklets. It is unclear at this time if this is an incomplete list, or the full list of milling and paving. Additionally, it is unclear if milling and paving on Main Street will be conducted while Main Street is open, but traffic routed around into the other lane in order to avoid too many Main Street closures.

Throughout the summer, Beacon experienced the installation of "bump-outs," which are circular extensions of the sidewalk at corners. In theory, these are easier for people in wheelchairs (but if you're in a wheelchair, let us know in the Comments below if Beacon's installation is helpful to you!), and getting pedestrians more into the street at crosswalks to be seen by passing cars (deep breaths as you step out).

Construction of these bump-outs lasted throughout the summer, causing moving drive-arounds as different intersections on Main Street were worked on. Completed work to the bump-outs will happen once the street is milled and paved, to match the street paving to the end of the sidewalk for a smooth transition. Currently, there is an unfinished drop-off between the bump-out and the street.

The Barns Art Center to Host Harvest Festival

Hopewell Junction, New York – The newly opened Barns Art Center is pleased to announce Harvest Festival. Held from October 9-10, the convening will feature the premiere of LOST ARTS, a three-screen film experience, the groundbreaking ceremony for a large-scale installation with artist collective Futurefarmers, and a local market.

LOST ARTS Film Premiere – screening times 11:00am-3:00pm
The Barns Art Center will premiere LOST ARTS, a three screen, immersive film experience that explores the art and culture of agriculture in the Hudson Valley. Beyond being a tool for education and a response to our current social and ecological climate, the film is a sensory celebration of the bounty of the Hudson Valley and the profound wisdom that has been unearthed and cultivated here for thousands of years. By looking to the past for forgotten methods, techniques, and philosophies, today’s farmers have found more innovative, sustainable, and equitable ways forward.

The ten featured farmers include: Jack Algiere, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture; Ben and Melany Dobson, Hudson Hemp; Ken Greene, Hudson Valley Seed Company; Anne Hall, Crespell; Don Lewis, Wild Hive Farm; John Michelotti, Catskill Fungi; Rick Osofsky, Ronnybrook Farm Dairy; David Rowe, Rowe’s Apiaries Jalal Sabur, Sweet Freedom Farm; Karen Washington, Garden of Happiness/La Familia Verde/Rise & Root. The film is produced with Kingston-based company Northguild.

In conjunction with the LOST ARTS premiere is a roster of farmer-led, daytime activities:

11:30am Sculpting with Flowers

Flower Arranging Workshop with Anne Hall, Crespell

12:30pm Looking Back – How did we get here?

A conversation with Don Lewis, Ken Greene, David Rowe, Rick Osofsky

1:30pm Spore Printing

Mushroom Walk and Printmaking Workshop with John Michelotti, Catskill Fungi

2:30pm Looking Forward – Farming for the Future – Where can we go?

A conversation with Jack Algiere, Ben and Melany Dobson, Jalal Sabur

BARNS ART CENTER | 736 SOUTH DRIVE, HOPEWELL JUNCTION, NY 12533 | BARNSARTCENTER.ORG

Futurefarmers Of Furrows & Lands in Harps Installation

Futurefarmers breaks ground on their first large-scale public artwork in the United

States. Drawing on the success of their 10-year project Flatbread Society for the city of

Oslo, Of Furrows & Lands in Harps will manifest as an extraordinary architectural

structure and a public program that unfolds over three-years time. The architectural

structure, designed by Belgian architect Lode Vranken, will feature three spaces: a

bakehouse, a meeting space and an extraordinary experimental instrument at the heart

of the work and building called Hum Stone. Hum Stone is made from a millstone and is

able to play other millstones. Drawing from the historical context of the site, once a farm,

then a microchip factory, now The Barns Art Center, this unique instrument points to the

past while invoking the future. Participating composers include Walter Kitundu,

Guillermo Galindo, Annea Lockwood.

A groundbreaking ceremony for Futurefarmers will be held from 3:00-6:00pm:

3:00 Place Stones with artist/choreographer, Elaine Buckholtz

A participatory action involving sound, movement, and the placing of three millstones.

4:00 Impressions from the Stone

A series of limited-edition prints made from rubbings of custom carved millstone by

Walter Kitundu.

Harvest Festival Market 11:00-3:00

The Festival Market will include River Valley Guild Artist and Artisan Market and a Cider

Week New York Tasting, including local food and beverage vendors such as Ronnybrook

Farm Dairy, Sloop Brewing Co., More Good, Fishkill Farms and Treasury Cider, and

more.

More about the The Barns Art Center

The Barns Art Center is a contemporary art initiative located up the Hudson River, 60 miles north of NYC, in East Fishkill at iPark 84. The Barns occupies a 3,200-square-foot museum quality gallery built adjacent a former IBM microchip plant. Aligning with the region’s rich agricultural tradition and history of environmental stewardship, The Barns champions art at the nexus of food, farming, ecology, and sustainability. Stimulating essential dialogue around innovation, conservation, and equity, we hope to cultivate new ways of thinking about the earth, the history we inherit, and the legacy we leave behind. Through its exhibition, education, and empowerment programs, The Barns Art Center strives to create community and catalyze creative expression. We are free, open to the public, and committed to fostering an accessible, interactive, and inclusive environment.

For additional information or materials regarding any of the above programs or events, contact: Tara Anne Dalbow, Gallery Director and Curator, tdalbow@barnsartcenter.org, c.970-376-8668

www.barnsartcenter.org / @barnsartcenter

Beacon's Spirit Of Beacon Day 2021 Is "All Around Beacon" :: City-Wide Opportunities Sunday 9/26/2021

The Spirit of Beacon Day is a defining day of celebration and commitment to unity in Beacon that was born out of racial tensions among Beacon’s youth in 1977 (one elder’s recollection is that it started in a bar over a romance). To find peace, leaders in the community from different factions came together to find a way to come together, and the Spirit of Beacon Day was born.

The day traditionally commenced as a parade starring the 6 public schools in Beacon, independent schools, faith-based organizations, and non-profits. During the parade, on either side of the road, were tables, booths and mini-concert stages set up for people to experience different cultures and groups.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last year in 2020, the parade down Main Street diverted to a side route designed to go throughout the city, much in the spirit of drive-by birthday parties that were happening, in order to account for social distancing.

The volunteer organizers of the Spirit of Beacon Day have once again designed a thoughtful program that can be like sparklers of feelings throughout the city. Committee Members include Gwenno James, Karen James, and others. Together, they spend the year designing the program, presenting it to the City of Beacon for any permissions needed from the City, and then the committee sees the event through with fervor. See past news from them here.

There’s no parade, but there are plenty of ways to connect! Don’t feel shy. Go up to any of these organizations to introduce yourself and begin to get to know each other. These events are from the Spirit of Beacon Day Event Calendar.

The main live event from the Committee itself will be live music from Veterans Place (near the Post Office and Towne Crier). Other events are scheduled throughout the city.

Spirit of Beacon Day Community Concert

Sunday, September 26, 2021
12:00 PM 5:00 PM
Veterans Place Beacon, NY, 12508 United States
Celebrate Spirit of Beacon Day on Veteran’s Place by the Post Office with live entertainment and music with performers from across our community!
12pm : GG and the Shades
12.30pm : Beacon Performing Arts
1pm : Speeches, Awards and Yanarella School of Dance
1.30pm : Bosco and the Storm
2.30pm : Judith Tulloch Band

Spirit Of Beacon Day 2021 Schedule Of Events City-Wide

Some of these events are still running but started earlier.

I Run Beacon

Sun, Sep 19, 2021 9:00 AM Sun, Sep 26, 2021 6:00 PM
This is a Virtual Event. Choose your own location to run the 5K
WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN US AS WE CELEBRATE BEACON WHILE RAISING MONEY FOR OUR “MAKING A DIFFERENCE” SCHOLARSHIP AWARDED TO A GRADUATING BEACON SENIOR!
Register here : https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/NA/IRunBeacon5KRunWalk

Spirit of Beacon Flower Bouquets at Flora Good Times

Sun, Sep 19, 2021 12:00 PM Wed, Oct 6, 2021 6:00 PM
197 Main St Beacon NY
Flora Good Times will be donating $10 from the sale of each bouquet to various Beacon community organizations throughout the month of September!
During the month of September, Flora's classic $20 Donation Posey Bouquet is renamed Spirit of Beacon Bouquet!
Flora Good Times is open Thursdays-Mondays 11am-6pm, but we are open 24/7 for online orders
We love Beacon!

Stonykill Farm Tour : visit the animals and enter the farm raffle!

Saturday, September 25, 2021
11:00 AM 1:00 PM
79 Farmstead Lane Wappingers Falls, NY, 12590 United States (map)
Celebrate Spirit of Beacon Day by visiting historic Stony Kill Farm! The barn will be open for tours and visits with our livestock. Enter the farm raffle and win a basket of SKF goodies. Show the Love and make a donation to help support the farm!

Drink Up! A Display of Bottles, Crocks, & Jugs from Main Street Beacon's Past

Sat, Sep 25, 2021 11:00 AM - Sun, Sep 26, 2021 5:00 PM
458 Main Street Beacon, NY United States
Beacon Bath & Bubble is teaming up with the Beacon Historical Society to present a window display of vintage bottles, crocks, and jugs from Main Street Beacon's past. An additional display in the store will delight viewers with memorabilia from the Beacon's golden age of tourism, manufacturing, and fashion.

Fundraiser for Land To Learn at Dirty Bacchus

Sat, Sep 25, 2021 11:30 AM Sun, Sep 26, 2021 7:30 PM
380 Main Street beacon, ny
Dirty Bacchus will be promoting Land To Learn (read all about what they do here: https://landtolearn.org/), asking for donations and giving discounts on wine in return for donations of $10 or more.

Glenham Elementary Collaborative Art Piece

Sat, Sep 25, 2021 12:00 PM - Sun, Sep 26, 2021 6:00 PM
Glenham Elementary School will showcase a collaborative art piece made by the students which will be displayed at a local business - TBD.

Hudson Hills Collaborative Art Piece

Sat, Sep 25, 2021 12:00 PM - Sun, Sep 26, 2021 6:00 PM
A collaborative art piece created by the Hudson Hills Montessori school students will be displayed at a Main St location - TBD

Fall Fun at Forrestal, with JVF PTSO

Saturday, September 25, 2021
1:00 PM 4:00 PM
Join the JVF PTSO for "Fall Fun at Forrestal Day" on Saturday 9/25 from 1-4pm!
This free event will take place on the lower field at Forrestal and feature:
-Apple cider and donuts
-Lawn games
-A "Falcon Wing Feathers" collaborative crafting project
-Mums sale (pre-order)

Live Music and a Donation at Be Bhakti Yoga

Saturday, September 25, 2021
3:00 PM 5:00 PM
36 Catherine Street Beacon NY (map)
Music event at BeBhakti on Saturday Sept 25, 3pm-5pm
Live music and songs from folk, indie rock and mantras from Lauren and the Boys.
At BeBhakti Yoga Center

Open Mic Night at Beacon Performing Arts Center

Saturday, September 25, 2021
6:30 PM 8:00 PM
327B Main Street beacon NY
Beacon Performing Arts Center is celebrating BEACON by having an open mic night for all ages!
Perform a song, stand up comedy, poem, or other performance act! 5 minute maximum.Because of Covid, pre-registration to attend/perform is required, and each performer can bring up to 2 guests. Masks are required regardless of vaccination status.The event will be live-streamed on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/beaconperformingartscenter

Saturday, September 25

6:30 - 8:00pm
Beacon Performing Arts Center
327B Main Street
Because of Covid, pre-registration to attend/perform is required, and each performer can bring up to 2 guests. Masks are required regardless of vaccination status.
The event will be live-streamed on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/beaconperformingartscenter

Women’s Parish Club Pre-Christmas Fair Jewelry Bargains!

Sunday, September 26, 2021
10:00 AM 2:00 PM
35 Willow St, Beacon NY
St. Joachim/St. John the Evangelist Women’s Parish Club will be selling jewelry and other trinkets. Everything is priced to sell and all items are cleaned and bagged…ready to go!
We will also have baked goods and bottled water.
35 Willow St, Beacon (in front of the Church Rectory)

Annual Home Made Cookie Sale at Christ Church, United Methodist

Sunday, September 26, 2021
10:00 AM 3:00 PM
60 Union Street Beacon, NY United States
Come buy and enjoy our home made cookies. Christ Church has been participating in the Spirit of Beacon day since it began. Lots and Lots of cookies will be available for purchase!
10:00AM - UNTIL THE COOKIES ARE GONE

Beacon Farmer's Market - Local Produce and Music

Sunday, September 26, 2021
10:00 AM 2:00 PM
223 Main St Beacon, NY
Visit Beacon’s popular farmers’ market at 223 Main Street with tons of local produce, meats, cheeses and fresh caught seafood plus prepared food by Nana’s Homemade, Eat Church and Pat’s Kitchen! We’ve also got tons of choices for those with a sweet tooth as well as locally-made soaps and pottery! Other specialty items include pickles, pies, spices, fresh cut flowers, microgreens, honey, maple syrup, coffee, kombucha, jams and jellies, and an unbelievably diverse choice of garlic varieties!
Music in the afternoon and discounts all day!
The Beacon Farmers' Market mission is to feed and engage the Beacon Community, support local farms and businesses, and create a more just food system.

Totally Fit with Dr Sara

Sunday, September 26, 2021
10:00 AM 10:45 AM
Grass between Hudson Beach Glass and Ronz Guitar Gallery
Join us at this pop up total body 45 minute fitness class with physical therapist, Dr Sara Mikulsky - on the grass between Hudson Beach Glass and Ronz Guitar Gallery on Main St. Help us raise money for I am Beacon. Bring your donation to join the class and receive a free exercise band! Bring your yoga mat and water. Dr Sara will answer your health and fitness questions after class!

Beacon Historical Society at Hudson Beach Glass

Sunday, September 26, 2021
11:00 AM 4:00 PM
162 Main St Beacon, NY
Please come to support the Beacon Historical Socety at Hudson Beach Glass on Spirit of Beacon Day!

Beacon Performing Arts outdoor pop up concert

Sunday, September 26, 2021
11:00 AM 11:30 AM
172 Main St Beacon, NY
Beacon Performing Arts students will perform their songs on the grass between Hudson Beach Glass and Ronz Guitar Gallery on Main St, 11am -11.30am on Spirit of Beacon Day.
Later in the afternoon they can also be seen at the Main Stage on Veterans Place

Raven Rose gives back to Mid Hudson Animal Aid

Sunday, September 26, 2021
11:00 AM 5:00 PM
474 Main St Beacon, NY United States
Raven Rose plans to give 10% of sales from the day, and also will match all customer donations in the store!
We have a donation jar from Mid Hudson Animal Aid and plan to empty it at the start of Spirit of Beacon Day, and anything donated that day we will match.
http://www.midhudsonanimalaid.org/

Chicken Yoga with Beacon Hood Chicken

Sunday, September 26, 2021
11:00 AM 11:45 AM
Long Dock Park
Chickens and Yoga are made for each other…..Join Beacon Hood Chicken for a unique yoga event at Long Dock Park.

Berte supports Mutual Aid Beacon

Sunday, September 26, 2021
11:00 AM 6:00 PM
500 Main Street Beacon, NY, 12508 United States
Berte will be donating 10% of sales on Sunday 9/26 to Mutual Aid Beacon - http://www.beaconmutualaid.com/. We love their mission of showing up for our Beacon community, and reminding people that they are not alone.

Beacon Music Factory Presents: Takes A Village - next to Ronz Guitar Gallery

Sunday, September 26, 2021
12:00 PM 5:00 PM
Grass by Ronz World Guitar Gallery
We hope you will spend some time at the Beacon Music Factory stage where we will present a range of kids and adults performing, including:
- BMF instructor, Brad Hubbard, baritone saxophone
- Various kids
- a revisited Steely Dan rock camp
- Plus a tribute to Jimmy Giles
- this schedule will continue to fill up throughout the month of September
You can also click on EVENTS on our website to find out more as we get closer to the date.

Support ARF at Solstad House

Sunday, September 26, 2021
12:00 PM 6:00 PM
488 Main Street Beacon NY
Support ARF, our local Animal Rescue Foundation at Solstad House on Spirit of Beacon Day

Shop for good at Beacon Mercantile

Sunday, September 26, 2021
12:00 PM 6:00 PM
493 Main Street Beacon NY United States
10% from every purchase made at Beacon Mercantile during Spirit of Beacon Day will be donated to Beacon Community Kitchen.

Outdoor Art Show at Beacon Bread Co.

Sunday, September 26, 2021
12:00 PM 6:00 PM
193 Main St Beacon, NY
Outdoor art show on Beacon Bread’s backyard patio. featuring a DJ spinning live music, artists painting live art & artists showing work.

Spirit of Beacon Day Community Concert

Sunday, September 26, 2021
12:00 PM 5:00 PM
Veterans Place Beacon, NY, 12508 United States
Celebrate Spirit of Beacon Day on Veteran’s Place by the Post Office with live entertainment and music with performers from across our community!
12pm : GG and the Shades
12.30pm : Beacon Performing Arts
1pm : Speeches, Awards and Yanarella School of Dance
1.30pm : Bosco and the Storm
2.30pm : Judith Tulloch Band

Free give-a-way Beacon style! at Marion Royael Gallery

Sunday, September 26, 2021
12:00 PM 4:00 PM
152 Main St Beacon, NY
Free give-a-way Beacon style!
Outside Marion Royael Gallery on 152 Main St. Come visit on Spirit of Beacon Day!

Common Ground Farm + Hudson Valley Brewery

Sunday, September 26, 2021
12:00 PM 4:00 PM
7 East Main Street Beacon, NY
In honor of Spirit of Beacon Day, Hudson Valley Brewery will be donating 15% of draft sales on Sunday, September 26 to Common Ground Farm. Join us at the Brewery on Sunday, September 26 to support Common Ground and all of the work that they do to grow a more just local food system through their education programs, their food donation work, and their accessible markets in Beacon and Newburgh. Educators from the farm will be leading a fun seed saving and coloring activity from 12 to 4pm. Learn more about Common Ground Farm: commongroundfarm.org

Support a local non profit at KAIGHT

Sunday, September 26, 2021
12:00 PM 6:00 PM
512 Main Street Beacon NY
KAIGHT will partner with a local non-profit to donate of portion of the days sales.

New Covenant Outdoor Talent Show & Krispy Kreme Sale

Sunday, September 26, 2021
1:00 PM 3:00 PM
95 Catherine Street Beacon NY United States
Come to watch the Outdoor Talent Show at New Covenant Learning Center on Catherine St and enjoy some Krispy Kremes!

Sloop for Sloop - support the Sloop Club at Dogwood

Sunday, September 26, 2021
2:00 PM 11:00 PM
47 East Main Street Beacon, NY
To help support the Beacon Sloop club, Dogwood bar will donate $1.00 for every Sloop Brewery beer served on Spirit of Beacon Day.
Dogwood will also be hosting an evening of Blues featuring Dimitri Archip and friends beginning at 7:00pm

The 'Library Of Things' Collection Is Available Now From The Howland Public Library

The Howland Public Library has been working hard on its debut collection of things other than books, movies and magazines: the “Library of Things” collection, which is comprised of physical items for loan like binoculars, a ukulele or a Nintendo Switch.

”This collection was developed to meet the needs of our diverse and growing community,” said its curator, Kristen Salierno, who is the Director of the library. “There are three main accomplishments this collection will achieve. The first is that it will support a sharing economy that fosters sustainability efforts. With patrons sharing items, that means less waste. The collection also offers an opportunity to ‘try before you buy,’ to save money, and to test out something they might not have had access to otherwise. Finally, it supports the goal of providing equity to all members of our community. Those who might not be able to afford these items can still experience them through borrowing.“

The collection supports the library's mission to "provide free and equal access to information, education, enrichment, and personal growth experiences." The library's goal with this collection is to support lifelong learning and provide community members with opportunities to learn through the collection’s themes of Explore, Play, Create, and Connect. Explore the world with museum passes or STEAM discovery kits. Play videogames, a round of tennis, or a game of chess. Create a masterpiece with our Arts and Crafts kits. Connect to the world with WiFi hotspots or a camera.

The Library of Things collection was funded through a generous grant from the Mentmore Fund of the Common Counsel Foundation. The Friends of Howland Public Library also support the ongoing maintenance of this collection. For now, donations of "things" to the Library of Things collection are not being accepted.  

Any community member who is 18 years or older, a resident of the Beacon City School District, and has a library card in good standing can borrow from the Library of Things. To view the full collection, visit their website at beaconlibrary.org.   

MTA Suspends Weekend Train Service On Hudson Line, Which Includes Beacon Stop

MTA service is suspended on the Hudson Line, which includes the Beacon stop, as well as Wassaic, Danbury, New Canaan, and other service changes.
Photo Credit: MTA website

As first announced by Governor Kathy Hochul, and first reported by the Highlands Current (which it looks like they squeezed in before their usual tight Thursday print deadline), the MTA suspended service on the Hudson Line (which goes to Beacon) on Thursday, and into the weekend, due to damages along the track from Hurricane Ida. The MTA is hopeful to restore limited service next week.

The MTA’s Deputy Communications Director Renee Price confirmed with A Little Beacon Blog: “Service is suspended on the Hudson Line this weekend. Crews are working toward establishing limited service early next week.”

MTA service is also suspended on the Hudson Line, which includes the Beacon stop, as well as Wassaic, Danbury, New Canaan, and other service changes.

Representative Maloney Offers Help To Loved Ones Trying to Leave Afghanistan, and Acknowledges Mistakes

Representative Sean Maloney issued a statement regarding Afghanistan. It has been published in full below:

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, released the following statement on the developing situation in Afghanistan.

“No one watching the heartbreaking images out of Afghanistan should deny that mistakes have been made, which require immediate correction, but I continue to believe the President has made the right decision in bringing our troops home from Afghanistan and I applaud him for tackling this difficult but necessary project.

“For 20 years, thousands of U.S. troops have fought and sacrificed to bring the perpetrators of the 9/11 terror attacks to justice. We successfully killed the mastermind of that attack and destabilized Al Qaeda’s operations across the middle east.

“The last two decades of war have come at a great cost to our U.S. service members and their families. It is harrowing to see the Afghan government fall after countless Americans sacrificed so much to help the Afghan people and to provide the government the resources and training necessary to take control of their country and build a better future.

“There has been clear, bipartisan agreement that we could not stay in Afghanistan indefinitely. Right now, our top priority must be the safe return of U.S. civilians, service members, diplomats, and Afghan allies. The Biden administration must put forth the resources necessary to complete this effort.

"I will continue to monitor this developing situation and will be briefed as a member of the House Intelligence Committee in the near future.”

If you or a loved one needs assistance leaving Afghanistan, please contact my office at 845-561-1259 or complete this form.

Volunteer Opportunity: Rainbow Pool River Extraction From Hudson River

Volunteers Needed To Help Take The Rainbow Pool Out Of The River

When: Thursday, August 19, 2021 - Saturday, August 21, 2021
Time: 9am
Who: Thursday - Friday involves the disassembly lighter-duty work whereas Saturday involves the wet, in the river, heavy extraction work. Individuals with mandated volunteer service hours accepted!

Email: kmanz@riverpool.org to volunteer or visit the Riverpool Website and complete the volunteer form.

Snacks and beverages to be provided!

Beacon School District Releases Reopening Details; Presented By Superintendent Landahl

On August 12, 2021, Beacon City School District released reopening guidelines for the 2021/2022 school year, presented delivered by Superintendent Landahl. Overall, the district is following the New York Department of Health and the New York State Education Department’s guidance, who advised districts to follow the CDC school opening guidelines for the upcoming school year. Dr. Landahl opened his presentation with this observation: "New York has been an interesting state to do my profession in, as no one wants to seem to give any guidance."

“I’m a big believer in vaccines, and a huge believer in this one.”

— BCSD Superintendent Landahl

The overall goals for the 2021/2022 school year is for a full 5 days of in-person learning with safety measures put into place to keep schools open and students healthy during the ongoing pandemic. The number one item that Dr. Landahl asked of parents was for patience, as guidelines shift and realities of implementing guidelines with young people can be challenging.

District Practices For Reopening

The biggest change from last year is that the hybrid model will be discontinued. Dr. Landahl reiterated that every level of government that is issuing guidance has prioritized in-person learning, but to be prepared to shift into Remote if a school has an exposure, or if Contact Tracing will take too long to identify individual students or staff as an alternative to closing. For students with serious health compromises, Dutchess BOCES may be offering a program, Dr. Landahl said.

Kickoff Guidelines:

• 5 Days In-Person Instruction/Experience. The hybrid schedule will be discontinued. No cohort groups will be made (this was when students in a class were divided into 2 groups: blue and gold).

• Remote Learning will be available to all students, a school, or a classroom if there is a closure due to COVID-19.

• Masks indoors will be required for all individuals, students and staff, regardless of vaccination status. The policy will be reviewed throughout the school year. All of the governing bodies recommenced wearing a mask indoors, including Beacon’s District Physician.

• Masks are not required outdoors. When kids are outside for recess, lunch, etc. This guidance was released at the end of the 2020/2021 school year in the spring.

• Masks are required on buses and for indoor sports, but not for outdoor sports per the outdoor mask guideline.

• “Rugs are coming back!” to the elementary schools, Dr. Landahl confirmed.

• Distancing will be the CDC distancing requirement of 3 feet. When distancing is not feasible, layered prevention strategies will be implemented.

• Ventilation will be in all classrooms, which are outfitted with a portable HEPA filter and MERV-13 filter.

• Daily health screener (the online health form to fill out) will be continued.

• Cleaning protocols will be continued. Classrooms will be sanitized every night.

• Vaccination opportunities will be promoted. Most drug stores are now offering free vaccines.

• Positive Test Result of Child: If a whold class is out due to a positive test result with large exposure, then the whole class switches to Remote. If it is a single child pulled out resulting from Contact Tracing indicating a small or no exposure, the district is currently brainstorming this with the county. “We don’t have a Remote apparatus that a child can just slide into,” Dr. Landahl stated. He may have been referring to the Blue and Gold hybrid days, where Remote instruction was always in motion on any day for a different group.

BCSD Is Getting Guidance From New York State Governing Bodies

On advisement from the New York Department of Health and the New York State Education Department the BCSD will be following the CDC school opening guidelines for the upcoming school year. Dr. Landahl reiterated that the CDC “highly recommends a mask mandate in Dutchess County” based on community transmission, which currently is “High” and is climbing. To illustrate the spike, the number of active COVID-19 cases in June 2021 was 56 people. The number of people on August 12th, 2021 was near 700 (as of August 28, it was 878).

Masking is so important to be mandated, Dr. Landahl explained, because: “Proper masking allows us to reduce the number of staff and students who have to quarantine through contact tracing. If you are wearing a mask, you are mostly exempt from quarantining per CDC.”

Remote Learning

The current intent is full time 5 days, with preparations in place for if a school needs to be shut down for COVID-19 exposure. Last year, Contact Tracing was rigorously conducted within the district by district staff to advise affected persons to stay home, while the school could remain open.

“We are evaluating a program for remote learning at BOCES for students with a serious medical condition that prevents them from attending in-person education and creating a process that will identify those students,” Dr. Landahl said.

Vaccines In Beacon City School District

Vaccines are not mandatory for students or staff in the Beacon City School District. When asked why by a parent on the webinar Town Hall call, Dr. Landahl answered he was not aware that any district is able to require vaccinations, unless that directive comes from New York State. “All of our employees work under contracts, which have different bargaining units. If we were to go in that direction, directive would be coming from the state level.”

At this time, the percentage of teachers, staff, and students over the age of 11 who are vaccinated is unknown. BCSD was not in the habit of collecting it, as collecting it was not required by any governing body. However, Dr. Landahl is looking into ways to collect that data to make available to the public.

In terms of Dr. Landahl’s personal opinion on vaccinations, he was not shy to state it: "I'm a big believer in vaccines, and a huge believer in this one. Vaccines are working, please consider getting vaccinated!"

The district will work on holding vaccination clinics to increase the rate with students and will work with the local health department on education efforts for people who have questions. Dr. Landahl stated that he is interested in finding funding to assist with testing.

Ventilation In The Schools

The currently known transmission method of COVID-19 is primarily airborn, with less focus on surface transmission. Each classroom uses a MERV-13 filter in its air handler unit and has a portable HEPA filter. Nightly sanitation will continue.

Editor’s Note: not every classroom has an air conditioning unit, such as in South Avenue. Perhaps the pandemic or climate crisis can allocate funding for standing air conditioning units or mini-splits to help the children and teachers stay cool. Concentrating and staying hydrated is quite difficult in high temperatures.

Outdoor learning opportunities are at the schools, such as a math class on a sidewalk at South Avenue Elementary, and band class held outside at Rombout Middle School may continue. Lunches at schools were taken outside at times, weather permitted.

Health Screening In The District

While no longer recommended by New York State, Dr. Landahl said, the district will continue with using the daily health screener, which is an online form parents need to fill in an hour before school. It can make a parent extra mindfull that they are sending in a sick child when they click the box that says “sore throat” or “sneezing.” It is unclear at this time if submitting a sick screener triggers the need to get a COVID-19 test, which is burdensome on the parent for time and health insurance reasons, as tests are not free (unless you find a New York State facility), and can trigger an additional doctor appointment for a cold that would otherwise have been mild enough to forgo a doctor appointment.

The district is discontinuing the use of temperature screening before the school year. “Very few districts used it last year and there is a growing consensus that it is not an effective way to screen COVID-19,” Dr. Landahl stated. “It is not the best allocation of resources to identify [active cases of COVID-19]."

Distancing and Breakfast/Lunch

"Last year, distancing recommendations were a lot different,” Dr. Landahl said during the presentation. “That was our biggest reason for being in the hybrid model for as long as we were." Following these recommendations, he said, there was little transmission. “If [a situation] needs to be below 3 feet [of distancing], we will use other layered methods. Like filtration and staying home if you are sick.”

The CDC recommends 3 feet distancing in schools with mask wearing. This is an example of a layered approach to achieve more desirable circumstances.

As for eating breakfast and lunch, each school is preparing different lunch plans to make sure students can eat lunch and stay as distanced as possible, Dr. Landahl said. Plans include some outside eating, split lunch shifts, etc. Exact plans for this are still in development and will be developed in a school-by-school plan.

COVID-19 Testing In The District

COVID-19 testing is voluntary, and testing is recommended for staff and students as a further mitigation effort. “We are exploring different ways to accomplish this hopefully in partnership with Dutchess County,” Dr. Landahl stated, reiterating that he hoped for funding from Dutchess County.

Editor’s Note: As of August 24, 2021, Funding has since been introduced by the new Governor of New York, Kathy Hochul. COVID-19 testing is very burdensome for those with different health insurance requirements. Some health insurance companies require doctor's note (which requires an additional appointment). If COVID-19 testing is required for school, like to return to school from a sick health screen form, some health insurance companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield won't cover the test at all (which can range between $150 - $300), and defers coverage to the school district's health insurance.

Since Governor Hochul took office, new guidelines have been released, like a universal mask requirement being instituted at all schools by the Department of Health, as well as options to mandate vaccinations for school employees. Dr. Landahl will deliver an updated to this initial presentation on August 31st or September 1st.

Click here to access the slides to his August 12th presentation.

Click here to watch his August 12th presentation on YouTube.

On-The-Water Protest With Boats Against Danskammer Fracked Gas Plant Expansion Scheduled August 4, 2021

Photo Credit: Screenshot of the educational video from The Stop Danskammer Coalition

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UPDATE 8/12/2021: Photos from the day of the protest.
Photo Credit: Hudson River Sloop Clearwater.

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater Inc. issued a press release, advising the region of an on-the-water protest from the Stop Danskammer Coalition scheduled for August 4, 2021.

Activists to Hold Hudson River Flotilla Protest Against the Danskammer Fracked Gas Plant Expansion

”The proposed Danskammer expansion threatens public health, water, and air quality, plus locks New York into a fossil fuel future,” reads the press release.

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On Wednesday, August 4th, 2021, activists representing Food & Water Watch, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, and other members of the Stop Danskammer Coalition will take to the water to protest the proposed Danskammer fracked gas plant expansion currently under review by the New York State Siting Board.

Activists will hold an on-the-water protest consisting of the sloops Clearwater and Woody Guthrie, kayaks, and canoes, accompanied by an on-land press conference and rally to be held at the Town of Wappinger public dock in Chelsea, across the river from the Danskammer site. Speakers will voice concerns over the proposal’s threats to public health, water, and air quality, as well as prolonging fossil fuel use in New York. Contrary to New York’s much needed and widely supported Climate Act, the Danskammer expansion would exacerbate the global climate crisis.

According to The Highlands Current, “Elected officials in Beacon, Newburgh, Cold Spring, and Philipstown (as well as a proposed resolution from Ulster County legislature) have also opposed a full-time plant, saying it doesn’t fit with the state’s goal over the next 30 years to replace technologies that burn fossil fuels, which contributes to global warming. Nevertheless, the Siting Board on Feb. 26 declared Danskammer’s application to be complete.”

“We are confident that our efforts to incorporate and eventually convert to a hydrogen power generation facility are well within the state’s mandates,” Michelle Hook, a spokesperson for Danskammer, said on Thursday (March 18, 2020). “We are committed to immediately lower emissions by upgrading existing equipment and then phase in hydrogen so that we can help the state meets its climate goals.”

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On-The-Water Protest And Press Conference, Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

A press conference against the backdrop of a Hudson River flotilla, protesting the proposal to expand the Danskammer fracked gas plant. Interviews with speakers and activists will be available after the press conference. Photo opportunities will include imagery of the Danskammer plant with press conference speakers, the iconic sloops Clearwater and Woody Guthrie, kayakers, and paddlers on the river with banners and signs in front of the Danskammer site.

Speakers Planned To Attend

Press conference speakers to include Hudson Valley elected officials, a representative of the Ramapough Lenape Nation, and activists representing the following organizations: Food & Water Watch, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Newburgh Clean Water Project, Orange Residents Against Pilgrim Pipelines, Ulster Activists and other members of the Stop Danskammer Coalition.

Press Conference Time and Location

The press conference will start at 1 PM ET on Wednesday, August 4th. The press conference will take place at the Town of Wappinger Public Dock, located at 3 Front Street in Chelsea (adjacent to the Chelsea Yacht Club). Free parking is available at Hidden Rose Catering, located at 33 Chelsea Rd in Wappingers Falls.

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About Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
Launched in 1969 by legendary folk singer and activist Pete Seeger, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater has been at the forefront of the environmental movement as champions of the Hudson River. To date, more than half a million people have experienced their first real look at an estuary’s ecosystem aboard the sloop Clearwater. Clearwater has become the grassroots model for producing positive changes to protect our planet. For more information, visit www.clearwater.org.

About Food & Water Watch
Food & Water Watch mobilizes people to build political power to move bold and uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. We work to protect people’s health, communities, and democracy from the growing destructive power of the most powerful economic interests. For more information, visit www.foodandwaterwatch.org/.

Beacon's City Council To Meet In Double Meeting To Vote On 344 Main St. Parking Lease; Override On Historic Building Opposers; Smoking; More

During a shortened summer schedule of City Council Meetings with various council members and the City Administrator being out on vacations, the City Council will meet tonight (8/2/2021) for a combo-meeting. First will be a Workshop meeting to discuss the possibility of adopting laws or making decisions followed by a regular City Council Meeting, where that which was discussed can be voted upon.

Directions for how to attend via Zoom are here.

Highlights For Tonight’s Meeting Include:

Seeking Public Comment On Proposed Beacon Law To Make It Illegal To Smoke Cannabis, Tobacco or Vape In Beacon’s Public Parks.

Proposed by the City Administrator Chris White, this law would make it illegal to smoke tobacco, cannabis or vapor anywhere in Beacon’s City Parks. During his first proposal of the law, Administrator Chris pointed out that smoking tobacco is illegal on Beacon’s trails, but not in the parks, and is not strongly enforced on the trails. He told Council that he wants to give the public more “teeth” when asking people to stop smoking.

This, after the State of New York made smoking cannabis legal in order to remove room for racial discrimination to happen when law enforcement is out enforcing laws. New York State has written the law in a cannabis-friendly way, so as not to make it easy to be discriminated against when using cannabis.

The anti-smoking law could distinguish between smoking tobacco and cannabis, where smoking tobacco is illegal, but smoking cannabis is legal. But neither the Administrator or the City’s Attorney Drew spoke about that aspect in their presentation of the law. Attorney Drew did include it in her Power Point presentation of the proposed law. Read past coverage of this topic on A Little Beacon Blog here.

In order to pass the law, the City of Beacon needs to hear from the public first. Call in with your opinion, write in to your council representative, or go down to City Hall at 7pm to deliver your opinion in person. Calling and speaking in person is the best way to make sure your voice is heard. Not every email is read allowed, and not every email is published to the public record, as humans make errors.

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the City of Beacon City Council will be holding the City Council Workshop and Meeting of August 2, 2021 in the Courtroom at 1 Municipal Plaza, Beacon, NY 12508. The meeting will simultaneously be streamed via Zoom. The public can attend in the Courtroom, or access the meeting via Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88375353313?pwd=ZUNRTkkzdXJpbU5uQWlXeTlvSytKQT09

Webinar ID: 883 7535 3313 Passcode: 544508. To the extent internet access is not available, the public can attend and comment via telephone by dialing + 1 929 205 6099 and entering the Webinar ID: 883 7535 3313 Passcode: 544508.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that the City Council Meeting of August 2, 2021 at 7:00 pm can be accessed live at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPpigGwZDeR7WYmw-SuDxg

Beacon To Sign Parking Lease For 24 Spots In Free Municipal Parking Lot With 344 Main Street

The City of Beacon aims to sign a lease tonight that puts it into contract with 344 Main Street to lease 24 spaces in the free municipal parking lot next to 344 Main Street - which is the free public parking lot behind Rite Aid. The building, 344 Main Street (new Citizens Bank location), is a 4 story building in Beacon that has been tracked as the example of how not to build in Beacon. After its parking agreement with adversary developer and owner of 364 Main Street (old Citizens Bank location) fell apart.

The spaces are proposed by be leased for $50/month, and require tenants to move their cars every 24 hours in accordance with the public parking rules. Without this lease, 344 Main Street would be in violation of its parking requirement by the City of Beacon, and could loose its Certificate of Occupancy, which is required to lease to tenants. Get caught up with this issue via the Highlands Current.

City Council Poised To Override Local Building Owners’ Objections To Properties Being Designated Historic

For the past few years, Beacon has been reshaping its zoning laws in order to better control how development was designed in Beacon. The 4 story buildings such as 344 Main Street were a driver in this effort. Designating a building as historic not only protects the building itself from being demolished and replaced with a new design, but acts as pawn in development decisions. A building with historic designation has some rights over its neighboring properties, where if a building next door wants to build up or out, the property owner of the historic building can object. Read more about this at A Little Beacon Blog here.

A New Food Truck Servicing Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park

The City of Beacon aims to sign into a license agreement with a new food truck in town to service park-goers down at Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park. They City says they put out an RFP and that only 1 business answered: Mecca on Hudson.

Several other items on the Workshop Agenda and City Council Meeting agenda which you can find at those links.

Wednesdays Are A Big Day For Free Food Pickup For People In Need

In Beacon, Wednesdays have become a big day for Free Food Pickup. Depending on if you have kids, if you want fresh produce in your life (yes, say yes!) and pre-bagged groceries, Beacon has your back. And Wednesdays aren’t all for people in need. Learn about more opportunities in A Little Beacon Blog’s Food Pantry and Soup Kitchen Guide.

A reader asked a question about how to donate produce from their garden. You might consider the Community ‘Fridge located behind Binnacle Books. You might also consider volunteering to clean it every now and then. It is not advisable to put fresh produce in the Tiny Food Pantries, as bears and raccoons will come, as will flies and ants. Non-perishable packages are best for those drop-off donation locations. You can also double up on your discount days at Key Food, and donate to their food bin in the front of the store. That food gets distributed to food pantries as well.

Here are the Wednesday Food Opportunities:

• Free Summer Meals For Beacon City School District Students - Pickup Wednesdays

• Free Farm Stand Wednesdays At Beacon Recreation From Green Teens and Common Ground Farm

• Free Pre-Bagged Groceries Distributed At Memorial Park and Beacon Recreation On Wednesdays

Free Pre-Bagged Groceries Distributed At Memorial Park and Beacon Recreation On Wednesdays

The Beacon Recreation Department in conjunction with Mutual Aid Beacon who organizes volunteers, have been distributing pre-bagged groceries from Memorial Park on Wednesdays from 9am-10am and from the Beacon Recreation building at 23 West Center Street from 9:30am-10:30am.

The Memorial Street location welcomes cars to line up and grocery bags are placed in the trunk. The Beacon Recreation location asks that people walk up, and do not drive. In theory, you could drive in and park on a nearby side street to carry those groceries home.

This free food distribution was funded in large part the Hudson Valley Food Bank distribution, and individual donations via Mutual Aid Beacon. The City of Beacon was awarded $25,000 in grocery money from CDBG funding managed through Dutchess County. According to Beacon Recreation Director Mark Price back in April 2021, the groceries were approved to be purchased through a “local food distributor.” It is unknown at this time if the entire $25,000 has been spent, or is lasting over time.

Free Farm Stand Wednesdays At Beacon Recreation From Green Teens and Common Ground Farm

The Green Teens are back to offer people in need access to a Free Farm Stand on Wednesdays from 5-6pm at the Beacon Recreation Center at 23 West Center Street. This program will run from July through September, and is made possible by Common Ground Farm.

Also at the Beacon Recreation on Wednesdays from 9:30am-10:30am is a Free Groceries distribution. Groceries come pre-bagged, and volunteers ask that people come on foot as pedestrians. They ask for no cars.

Cars, however, can pull up to Memorial Park on Wednesdays from 9am-10am for the same pre-bagged grocery program.

Explaining That Confusing Central Hudson Letter About Changing Energy Supplier - Deep Dive Into Community Choice Aggregation (CCA)

Energy in our lives is simple - you flip on a light switch and the lights turn on.

Managing that energy and where it comes from is not as simple, especially as residents get marketed to on their front porches, and get letters in the mail from sources like:

• Central Hudson, the company who makes sure our energy gets to our homes.

• City of Beacon to tell residents about any changes.

• Third-party energy agents who want customers to leave an energy supply arrangement with Central Hudson and hook up with their company, which could be a renewable energy company, or just an energy company promising discounts - in exchange for a contract with a length of time coupled with a fine if the customer decides to leave the billing arrangement early. Sometimes these companies come door to door, promising cash sign-on bonuses if you give them your bill right there on the spot.

  • Peddler’s Permit: Remember, when these people do come to your door, ask to see their Peddler’s Permit, as explained by Beacon’s former City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero to ALBB years ago.

  • Cautionary Note: Be very, very careful about showing your utility bills to anyone. You should protect your Central Hudson account number like you (should) protect you Social Security Number.

The Confusing Central Hudson Letter Of June 2021

In May 2021, residents of Beacon received a package from the City of Beacon explaining that the energy supplier of renewable energy (in this case, 100% hydropower) from the group purchasing partnership the city belongs to, Hudson Valley Community Power, was changing from Direct Energy to Columbia Utilities Power, LLC. No change would be needed by the resident customer, but as required by the program, a rectangular opt-out card with self-addressed envelope was included with the package for people who wanted to opt-out of the program they had been in for 2 years or for people who were newly offered participation in the program, for those who newly moved into a CCA community. Same program, new contract with different renewable energy supplier, which triggered the package to be sent.

Following that letter, in June 2021, Central Hudson sent out a similar letter, but one that led to much confusion, causing some residents to think that they had been duped by a peddler or scam, that their energy switched to a different company without them realizing it. Part of the letter from Central Hudson read: “If this change is unauthorized by you, you must contract Central Hudson within 1 business day prior to the effective date; otherwise your account will be transferred as stated above.”

During the spring of 2021, marketing peddlers of other energy companies had recently swept Beacon in a door-to-door energy switch marketing campaign, iPads in hand ready to switch people in minutes, which may have been a coincidence contributing to the confusion of when the letters arrived. A person could have thought: “Wait, did I authorize something with that young person promising me a rebate, hitting up all the houses with their iPad? Did they get into my account? Did my partner authorize something? Did my elderly parent sign something?”

Basically, nothing changed, everything is fine (unless you signed with the iPad peddlers). But let’s back up to remember what the City of Beacon agreed to on the behalf of residents - along with 9 other municipalities - 2 years ago in order to get 90% of Beaconites on renewable energy at the same or lower rate than what is currently traditional fossil fuel energy direct from Central Hudson, which is what this letter was all about.

It All Comes Down To Community Choice Aggregation (CAA) - What The Heck Is That?

After energy de-regulated in the 1990’s, companies could solicit energy supply relationships with consumers (though nothing would interfere with their delivery arrangement with Central Hudson - Central Hudson would always deliver the chosen supply). You may have seen these energy companies at farmers markets, where they try to entice you to sign up for solar power (not solar panels on your roof, but through your regular energy bill). Sometimes it was more expensive to sign up with these companies at farmers markets or on your front porch.

Then in 2016, New York State created legislation to allow for buying renewable energy in bulk, thereby discounting it, called Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), a policy which basically allows for cities, towns, villages and other local governments to buy renewable energy in a discounted rate in a buying club structure. According to Jeff Domanski, founder of the Beacon-based non-profit Hudson Valley Energy, there are so far 8 states who offer this, including California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Ohio, and Rhode Island. He says the law “is like a Swiss Army knife for getting renewable energy into homes.”

“The CCA Order came about for a number of reasons, but in simple terms, the win-win-win opportunity to:

1. promote renewable energy in New York,

2. in a cost-effective, and possibly cost-saving way for utility customers (counter to what everyone has expected prior to CCA, and

3. consumer empowerment/protection.

“Because of the numerous consumer protection/empowerment aspects inspiring and baked-into the CCA Order and programs,” Jeffrey continued to ALBB, “including empowering folks who never thought of supporting renewable energy to address the Climate Crisis because it was a more expensive prospect and because navigating the opportunities can be overwhelming for most folks – made worse by the many bad actors out there - the CCA program in communities is an easy way to contribute to the environment and save money on the electric bill.”

City of Beacon Agrees To Move Beaconites Into 100% Renewable Energy On Their Central Hudson Bills

A series of steps needed to be taken In order for this to be available in Beacon:

1. Beacon Law: A law needed to be passed in Beacon to pursue this. New York State required that each municipality needs to set a law to pursue it. Beacon passed a law in 2017.

2. An Administering Body: Beacon needed to choose how the program would be administered in line with New York’s order. New York’s order includes consumer protections, including sourcing renewable energy from New York suppliers, not locking customers into timed contracts, and not charging customers hidden fees. The municipality needed to pick an approved administrator. The administrator who emerged was (and is) called Joule Community Power. According to Joule, their mission is to empower municipalities (like a city or village) in the energy market: “We are shifting NY State’s energy dependency from a utility-controlled, fossil fuel model to a municipally-controlled clean, renewable energy model for thousands of households at a time. By designing and implementing community choice aggregation programs, we empower municipalities to make energy decisions for their own communities thereby enabling local decision-making and transferring control away from the State.”

3. Who Administers? The administrator, (Joule) needed to supply an implementation plan of hundreds of pages describing how this would work. Part of this implementation plan was educating and outreaching to the residents in the municipalities who signed into this. Joule would outsource this education and outreach via a non-profit. The non-profit selected to do this outreach is Hudson Valley Energy, a non-profit started by local Beaconite Jeffrey Domanski.

In 2019, after hearing presentations from Joule and Hudson Valley Energy, the City of Beacon agreed to be one of 10 municipalities to source this energy. The other municipalities included Fishkill, Philipstown, Cold Spring, City of Poughkeepsie, Town of Red Hook, Town of Clinton, Marveltown in Ulster, and the Town and Village of New Paltz. In the 2 years since this started, Fishkill has since exited the arrangement when the new Town Supervisor, Ozzy Albra, was elected and replaced Robert LaColla. According to Jeffrey of Hudson Valley Energy, Fishkill did not like the idea of the opt-out nature of the program, where the default was to be in the program, and one needed to take action to opt-out if they so desired. Replacing Fishkill to keep the group number at 10 is Saugerties. More municipalities can always join in.

4. The Bulk-Buy Program: With the municipalities signed on, this created a new group partnership program name called Hudson Valley Community Power. The Program administered by Joule, and locally managed by Hudson Valley Energy for customer service inquiries and education (not for power outages…Central Hudson remains the delivery/repair/billing company and go-to source for all of those calls). The power source for the Program is currently 100% hydropower. But things will change over time to include more New York-based solar and wind power sources, Jeffrey said.

Neither Joule nor Hudson Valley Energy go door to door with education materials or billing changes. “We very, very, very much do not go door to door,” Jeffrey told ALBB. “Community Solar companies in particular are going out.”

5. Lights…Camera…Action! Now that the players and names have been settled, the supplier of energy must be selected. From 2019 - 2021, that supplier was Direct Energy for a 2 year contract at a fixed rate. In this buying club, if people do not opt-out, the rate does not change thanks to negotiations locking it in. The opt-out rate has been about 10%, said Jeffrey, which was expected. After the energy supply contract expired, Joule sent out a RFP (Request For Proposal) for a new supplier. Six companies bid, including Direct Energy, but a different company won for the lowest bid: Columbia Utilities Power. They will be the supplier for 3 years, from 2021 - 2024.

Hence The Letter From Central Hudson…

When the new contract was signed with Columbia Utilities Power, the letters to Beaconties went out, introducing customers to Columbia Utilities Power. But the letter from Central Hudson was very confusing, scaring some customers into calling customer service numbers immediately, and was signed with an acronym matching none of the above: “Very truly yours, Customer Choice Program”

The nation-wide program is called “Community Choice Aggregation,” which sounds similar to “Customer Choice Program,” the name signed at the bottom of the Central Hudson Letter. Nowhere in the letter was mentioned the national program “Community Choice Aggregation” and the letter instructed people to call Columbia Utilities Power LLC with pricing questions, which is not in line with how the regional program is or has been run.

The company to call with pricing information is Hudson Valley Energy, who works with Joule, to service the New York State initiative complying with Community Choice Aggregation.

The company to call with billing questions, smelling a gas leak, reporting a power outage, and safety concerns remains Central Hudson, whether you are in the Community Choice Aggregation program or not.

Whew! So Now What? Are We Saving Money And Saving The Planet?

Educator Jeffrey from Hudson Valley Energy says that we are. There are a lot of useful charts, rates and data at the Hudson Valley Energy website FAQ page (which is also available in Spanish). Now that two years of data has been collected, one can compare the rates in detail.

Rates from 2019-2021 in the Community Choice Aggregation (CCA) program.
Photo Credit: Hudson Valley Energy

To further understand the numbers, ALBB asked Jeffrey some clarifying questions:

ALBB: Regarding the chart above: if I opt out of Community Choice Aggregation (CCA), and I get my energy from Central Hudson’s sources, am I in the Central Hudson Standard Mix? And of that energy, is it fossil fuel?

JEFFREY: “If you opt-out of the Program, Central Hudson will make your supply decision each month. The rate will vary and the sourcing will be predominately fossil-based. The sourcing mix of the Hudson Valley Community Power Program’s ‘Standard’ rate is similar, but is fixed (i.e., folks in the communities can choose to stay in the Program and choose one of the two rates).”"

ALBB: If I did nothing 2 years ago, and nothing this year, which color label am I in from the chart? Hudson Valley Community Power 100% Renewable (Fixed Rate)?

JEFFREY: “Yes – the 100% Renewable Rate option is the default (no-action required) choice in all of our partner-communities.”

Ok…So What Is Community Solar?

Add to the mix are the solar farms being developed and coming online for energy production referred to as “Community Solar.” Many of them are out marketing door-to-door to get consumers to switch. Jeffrey says that they aren’t necessarily a bad thing, and that consumers can actually have both. “It's not a bad service necessarily that Community Solar is offering,” stated Jeffrey. “It is the 2nd tool in the Swiss Army knife of tools that is Community Choice Aggregation. People who opt-in on their billing can be a virtual owner of a solar field. Thereby letting the owner meet their requirements to let them drive a discount on energy. People should look into Community Solar to save 10% on their electric. It's a parallel thing. You can do neither, either or, or both.”

In fact, Joule is involved with its own Community Solar.

ALBB: When my neighbor says he is opting into to Community Solar, is he leaving the Hudson Valley Community Power partnership?

JEFFREY: “In brief, no. Community Solar is a parallel opportunity to the fixed rate ‘electricity supply’ aspect of CCA we’ve been mostly talking about.”

“To further the distinction, the fixed electricity supply rate ($/kWh) is multiplied by the amount of electricity a customer uses each month (kWh). Nearly all Community Solar programs I know are a symbiotic relationship between the customer and the owner of the solar field, whereby the customer’s subscribing to be a virtual owner of a portion of the solar field allows the project to proceed as a ‘community project.’ In return, the customer receives a monetary discount off their entire electricity charges, which is targeted to result in a 10% savings for each year of the agreement. Note: the credit received each month is not based on the customer’s usage that month.”

However, Jeffrey wanted to stress: “Community Solar is NOT a customer’s supply source.”

ALBB: If I opt-into a Community Solar company, am I leaving the Hudson Valley Community Power Program - our region’s CCA?

JEFFREY: “Subscribing to a Community Solar project does not conflict with the Electricity Supply component of a CCA Program. The Electricity Supply component of CCA provides a fixed rate which is directly tied to a customer’s monthly electricity usage. Nearly all Community Solar subscription programs assign a portion of a solar field to a customer to generate (in the Community Solar developer/owner’s business model) a monetary credit which targets 10% off a customer’s total electric charges (averaged over a year).

ALBB: Regarding the rate: Is it cheaper than being in regular Central Hudson?

JEFFREY: “Yes – it currently is, and we believe will be cheaper over the life of the Program, though there will be months when Central Hudson’s supply rate is lower than the Program’s fixed rate. The Program rate for 100% renewable-sourced electricity (from New York producers) is $0.06573/kWh. Central Hudson’s comparable rate is $0.0697/kWh.”

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That concludes today’s lesson in a few data points in the energy supply market for communities. In another article, Jeffrey can explain how CCA’s have been enabled to support Community Solar “and talk about the evolving ways that’s happened and will be happening,” Jeffrey told ALBB. “Suffice to say, CCA is a dynamic, powerful tool which enables cities, towns, and villages to help the customers through localizing energy decision-making.”

Newburgh to Beacon Ferry Will Run Again! CARES Act + American Rescue Plan Act Earmarked For MTA

MTA MONEY FROM FEDERAL GOVT SINCE PANDEMIC
Rep. Maloney voted to pass the CARES Act in March of last year, which generated funding for different sectors, some of which the MTA is receiving:

$4.35 billion via The CARES Act: Allocated $4.35 billion to New York in Transportation Funds. $3.8 billion of those funds went exclusively to the MTA.

$6 billion via The American Rescue Plan Act: The American Rescue Plan Act, which Rep. Maloney voted to pass in February, dedicated over $6 billion to the MTA.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in April 2020, Metro-North implemented an Essential Service Plan and discontinued service on both ferries. This summer, readers of A Little Beacon Blog have written in to ask if the Newburgh/Beacon Ferry is running (signage and website were not updated), and if it would run again.

This Monday (7/19/2021), the MTA announced that they were reopening the Newburgh/Beacon Ferry, as well as the Haverstraw-Ossining ferry services, scheduled to resume on Monday, August 30, just one day after Metro-North's overall service increase, which will increase train service to 83% of pre-pandemic levels.

“We are so excited to see the region continue to recover, and our weekday ridership has increased steadily all spring and into the summer,” President Rinaldi said. “Our late August service increase will provide even more travel options for people ready to return to the office after Labor Day. Restoring ferry service during weekday peak periods will give our Rockland and Orange County customers returning to work additional options for getting to and from the City and other destinations along Metro-North’s Hudson Line.”

"People are coming back to work and NY Waterway ferries are here to give them a safe, fast and convenient commute. We’re thrilled to restart the Haverstraw-Ossining and Newburgh-Beacon service with Metro-North, and we look forward seeing all our past riders, and many more new ones, back aboard in August," said Armand Pohan, CEO, President and Chairman of NY Waterway.

Funding From CARES Act And American Rescue Plan Act Earmarked For MTA

In an emailed press release, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney highlighted the reinstatement of ferry service between Newburgh and Beacon, where he celebrated “the essential funding he secured for the MTA and Metro-North in the American Rescue Plan and CARES Acts that has enabled service to resume at close to full capacity,” stated in his press release sent Wednesday (7/21/2021).

Said Rep. Maloney: “Folks are going back into the office, and they need safe, reliable, and fast transportation to get there. Getting Metro-North up and running at full capacity is key to New York’s economic recovery,” said Rep. Maloney. “The MTA saw steep declines in ridership, expensive sanitation efforts, and a massive budget shortfall during the pandemic. I worked hard to deliver the funding necessary to help fill that deficit and get operations back to normal. Now, we are seeing the impact of that investment. We’re not at 100% yet, but thanks to the nearly $10 billion I helped secure in Washington, we are getting close.”

The CARES Act, which Rep. Maloney voted to pass in March of last year, allocated $4.35 billion to New York in Transportation Funds. $3.8 billion of those funds went exclusively to the MTA. Amtrak additionally received approximately $1 billion to meet funding needs after a decline of ridership on the Northeast Corridor and long-distance routes due to COVID-19.

The American Rescue Plan Act, which Rep. Maloney voted to pass in February, dedicated over $6 billion to the MTA, as well as $4 million for New York Stewart International Airport.

MTA Announced No Scheduled Fair Hike

Also on Monday, Gothamist reported that the MTA announced that they decided not to impose a previously scheduled and postponed fair hike. From the article:

“The MTA announced Monday that a previously postponed fare hike will not happen at all in 2021. MTA board member Larry Schwartz, who chairs the finance committee and is a close confidante and adviser to Governor Cuomo, said it would be inappropriate to raise fares, during Monday’s MTA committee meetings. Larry was also at the heart of a vaccination question on counties during the spotlight on Cuomo for alleged sexual inappropriateness in the spring of 2021.

“Now is not the time to raise fares,” Schwartz said Monday. “At a time when we need to encourage increasing ridership, raising fares does the opposite.”

After receiving so much money through the CARES Act and American Rescue Plan Act, as spelled out by Rep. Maloney in this week’s press release, it appears that they may not need to add that cost to people.

MTA Timetables For Re-Opening Services

According to the MTA’s 7/19/2021 announcement about the Newburgh/Beacon Ferry, the Augst 30th date is part of their logic on staggered openings. “Upcoming Aug. 29 service increase follows up on service increases reflected in Metro-North's April 12 and June 21 timetables. The April 12 timetables saw the restoration of weekend service to Wassaic and the reopening of the Manitou station, located near Bear Mountain Bridge and Anthony’s Nose. The June 21 timetables added 24 new peak trains on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven Lines, bringing the railroad to 67% of its pre-pandemic service levels.”

Schedules for the Haverstraw-Ossining and Newburgh-Beacon ferries will be made available in early August. Perhaps the MTA will also update the printed signage in the Beacon location as well! And perhaps they will consider opening weekend service for trips across the river to visit the sister cities of Beacon and Newburgh!