Beacon Riverfest in the Parks Lineup This Summer - Mark the Dates for Summer Concerts 2015!

The Beacon Riverfest concert series that happens in partnership with BeaconArts that has always been a highlight in summertime, as it's a time when people pack their wagonfs full of food, kids and lawn blankets and walk or drive to listen to live music along the scenic Hudson River. This year, Beacon Riverfest got even more ambitious by hosting the concerts in different parks around town, including a pool party at the Beacon Pool which opens later in June! They have also created the all-day Food & Music Festival, where there is no need to bring a picnic because the celebration of food is as big as the musical lineup. A Little Beacon Blog is a proud sponsor of this series along with other great businesses including the main sponsor Beacon Natural Market. We hope that everyone has a wonderful time!

JUNE

GREEN STREET PARK
Beacon Riverfest In The Parks Series (Free)
Tuesday, June 16th, 2015
6pm to 8pm
Location: Green Street Park (on the other side of Fishkill Creek, this is a park located in the base of a sloping hill)
Bring a picnic and make sure you're wearing your dance shoes! The bands are "Bad Mother Factory" and "Knock Yourself Out."

RIVERFRONT PARK
Beacon Riverfest Music & Food Festival
Tickets: $15 early-bird, $25 door price (kids under 10 are free)
Sunday, June 28th, 2015
Noon to 8pm
Location: Riverfront Park (on the other side of the train station)
An entire day of live music and food! A large lineup of bands are playing on 3 stages in Riverfront Park. Kids under 10 get in free, and tickets are available for purchase for adults. Enjoy music, food and crafts. The bands include Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, Tracy Bonham, Sidewalk Chalk, Schwervon, Decora, Gato Loco, Jenny Dee & The Deelinquents, What Moon Things, Breakfast In Fur, Shana Falana, M Shanghai String Band, and Simi Stone.
Information >
Buy Tickets >

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JULY


THE BEACON POOL - SETTLEMENT CAMP
Beacon Riverfest In The Parks Series (Free)
Saturday July 11th, 2015
6pm to 8pm
Location: The Beacon Pool - POOL PARTY! (at the Settlement Camp, 724 Wolcott)
Bring a picnic and make sure you're wearing your dance shoes! The band is "PONTOON."






SOUTH AVENUE PARK
Beacon Riverfest In The Parks Series (Free)
Thursday July 16th, 2015
6pm to 8pm
Location: South Avenue Park
Bring a picnic and make sure you're wearing your dance shoes! The band is "Jeremy Baum Trio."








LONG DOCK PARK
Beacon Riverfest In The Parks Series (Free)
Thursday July 23rd, 2015
6pm to 8pm
Location: Long Dock Park (near the train station, but far to the left near paths for Denning's Point)
Bring a picnic and make sure you're wearing your dance shoes! The band is "The Stacks."

Mail Carrier Aided By Beacon Community

 

In the late weeks of Spring, one of Beacon's friendliest mail carriers was badly injured on the job in a dog vs mail carrier scenario. The irony of the situation was thick, as she was one of the most pet-friendly mail carriers on Beacon's West side of town. Word spread quickly on Facebook, and an offer was made by a member of the community to collect donations. Ideas fluttered around which included meal trains and gift cards to restaurants for all of the takeout the mail carrier was going to need to feed her young family. When asked how she would like donations to be made, the mail carrier suggested that donations be made to animal shelters. 

People's minds were made up, and in one weekend, over $350 in cash was collected, with more contained in sealed envelopes, making the total tally unknown, but much appreciated by the mail collector who could use the donations as she wished.

While this story is a sad one for everyone involved, the swiftness of the community coming together for one of their own is heart-warming and is a testament to the beat that makes Beacon what it is, and what it has been since its earliest residents lived here.

Score These Great Items at the Ree-Play Sale! And Ree-Play Just Got a Major Win for Shade in Parks!

You've seen the Ree-Play flyers around town. You've marked the date for the Ree-Play sale on your calendar - this Friday, Saturday and Sunday for 2015! But have you seen the items for sale that you can buy? And do you know how this Ree-Play Children's Tag Sale, a fundraising effort from Wee Play Community Project impacts your life in Beacon? Not only will you score a major deal on some kids gear that can change your children's lives forever (ok, maybe for 5 minutes), but your purchase contributes to the three kid and toddler parks in Beacon, in addition to the "Come and Play" programming at the Howland Library, as well as other initiatives around the city.

MAJOR WIN FOR WEE PLAY AND PARKS!
The Ree-Play Sale is Wee Play's biggest fundraiser, and for the past few years, Wee Play has been committed to getting a shade structure put up at the tot park at Memorial Park. As of yesterday morning, Wee Play announced that they have saved $10,000 from Ree-Play sales of years past, and have donated it to the City of Beacon to purchase shade infrastructures for the tot park at Memorial Park, and the purchase of new equipment, including a bumblebee rider to replace the old dinosaurs, and benches for the tot park. All of these improvements are slated to be installed this summer 2015. The City Recreation Funds will make up for the difference of funding needed to begin these projects.

LITTLE PURCHASES REALLY ADD UP!
As a fan of numbers and financials, Wee Play shared their sales highlights with us, so that you can see what a difference a small purchase at the Ree-Play Sale can make. In 2014, Wee Play made $8,440 at the sale.  They donated $1,000 to Howland Library, $1,000 to BAEF, and $500 to the City for the University Settlement Camp. Library programming is one of Wee Play's programs.

In 2013, Wee Play made around $7,200 at the sale. They donated $100 to BAEF, $1,500 to Howland Library children's programming, $500 to the University Settlement camp, $250 to Sargent Downing Garden, and $100 to BACA.

And now, for shopping previews! You better get to the University Settlement Park Theater early, but there are boxes and boxes of clothing, toys and books for you to select from, so you will find something you have been looking for!

The play kitchen. A VERY popular item for little hands to open and close!

A Cozy-Coop and Convertible Cozy-Coop! Pimp your ride.

Vroom Vroom!

Cutest bug rocker ever. And soft!

Definitely, this stroller helps your mobility around town.

Ho ho, yes. What fun for a bicycle built for two!

OMG The Cutest Beacon Barks Parade for 2015 and Photos From Their Instagram

The Beacon Barks Parade is in its 9th year, and is part of the fabric of Beacon. It's not only part of the fabric, but it's like Opening Day for Spring in Beacon. The parade happens rain or shine, and this year for 2015, it's tomorrow, which is only days after pelting ice fell from the sky (!?!) onto beautifully blossoming hyacinths, daffodils, and newly opened flowering tree blossoms. The parade was inspired by the team at our local pet food store, Beacon Barkery, "to show appreciation for animal shelters and the wonderful cats and dogs they care for." The parade has brought over 4,000 people to Beacon to walk the streets, play and learn from the animals, meet animal educators, and shop from vendor tables and Main Street businesses.

Can Beacon Barks add to the fun? Yes! This year, Beacon Barks joined Instagram and have been doing countdowns from as far back as 102 Days until the next Beacon Barks Parade. And that day has finally arrived! Here are some highlight photos from their Instagram, and what you can expect at tomorrow's parade:

Everything starts at 10am, where the parade gathers at the West end of Main Street. The Blessing of the Animals is at 10:15, a costume contest at 10:45, and the parade walks at 11:10am. Full schedule is at BeaconBarks.org

Nixie Sparrow is hand stamping dog tags. I have a tag like this for my dog, and it is the cutest! You definitely want one.

Brook Farm Veterinary Center is handing out keychains at their vendor table, which comes in handy if you are a member of the Beacon Dog Park, funding of which came in part from a Beacon Barks Parade in years past!

This guy, Leroy, is one of Beacon's most well known dog trainers, and will be doing a training demonstration.

This pug, Bella, will actually be attending the parade, and you should just follow this motto in general.

Shelter and rescue organizations will be in attendance, like this one - the Curly Tail Pug Rescue.

I am giving a special shout out to Roosevelt Vet on the Hudson for enabling my 15 year old German Shepherd/Chow Gerdy to walk in the parade for the first time! Ever since Roosevelt did an Partner Article with A Little Beacon Blog about their recommended osteoarthritis treatments for dogs, Gerdy has been getting one easy injection once a month, and she can now go up our front steps with minimal assistance, skip with excitement if we are going on a walk, and looks forward to walking to Main Street instead of turning around.

See you at the parade!

More annual events are coming up, don't miss them! See A Little Beacon Blog's Annual Events Calendar for several don't-miss events.

Beacon Barks Parade, April 25, 2015 - A Celebration of Animal Love

Beacon Barks marks the coming of Spring and bringing animal friends and people in the community together. This year, the parade is on April 25, 2015, and everything begins at 10am and goes until 3pm. Beacon Barks is in its 9th season of animal love and glory parading down Main Street.  In 2015 Beacon Barks opened an Instagram account, the photos of which we blogged about here.

Sponsored and created by Beacon Barkery, our most delicious and nutritious pet store, and the Dutchess County SPCA, proceeds have helped support numerous animal welfare initiatives, including the opening of Beacon’s Dog Park along with supporting the great work of area shelter and animal rescue groups. It’s just as true today as it was all those years ago – Beacon Barks is the largest celebration of animal shelters and rescue groups in our area.

The full schedule of events is at Beacon Barks website, but it all starts at 10am with Opening Ceremonies and lining up of everyone in the parade. If you're driving, get here early to find parking on side streets. Follow along Beacon Barks' Instagram account for cute dog photos 

Here's what you can expect during the day:

• A lot of fun.
• A lot of sun (hopefully!!).
• A lot of happy dogs, some in costume.
• A lot of dog enthusiasts and kids who love dogs.
• A lot of walking and shopping from a market of vendors you may not have seen before, and the shops on Main Street.
• A lot of food! This is your chance to eat your way down Main Street, between the vendors and the shops, you will be happy.

More annual events are coming up, don't miss them! See A Little Beacon Blog's Annual Events Calendar for several don't-miss events.

Beacon's City Wide Yard Sale - June 13, 2015

Beacon's City Wide Yard Sale is Saturday, June 13th, 2015 from 9am - 3pm. It's one of my favorite weekends in Beacon because I am a trash picker and love collecting things from people yards. So to have an official day for it is beyond exciting. This is one event that you will want to drive, because you will be collecting unimaginables from around the city, and you won't be able to take them home. Parking in front of people's yard sales usually isn't a problem because people are yard hopping constantly, moving from one yard sale to the next.

Participating in the yard sale can happen one of two ways - you can register your address as an official yard sale and get on the map (try calling the City of Beacon at (845) 838-5000), or just put stuff out on your yard and tag it. People will surly be driving by and will stop. Some families get really into it, and are letting their inner antique shop out, or are professional flea market vendors who happen to live in the neighborhood. This year, the City of Beacon Recreation Department is opening up the Recreation Center at 23 West Center Street to host yard sales from individuals who don't have yards or enough stuff to fill a yard yet want to sell during the yard sale. More information about the flea market style yard sale is here in their newsletter archives.

Finding yard sales is as easy as just driving around Beacon. The City does put out an official map, and will most likely be in the windows of shops on Main Street.

Items You're Likely to Find:

• Tools. I found a great table saw for $5!
• Bikes
• Baby and Kid items.
• Patio Furniture
• Books
• Trinkets
• Weight Lifting Things
• Whatever you need, it's probably sitting in someone's front yard...

Tips for Running a Successful Yard Sale:

• Put up signs a block away from your house that have arrows and your address.
• Tag everything with prices, or have tables that are different prices. Make it easy for the shopper to pick something up and know the price.
• Serve lemonade or something easy and fun to keep your shoppers hydrated and happy.

You can always get your fix of vintage and estate sale type shopping at Beacon Flea Market every Sunday on Henry Street in the back parking lot, behind the Yankee Clipper Diner.

Zero to Go's Compost Project Will Strike Black Gold in the Hudson Valley

A food waste sundae that could become compost in Zero to Go's new pickup program.

Recycling wasn't a thing in our house until our local trash company, Royal Carting, put a new orange-topped trashcan in our driveway. Pangs of guilt would hit me each time I tossed a metal lid of cat food into the trash, or stuffed a plastic or cardboard egg carton into the rest of the waste. Until researching this article, I did not realize that recycling was mandatory by law for Dutchess County enacted in 1990. Around 2012, Dutchess Country went "single stream", which means that consumers can put mixed items of recycling into one trash can, which is when Royal Carting dropped off the orange-lidded can for single-stream recycling pickup and changed our waste habits for good.

When recycling pickup in Beacon became official, and Royal Carting picked it up every other week, we sprang for a new dual side trash can to separate the trash from the recycling, and now I gladly fill up the recycling side to the brim. Now that so many materials can be recycled, we have more recylcing in our smaller trash can than we do the larger trash can. What's left on the trash side? Mainly food. And being a Backyard Farmer, I wanted to compost the food, but there's too much city-girl in me to deal with the flies. So it's the food I now look at with longing - longing to turn it into compost - the black gold of soil.

Enter Zero to Go. The education-based waste management company who's been literally sweeping the Hudson Valley to separate trash, recycling and compostable material since 2013. Zero to Go has handled 18 events throughout the Hudson Valley and Manhattan, including the Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, The Peekskill Hop and Harvest Festival, Beacon’s Riverfest with Local 845, the Iron Pour, benefits for Common Ground Farm and other local events. And now Zero to Go's founder, Sarah Womer, wants to collect it from your home or business.

The Compost Project is the newest initiative from Zero to Go that held its first Town Hall Meeting about it last week, and hosts its second Town Hall Meeting today, Saturday, at 11am. The pilot program is designed run on business and residential investment and donations. Only 30 residential slots and 4 business slots are available in the pilot program, and as of this morning, 18 of those have been filled! The application to sign up to be one of the first in the project is here.

Participants in the pilot program will be given a special trash can to hold food waste (those who sign up in later phases can buy the trash can). The can will be collected weekly - by bike - by Zero to Go. If you're an avid recycler, you'll know that the every-other-week pickup for recycling could easily be converted into weekly for your own needs.

During this first phase, the food waste will be carted to network of industrial compost sites and farms in the Hudson Valley. This is where it will turn into "black gold" as Sarah calls it, to be used to make the soil even more nutrient rich for farming, backyard gardening, and even Main Street flower tending.

Zero to Go is hosting a Kickstarter campaign to fund-raise for the bins they need to begin collecting material from the first 34 customers. Compost material will be used by sources in the Hudson Valley. In order to deliver it back to Beaconites, Zero to Go will need to build its own infrastructure, which it plans to begin fundraising and grant seeking for in 2016.

CSA and Local Produce Round-up for 2015 Season

Happy Equinox! Ignore that snow out there and let's turn our minds towards Spring. This is the perfect time to sign up for your 2015 CSA (Community Supported Agriculture group). You pay at the beginning of the season and receive a weekly box of fresh, local produce. Below are not only some local produce options including the traditional CSA, but you can now try a new flexible CSA subscription program, an educational U-Pick option, and of course the local Farmer's market we all know and love. Click on each option to learn more about the farms involved, growing practices, and the types of produce offered.

	Common Ground Farm Common Ground Farm is a farm project that serves our community as an educational model for people of all ages to learn how foods grow. With education in mind, Common Ground doesn't offer the traditional CSA delivery, but offers the U-PICK program and the experience of picking your own own herbs, veggies, and flowers! This summer's U-Pick plot will include sugar snap peas, cherry tomatoes, scallions, carrots, lettuce, arugula, peppers, beans, herbs (including dill, cilantro, and basil) husk cherries, and more. The season is June 20th to September 8th, with a discount if you sign up by April 1st. U-PICK SIGN UP HERE
	Fishkill Farms Their CSA runs weekly, June through mid-November with two CSA pickup locations: at Farm Store in East Fishkill, NY, and at the Old Stone House in Brooklyn. Members picking up at the Farm Store will receive weekly bonus pick-your-own items! You can expect a variety of fruits and vegetables from the farm. Fruits may include berries, peaches, nectarines, plums, pears & apples. Vegetables may be greens, tomatoes, squash, beans, onions, potatoes, garlic & broccoli. SIGN UP HERE
	Glynwood Glynwood CSA members enjoy more than 40 different types of Certified Naturally Grown vegetables during a 24 week season. You will receive a weekly newsletter with information about the share that week, including preparation tips and recipes from Glynwood's Executive Chef. If you pickup at Glynwood’s Farm Store, you can check out their pasture-raised meat and eggs in addition to a handful of other local products. SIGN UP HERE Obercreek Farm Obercreek grows chemical-free, winter greens over in Hughsonville, NY. Using passive-solar greenhouses they cultivate carefully crafted greens mixes 52 weeks a year (that's year-round!). This summer they are partnering with Common Ground Farm & Hearty Roots Farm to bring you a Summer CSA Share (22 weeks of local, organic, seasonal vegetables!). Get a discounted share if you sign up before the end of March. SIGN UP HERE Field Goods NY based Field Goods offers weekly deliveries of local produce from a variety of area farms in three sizes of fruit and vegetable subscriptions. Rather than buying an entire season's share at once in the spring, subscriptions can be started anytime and can be easily cancelled or placed on hold. They also provide an email with what to expect in your delivery along with cooking tips. Local pick-up at Beacon Pantry (a great place to round-out your delivery with eggs,cheese, meat and pasta!). Personally recommended as a flexible, winter stop-gap for local produce. SIGN UP HERE Beacon Farmers' Market You can find the produce of many of the above farms and more at the Beacon Farmers' Market. They are open every Sunday down at the Riverfront during the summer and at the Scenic Hudson building during the winter. This year they will be back at the waterfront on April 12th. No subscription needed, buy when you like!

Beacon's Universal Pre-K and Kindergarten Programs and Satellite Classrooms

Pre-Kindergarten used to be a concept that parents could sign their 3 and 4 year olds up for if there was a program run by a business or a church in their area. The hours were short, but the experience was invaluable to the child by way of reaching their spongy brains at an early age. These days, spreading across the nation is Universal Pre-Kindergarten which is a federally funded program recently encouraged by the Obama Administration by way of a $10 billion investment over 10 years in public preschool programs that states have to apply for. However, local school districts within those states need to also apply for the grant and be awarded, and not all districts in New York state have been awarded a grant. 

One little in-school assignment to learn numbers.

Beacon City School District is one such district that has offered the Universal Pre-K program to 4 year olds for a number of years for a half day of learning, either in a morning program or an afternoon group. In 2014, A total of $340 million was awarded to 81 school districts and Community Based Organizations in New York. In fact, Newburgh is the largest recipient of Pre-K funding outside of New York City. The reality of school as a form of child care is a real issue, and is becoming more recognized at the federal and state levels, especially with this passage of $794 million to "provide working families with affordable child care" by Governor Andrew Cuomo in August 2014.

SATELLITE CLASSROOMS OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDINGS

Not as talked about is the participation of daycare or child care programs in Universal Pre-K, which offers a small price break for parents as well as a consistent day of coverage for the child. For five years, Rose Hill Manor on Wolcott Avenue has been a satellite classroom, offering half-day morning Pre-K  from 8:30-11:30am for free for those who enroll with the district and Rose Hill in time before their allotted seats fill up. This includes the paid option of a full day of "wrap around care" until 5:30pm which is especially good for parents who have difficulty getting their children from Pre-K or Kindergarten due to work or other obligations. This includes lunch, nap, snack and more structured play/learning time.  

As of 2014, Rose Hill has been the only center who year after year took on the requirements and paperwork required to offer the program. Astor Services for Children and Families had offered it  before the school district itself took it on, but has not offered it in recent years. Acceptance into the program means that a school must have a certified teacher on board, and must "meet or exceed" public school requirements, and weave these requirements into their own curriculum. Schools including the Randolf School, Hudson Hills, BCAP, Astor, or Kids Place do not offer the program, reasons usually being that the paperwork is too overwhelming, or that they don't want to be held to public requirements.
[UPDATE 1-21-16]: Cedar Street Daycare is also a satellite option for the 2016-2017 year, in addition to Rose Hill Manor. 

To get into a satellite program, parents must apply with the public school at the start of Pre-K registration, usually in February of each year, and tell the public school administrator that they intend to be in the program at a satellite school.

Images of heart-health with food choices and activities.

SNOW DAYS - CANCELLATIONS AND WEATHER DELAYS

A real issue for parents are snow days. The pattern in Beacon is to have a 2-hour delay of school or a cancellation entirely if snow falls on a school-night for the next day. Children enrolled in the morning program of Pre-K often have their day of school canceled if there is a 2-hour weather delay. Those enrolled in the afternoon program at their public school are not as impacted by the weather delays, but still miss school on an early dismissal or school closure.

A benefit of enrolling a child in the satellite program of a school like Rose Hill is that they operate as a business, and are open 95% of the time. So if school is closed, children enrolled in the full day wrap around care at Rose Hill are the only ones in town still going to school that day for a full day of engagement versus the alternative of Netflix, videos, and desperate Pinterest searches for crafty projects while a working parent's day of meetings and deadlines got cut like a paper snowflake.
Note: this option is only available to kids who are additionally enrolled in full time daycare with Rose Hill.

BUSING & GETTING KIDS TO SCHOOL

Another issue for working parents is busing. Beacon City Schools offers busing to kids who live 1.5 miles away from their elementary school. For Pre-K, this includes one-way transportation. For morning classes, students are transported to school; for afternoon classes, they are transportation home from school. Hudson Hills offers one-way transportation, as does Rose Hill. For kindergartners, for example, if parents need to be at work before the bus picks up from their house, they can drop kids off at Rose Hill, who then accepts bus-loads of "big kids" in their after-school program starting at 3:30pm.

The schedules of children is no joke, and fitting this in with grocery shopping and work schedules is a tricky puzzle figured out daily. Thanks to the growing number of families moving to this area, parents are experiencing a greater number of options for their priorities and budgets.

Martin Luther King Day March from Springfield Baptist Church

 

Today Beacon recognizes Martin Luther King Day with participation of hundreds of Beaconites marching in a parade organized by the Springfield Baptist Church on Mattie Cooper Square, among other events happening in Beacon. Marchers walked the icy streets on a slightly warmer winter day, singing in a quiet chorus to help create the feeling of peace and unity.

Rev. Mattie Ophelia Cooper in the pulpit of the Springfield Baptist Church in Beacon, NY circa 1970s from the UUPATT website.

In addition to celebrating Martin Luther King, this is a great moment to also recognize the Rev. Mattie Ophelia Cooper (pastor and organizer of the Springfield Missionary Baptist Church in Beacon, NY), who was one of many community game changers for Beacon, in part by starting the Mattie Cooper Scholarship Fund, an annual award given to a Beacon High School student at graduation. According to the scholarship's webpage at UUPATT, this scholarship was initiated "in or around June of 1962, because of her desire to see children of color receive an award during graduation, something that rarely happened back when she first started going to the graduation programs at Beacon High School."

See a snippet of the march here:

Christmas Tree Removal

Happy New Year! It’s that time of year for resolutions and clean slates. We make big plans to clean out closets and clear our minds in the process. For many of us it all begins with finally removing the big twinkly Christmas tree in the corner. 

The Highway Department is in charge of collecting trees after the holidays. According to Highway Superintendent Anthony “Zep” Thomaselli, curbside tree removal is currently in progress. Tree collection with occur during January, weather permitting. If you are a bit of a procrastinator or if you feel your tree has been overlooked, just give the Highway Department a call at (845) 831-0932 with your address and they will haul your tree away.

Holiday Giving in Our Local Back Yards

This article was planned to be published a few days from now, but with the newly created #GivingTuesday, we put a rush on it. It's time to address that collection of suggested donation sources that you file in the back of your bills folder, and write the checks for end of the year donations because they make a big difference. Beacon is steeped in volunteer organizations that provide vital services that many come to depend on, whether it be for enjoyment or a life threatening emergency. Here are a few ideas for you to donate to this Holiday Season.

BEACON VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE CORP.

When I got the letter in the mail to donate to the Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corp (BVAC), I almost overlooked the word "Volunteer". When my husband called 911 for me a year after we'd moved here, while we were hosting a spring BBQ, I was having a then undiscovered bout of appendicitis which left me blue and shaking in my bed while my guests ate potato chips (I felt extremely embarrassed to be so unsocial). An ambulance and medical people showed up (even more embarrassing as our new neighbors viewed the scene from their front porches), because that is what happens when you call 911. What amazes me to this day is that the ambulance service is volunteer based, and has been since its inception. It is also the "busiest volunteer service in the country" with 2200 calls per year, according to their website.

When they started, the Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corp made calls out of a 1948 refurbished Cadillac ambulance. The "dispatch system" was 3 volunteer members setting up a phone in their house. Then 7 volunteer members set up phones in their houses. Then they got pagers. And now the Dutchess County Bureau of Fire dispatch system is their system.

If you want to make sure these guys stick around, consider donating to the Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps. They have a membership PDF, but consider just sending a check to the address on their website.

DONATION DETAILS >

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CITY OF BEACON FIRE DEPARTMENT

A combination paid and volunteer organization, the City of Beacon Fire Department has been protecting Beacon since 1913. It has 13 paid firefighters, 3 support staff, and a volunteer organization of 60. That's a lot, and possibly how they fill 3 fire stations and have been designated with the fastest response time in Dutchess County, according to the City's website. Currently, their entire website has been under construction since early November, so when they are out fighting fires, perhaps your donation can help them make the updates they need. Or buy new equipment and maintain trucks ;)

Send your donation to:

City of Beacon Fire Department

Fire Department

13 South Avenue

Beacon, NY 12508

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COMMON GROUND FARM

Common Ground Farms is hosting their Annual Benefit Auction this Saturday, December 6th at the Scenic Hudson River Center Red Barn, 8 Long Dock Road, Beacon for food, drink, and live music from Tall County.

All proceeds go to support the Farm's nonprofit farm-to-school programs in which local Beacon school kids visit the Farm, and which allows the farmer to visit Beacon classrooms. In 2014 every third, fourth, and fifth grade class from J.V. Forrestal Elementary School (which is one of four elementary schools in Beacon) visited Common Ground Farm to learn about worms, bees, compost, organic farming, and local vegetables. Common Ground Farm also provides Chefs in the Classroom that conduct taste tests of local veggies and who prepare healthy food and recipes, which are then served in the school cafeteria. Common Ground Farms' goal is to increase funding so that they can work with their partners, including Hudson Valley Seed, to expand programming to additional schools.

BUY TICKETS HERE >

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BEACON DOG PARK

After a year of fundraising, the Beacon Dog Park finally hosted a ribbon cutting to officially open its gates in March of 2013. Right next to Memorial Park for Kids, where dogs are not allowed, the Beacon Dog Park has made socializing dogs and humans easier and more attainable. Your membership as a dog owner is donation enough, but if you wanted to donate a little extra, it does help to buy new benches, fix any fencing, etc.

DONATE NOW >

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GIANNETTA SALON & SPA

Near and dear to Giannetta Salon & Spa's heart for the Children's Tumor Foundation, which has made great strides in developing cures for cancer, tumors, bone disorders, and learning difficulties. Right now, Giannetta's is hosting a raffle for a basket of wine, as well as 3 Kerastase Chroma Thermique system products. This is sort of major because if you've ever tried Kerastase, you'll know it's the most luxurious shampoo lather you've ever experienced, and really does make a big difference in your hair. A donation box for the Children's Tumor Foundation is available as well. You can stop into the salon to enter the raffle.

MORE ABOUT GIANNETTA >

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MID-HUDSON CHILDREN'S MUSEUM

Any city is so lucky to have a Children's Museum, and if you're not already a member or a regular attendee of this museum, you should know that Mid-Hudson Children's Museum, located on the Hudson River in Poughkeepsie almost under the Walkway Over the Hudson, is a special place for kids. They celebrate childhood and are proud to offer exhibits that get kids moving, exploring, building, pretending, collaborating, creating and discovering. Their exhibits focus on nature, science, literacy, art, music and community and allow children the opportunity to develop foundational learning skills. The museum also builds a lot of their own exhibits.

BECOME A MEMBER or JUST DONATE >

Remember, these are only a few ideas. Let's see how creative you can be in your Holiday Giving!

Well Lookie Here! New Crosswalks in Neighborhood Streets!

City workers spray new crosswalks in residential neighborhoods in Beacon.

As I geared up to walk my dog this chilly morning, the smell of paint fumes was unmistakable. I assumed it was coming from a house down the street that is getting a total renovation and was getting an exterior coat of paint sprayed onto it, but no...the fumes were from white spray cans of brand new crosswalks on a street that never had them before yet is highly populated with church and school pedestrians. This must be from the federal grant that the Mayor spoke of earlier this month!

Gingerbread House Decoration Party from Beacon Public Space

The 8th Annual Gingerbread House Decoration Party is today at the Howland Public Library!

It's a BOYGBH (Bring Your Own Gingerbread House) supplies or buy a kit there if there is one left for $12.

Brought to you buy Beacon Public Space, this tasty project is loads of fun and is a great excuse to decorate a gingerbread house. But it doesn't stop there! It then adds to the decoration of Beacon's Main Street, because with this Gingerbread House Decorating Party, there is a catch - at least one house per decorator must be put on display in a storefront window December 11 - January 20th.

 

Details at Beacon Public Space!

Belated 3-Cheers for Crosswalk Signs on Main Street!

Crosswalk signs are helping cars slow down for people.

Earlier this summer, a few crosswalk signs popped up in the middle of Main Street on the yellow lines, making it easier for drivers to notice the white crosswalks painted on the pavement of different areas of the street. Despite some crosswalks being white and some being brick with faded paint or no paint between the bricks, noticing the crosswalks was difficult to a driver. Often times, this driver (me!) would zoom past families waiting to cross the street, thinking "Oh, look at that cute family!" instead of "Duh, that family really needs to cross the street and I should stop."

A belated Three Cheers for the City and

Highway Superintendent Anthony "Zep" Thomaselli

for grabbing some of these signs and placing them in the middle of the street. The signs are making it easier for walkers to cross the street, which can take quite a long time if cars don't stop. When we contacted Mayor Casale to ask about these crosswalk signs, and he verified that Mr. Thomaselli placed them in spots on the streets to see how cars and trucks handled them, and that the curb across from the Howland Cultural Center near Beacon Bagel and Echo was too narrow to handle a sign. The mayor also mentioned that Beacon was awarded a substantial federal grant for maintaining crosswalks. Yay! We vote for neon green paint of the brick crosswalks so that drivers really see them, and neon green coordinates with the already green neon signs!

And in slightly related news, there is a vote tonight on who pays for sidewalks that are repaired or replaced during roadwork projects - homeowners or the City. Turns out, a possibly well-intentioned rule was having negative impact on homeowners, which erupted after projects on Oak Street and Henry Street where new sidewalks were put in over the summer, as tracked by a recently created

Facebook page, Beacon Sidewalks

. Normally, personal property owners need to pay for 100% of their sidewalk repair or replacement. However, if the City is doing roadwork and needs to repair or replace the sidewalk as part of that work, the City splits 50% the cost of replacing or repairing the sidewalk with the homeowner. This sounds like a deal, but in real life, a homeowner puts off replacing their sidewalk and is not prepared to receive a bill for thousands of dollars if the City happens to work on the sidewalk outside their home.

Sidewalk news is becoming a hot topic, as there are different ways to get a sidewalk paid for, including

this federal grant that Beacon received for replacing sidewalks on Liberty Street

as part of a Safe Routes to School Program. There is mention of narrowing the street, which would be a huge bummer because driving along parked cars is hard enough to squeeze past, not to mention when snow falls and the streets are even more crowded until plowed snow melts or is removed. Not to mention how nerve wracking it is to get children out of car seats in cars when cars whiz by. Wide streets also make it easier for cyclists to ride bikes to work or the store, a movement which Stowe Boyd at

Beacon Streets

has

actively been working on to cultivate through grants

and new painted bike symbols on the streets themselves called "sharrows".

UPDATE on 12/2/14:

New crosswalks are painted in residential areas.