Happening This Weekend - 9/8/2017
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Where Is Lambs Hill? Next to King + Curated!
Where is King + Curated? Near the historic dummy light, just down from the old train tracks in the renovated factory.
Happening This Weekend - 9/1/2017
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Luxe Optique
Style Storehouse
King and Curated
Kids Halloween Hocus Pocus Parade Changes Date for 2017
/NOTE: This article is from 2017. As of 2019, the rules of the parade have changed. Click here for more up-to-date details.
Beacon Weekend Halloween Events
Saturday, Oct. 28: Psychic Fair from noon to 5 pm at Notions-n-Potions
Saturday, Oct. 28: Murder Mystery at 6 pm, show begins at 8 pm at Clove Creek Dinner Theater, Fishkill
Sunday, Oct. 29: Kids Hocus Pocus Halloween Parade - At noon, line up at Visitors Center near Bank Square Coffee; at 1 pm parade begins down Main Street
There will be no Dark Parade this year.
UPDATE: This year, heavy rain is predicted, and the parade has been postponed. See this article for details.
For the first time in forever - well, for the second time in its 20-year history - Beacon's Hocus Pocus Kids Halloween Parade will be the weekend of Halloween. That's right, on Sunday, October 29, the kids will line up at noon at the Visitors Center on the corner of South Avenue and Main Street (across from Bank Square Coffee) and begin parading and trick-or-treating in costume at 1 pm. For a long time, the parade had been held over a week before Halloween.
Traditionally, the kids paraded and then trick-or-treated the Main Street stores, but this year they'll be parading and trick-or-treating at the same time, according to parade organizer Ron Iarossi, a board member for the Beacon Chamber of Commerce and owner of Beacon Creamery. The number of participants has increased each year, with hundreds of kids and parents making their way down Beacon's milelong Main Street collecting candy. We participated at A Little Beacon Blog last year, and to hit up Key Food four times to refill our candy supply as the kids kept coming!
For some parents, this dates comes as a relief as costume-required events tend to pile on top of each other during the week of Halloween. With the actual date of Halloween on a Tuesday this year, the weekend of Halloween may prove to be a fun and busy time. There will be no Dark Parade this year.
PHOTOcentric 2017 - Garrison Arts Center Call for Entries Sept. 5, 2017
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The Garrison Art Center's deadline for PHOTOcentric, this year's International Juried Photography Exhibition, is fast approaching on Tuesday, September 5, 2017. This is open to amateur and professional photographers in all mediums. There is a $50 entry fee for five images, and $10 for each additional image. This year, the exhibit will be juried by Francis M. Naumann, an independent scholar, curator, and gallery owner of Francis M. Naumann Fine Art in New York. Naumann specializes in the art of the Dada and Surrealist periods, including the noted photographers Man Ray and Naomi Savage. He has recently organized museum shows for the Whitney Museum of American Art and the American Craft Museum of New York.
The opening reception will take place on December 9, 2017, and the exhibit will last through January 7, 2018, at The Riverside Galleries at Garrison Art Center in Garrison, NY (right next to the train station). "Best in Show" will be awarded $1,000, be featured on the cover of the exhibition book, with the image, artist's biography and website or email address in book, and link on Garrison Art Center website. Awards will also be given to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place in each category with a cash prize.
All work must be submitted online using this link. The format for your images should be 72 ppi resolution and JPEG format. 1280 pixels on the longest side and RGB color space (standard) with layers flattened, 8-bit mode. To view the full prospectus for this exhibit, click here to download.
Happening This Weekend in Beacon and Beyond - 8/25/2017
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Chefs for Clearwater Event to Showcase Hudson Valley Growers and Chefs
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This just in over the wires... The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater has announced a delicious event happening at The Culinary Institute of America in September. The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater will be hosting Chefs for Clearwater, featuring six celebrated Hudson Valley chefs in September. The event sets out to raise awareness of sustainable food production and watershed protection.
Chefs for Clearwater
This second annual Chefs for Clearwater culinary event will happen on Sunday, September 17, 2017, at 4 pm at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY. Chefs for Clearwater is a partnership of leading Hudson Valley chefs, the CIA, and Clearwater, aimed at spreading awareness of critical issues involving sustainability and food ethics, and how they relate to the Hudson Valley watershed. The event is a fundraiser to support Clearwater’s environmental education and advocacy programs on the Hudson River.
Chefs for Clearwater’s featured chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, ranchers, vintners and cider makers have been invited to participate because of their demonstrated commitment to practicing and advancing sustainable agriculture and socially responsible business practices. The health of the Hudson River watershed directly impacts the health of the ground soil—and the reverse is just as true. Chefs for Clearwater is a celebration of the great progress made on both fronts in recent years.
“The Culinary Institute of America is proud to support Clearwater’s dedication to environmental education and advocacy,” said CIA President Dr. Tim Ryan. “The health of the Hudson River is critical to the region’s agriculture and food future. Both the CIA and Clearwater are committed to maintaining sustainable resources and being socially responsible stewards of the environment. Through Chefs for Clearwater, our organizations can, together, help spread that message.”
The master of ceremonies will be Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Tom Chapin. The New York Times called Chapin “one of the great personalities in contemporary folk music.” Tom Chapin has covered an incredible amount of creative ground. In addition to his work as a recording artist and concert performer, Chapin has acted on Broadway, and has also worked extensively in films, television and radio.
Guest speaker Peter Kaminsky is the author of Pig Perfect, The Elements of Taste, Seven Fires: Grilling The Argentine Way and Culinary Intelligence. His work has been featured in The Underground Gourmet, New York magazine's Outdoors column and The New York Times.
The benefit will include a silent auction, as well as a live auction led by George Cole. With Cole’s special flair and finesse, he has been mentioned year after year in “The Best of the Hudson Valley.”
“The Chefs for Clearwater benefit is an extraordinary event. Held at the majestic Culinary Institute of America, it is the premier food and wine event in the Hudson Valley,” said Chef Terrance Brennan, a co-creator. “Guests will enjoy a six-course tasting menu featuring the best chefs, ingredients and beverages from the Hudson Valley. There will also be musical entertainment and live and silent auctions. Proceeds will benefit Clearwater’s important environmental work to protect the Hudson River and its watershed and educational programs.”
The Chefs for Clearwater benefit dinner will feature live bluegrass music by Two Dollar Goat, signature hors d’oeuvres, charcuterie and a six-course farm-to-table menu created by Chef Sara Lukasiewicz of The Amsterdam in Rhinebeck, NY; Chef John McCarthy of The Crimson Sparrow in Hudson, NY; Chef Jay Lippin of Crabtree’s Kittle House in Mt. Kisco, NY; Chef Michael Kaphan of Purdy’s Farmer & The Fish in North Salem and Tarrytown, NY; Chef Waldy Malouf of The Bocuse Restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY; and Chef Kristina DePalma of The Roundhouse by Terrance Brennan in Beacon, NY.
Tickets and sponsorship packages are available at www.chefsforclearwater.org.
About the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
The Hudson River Sloop Clearwater was launched in 1969 by legendary folk singer and activist Pete Seeger, and ever since, the organization 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 the Culinary Institute of America
Founded in 1946, the Culinary Institute of America is the world’s premier culinary college. Dedicated to developing leaders in foodservice and hospitality, the independent, not-for-profit CIA offers bachelor’s degree majors in food business management, hospitality management, culinary science, and applied food studies; associate degrees in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts; and executive education through its Food Business School. The college also offers certificate programs and courses for professionals and enthusiasts. Its conferences and consulting services have made the CIA the think tank of the food industry, and its worldwide network of 49,000 alumni includes innovators in every area of the food business. The CIA has locations in New York, California, Texas, and Singapore. For more information, visit www.ciachef.edu.
Beacon High School Student Plans 5K Fundraiser and Documentary
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The Ryan McElroy Children's Cancer Foundation "Never Say No" 5K race/walk
Day: Saturday, August 19, 2017
Time: 9 am (family race), 9:30 am (5K race/walk)
Location: Long Dock Park, Beacon, NY
Kids' Fun Run: $10 (online, in advance), $15 (race day)
5K: $20 (online) $25 (race day)
Gifts to first 100 registrants (limited race day gifts)
As a baby, Noah Cory was treated for stage 4 neuroblastoma (a type of cancer) when he was only 18 months old. As a freshman at Beacon High School, Noah produced a documentary offering a behind-the-scenes look at what families go through when one of their children is diagnosed with cancer. Now a junior, Noah has been producing 5K races as fundraisers for different organizations. He has one coming up this Saturday at Long Dock Park: the Never Say No 5K and Family Fun Run. "Doing these fundraisers is a way to give back to everyone who helped me when I was going through stage 4 neuroblastoma cancer at 18 months."
When Noah was undergoing treatment, his mother started and ran the Noah Cory Foundation to help other families coping with the effects of a child's cancer. Today, Noah's fundraising efforts are going toward the Ryan McElroy Foundation, named for a boy who passed away just shy of his fifth birthday due to stage 4 Ewing sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. "The foundation does amazing work and helps many families everyday here in the Mid-Hudson Valley," says Noah. "It is the foundation's mission to 'Never Say No' to a family in need, and that is why I decided to name the race the 'Never Say No 5K and Family Fun Run.'"
Producing the documentary was Noah's first time taking the lead on fundraisers. "During the process of filming, I met a lot of wonderful people and realized that I need to do anything I can to help these children and their families that are going through cancer." A teacher at Beacon High School nominated Ryan to participate in the LLS Student of the Year Competition. Students competed to raise the most money over nine weeks from January to March this year by hosting events, door-to-door fundraising, and gaining sponsorships. During the nine weeks, Noah hosted two dodgeball tournaments at BHS and Rombout Middle School.
Maybe you went to one! If you cannot participate in the 5K but want to help, you can donate directly through the Ryan McElroy Foundation's website.
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Second Saturday Art Gallery Guide For August 2017
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Happy Second Saturday, Beacon and fans of Beacon! Don't let the threat of some showers keep you inside. There's art galore happening around town: An artist/gallery owner Russ Cusick will be performing classic TV theme songs *inside a TV* at another gallery, Marion Royael, Beacon seniors exhibit paintings at the library, and colorful critters take over a West End space!
Get the scoop on all the Second Saturday happenings around town. ➡️ http://alittlebeaconblog.com/second-saturday
As always, a huge, big thanks to BeaconArts (BACA) for the tireless efforts promoting Saturday. And another huge, big thanks to A Little Beacon Blog's advertising partners, without whom this production would be exceptionally difficult. Please support the businesses who support us!
Happening This Weekend - 8/11/2017
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Keys to Luxe Optique's Success As They Celebrate Their One-Year Anniversary in Beacon
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When Luxe Optique first covered the storefront windows of 183 Main Street with COMING SOON paper, passers-by on the street asked how a glasses store would survive in Beacon. When the paper was peeled away, and people could see designer frames in the window (from designers that most of us had never heard of), it was clear that something special was inside. When the shingle was hung outside of the Main Street windows - a shingle that wasn't in the traditional rectangular shape at all, but vintage specs resembling shingles of opticians of the past - the speculative chatter came to a halt, and spottings of interesting frames on Beacon faces began.
Luxe Optique celebrates their one-year anniversary this weekend with a party on Saturday, August 12, 2017, from 3 to 8 pm. Regular readers of our Happening This Weekend newsletter and column know that Luxe Optique has been supporting A Little Beacon Blog as an advertiser for their entire year of business. In fact, Luxe has supported all of the newspapers in the area, as well as other organizations and initiatives, which helps you stay informed. As a token of our appreciation, we interviewed them about how they thrived during their first year.
In the Beginning...
Owner Laurie Riehle opened Luxe Optique with her dedicated staff (who have worked with her since adolescence), Ryon Odneal and Julia Martell, one year ago after selling her other store, Riehle Opticians, in Warwick, NY. Now, Luxe Optique employs 11 people in the Beacon shop.
After Warwick, over in Orange County, how did Beacon become the next logical location? According to Ryon: "Laurie was looking for the perfect city with a creative and daring side that didn't already have a local optical practice. Beacon, having easy train access and the Dia, appeared to be the perfect fit for what we wanted. One year later we know for sure it was the right decision!"
Luxe Optique Attracts Out-Of-Towners to Beacon
"Laurie's previous store was a core part of the town it was in," says Ryon. "It took care of every socioeconomic need there was. So, like that store, we are Beacon's local, community-based optical store." This includes in-store eye exams, which during the past year, have frequently been offered for free. Otherwise, the staff helps you submit a claim to your insurance if you have it.
Ryon is quick to point out the accessibility to designer brands - not designer brands that you'd find in vision centers in a mall, but true couture - handmade. "One would have to hop from store to store in New York City to try them all on, so the person who normally would travel to NYC for a great pair of glasses no longer has to! That being said, we also have many patients located in NYC who travel up here for their eyewear." Luxe Optique carries 23 lines of designer frames.
The Luxe Optique Test of Excellence
What test must a line of frames pass in order to be on the shelves of Luxe Optique? According to Ryon: "All of our collections MUST have an equivalent or greater quality value than the cost to our patient. We love to educate our patients on eyewear so they make the most wise decision in their investment! Which would be why you don't see major labels who license out their name to other companies to be made in China at high costs to the consumer. The average truly handmade frame should have a life span of 3 to 15 years."
Luxe Optique Owner Laurie Recently Bought Her Building
It's a common strategy for business owners to own the building where they set up shop, but not every proprietor gets the opportunity. "Laurie always knew she wanted to own the building the store would be in, but that wasn't originally an option with our current location," Ryon recalls. "We had a temporary, one-year lease and were pleasantly surprised when the option became available that we could keep our space permanently."
What Does Luxe Love About Business In Beacon?
"Our customers - we love them all! And the strong sense of community! From international, to the true Beaconites, and other nearby towns," says Ryon. "Every time we do an eyewear makeover, or provide better vision for patients than they have ever had, it is an unparalleled highlight. Most of the time, it's an emotional experience for our patients as well as us! Which is becoming routine here at Luxe."
I Bought A Pair
As a person who has worn glasses since the third grade, and my daughter starting in kindergarten (that's when public school gives the kids vision screenings), I swore off high-priced glasses after learning about the high profit margins associated with most brands. So I vowed to only shop from clearance racks and spend $50 for my frames. Now that I go into Luxe Optique on a monthly basis to get ideas for their advertising spot in A Little Beacon Blog's weekend happenings newsletter, I gaze at their frames all of the time, and learn about how they are made, who makes them, and where. The enthusiasm of the team at Luxe is contagious, and I finally bought my first pair of frames this month (we bought my daughter's and my husband's first). And Ryon is right. It is transformational.
Keep your eyes peeled, looking for Luxe Optique on the cover of Bespoke Concierge magazine. They shot on location at The Beacon Hotel, and the issue will be released in late August.
New Beginning For Shambhala Wellness Center - Grand Re-Opening this Saturday
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The Shambhala Yoga Center has been a staple in Beacon for almost 10 years under the ownership and guidance of Shannon Brandt. Shannon decided earlier this year that it was time for a change. She passed the reins of owning and managing the studio over to fellow local yogini Karla McGuire, owner of Live Your Life Gear. Shannon will still be teaching at Shambhala, but wants to focus on her healing work and working with private clients at the center.
Karla comes to Shambhala with a new energy, lots of ideas, and new services for the community. The first thing you'll notice is the name change: from Shambhala Yoga Center to Shambhala Wellness Center. In addition to yoga classes with the regular teaching staff, there will be additional healing services like Reiki, Ajna Light Therapy, and other holistic therapies. Shambhala is now more than just a yoga studio.
This Second Saturday offers a chance for you to check out the new and improved Shambhala Wellness Center, featuring brand new floors, a fresh coat of paint, and beautiful tapestries on the wall to enjoy. You will also find beautiful yoga gear, accessories, props, and healing products for sale. If “Live Your Life Gear” sounds familiar, you may have seen its colorful Namaste Bus in the area and at various festivals.
Starting at noon this Second Saturday, when you stop by Shambhala, you can sample free kombucha (Mon Cheri is my personal fave), have mini psychic and tarot readings, crystal healings, and Thai head massage, and enjoy live dance performances, shopping and grand opening specials. You can sign up for new student packages until the end of August: $25 for one week of unlimited classes, or $89 for one month unlimited.
You can visit their website or RSVP to their event on Facebook.
Scenic Hudson Hosts Discussion Over EPA's 5-Year Review of GE's Removal of Pollutants from Hudson River
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This Tuesday evening, from 5:30 to 8 pm, Scenic Hudson, Riverkeeper, Green Beacon Coalition, and the City of Beacon will convene for a public meeting, aka a "Night of Action," at Scenic Hudson's River Center at Long Dock Park in Beacon to discuss the findings from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of whether General Electric (GE) completed its cleanup of decades-long releasing of toxic chemicals into the Hudson River.
The EPA produced a draft Five-Year Review. According to Scenic Hudson: "The draft Five-Year Review outlines the goals of the cleanup and whether or not these goals have been met and if the remedy is functioning as intended. EPA is stating that the project 'will be protective' of human health and the environment in 53 years, but state and federal agencies are saying a century or more."
During the event, Scenic Hudson will show a presentation that will walk through the Five-Year Review and its findings. The groups are hoping that the presentation will help provide the audience with talking points to spread via word-of-mouth. They also will collect public comments that will be submitted to the EPA by the September 1 deadline, calling on the EPA to change their determination and require additional cleanup from GE.
The event will also include a screening of a new clip from filmmaker Jon Bowermaster, a Q + A discussion, and a comment-writing opportunity for guests to fill out postcards that will be mailed to the EPA.
For more information, visit scenichudson.org or RSVP on Facebook.
Photo Credit: Scenic Hudson
Howland Cultural Center Objects to Proposed Addition by Neighboring Building
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The board of the Howland Cultural Center (477 Main St.) is objecting to the proposed addition of a second and third floor of apartments to be built on the neighboring building at 475 Main St., citing obstruction of the Howland's use of natural light for artistic exhibitions. The Howland is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. "Our greatest concern is the proposed raising of the rear one-story wing to three stories, which would turn our side courtyard into a brick canyon and a dark alley by creating shadowing," explained Craig Wolf, current board president of the Howland Cultural Center. In the above picture, the back of the building is bathed in late afternoon sunlight. That side includes a series of windows on the second floor, allowing natural light to illuminate the original Howland Circulating Library.
475 Main Street, the building adjacent to the Howland Cultural Center, seeks to build a second and third floor on the back of its building to create seven additional apartments. The Howland Cultural Center has objected to it, citing obstruction of natural light for its public and private art exhibits.
The Howland Cultural Center, which originated as a library, was built in 1872 by Joseph Howland, a Civil War general and former New York State Treasurer, who, along with several of his notably named friends like Brett, Van Buren and others, wanted “to raise the intellectual and cultural levels of people in the community.” Howland assumed the entire cost of the design and construction of what became the Howland Cultural Center. To design the library, he commissioned his brother-in-law, Richard Morris Hunt, considered one of the greatest American architects at the turn of the 20th century for his designs of Biltmore House, The Breakers, Marble House, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Today, the mission of the Howland Cultural Center is "to promote and encourage local artists of the Hudson Valley and to provide a space where they can exhibit, perform and showcase their unique artistic talents." Exhibits, which include mixed media, music, and other events, run on a nearly daily schedule.
Approval for the seven additional apartments was already granted in 1992, but to different requirements, as stated in an excerpt from the developer's application:
"The proposed building alterations and addition to the existing mixed-use building conforms to the applicable requirements set forth in the Zoning Code of the City of Beacon, but for the proposed lot area per dwelling unit, requiring an area variance from this Board. The City of Beacon Zoning Board of Appeals granted a density (use) variance on April 21, 1992, which approved a total of 7 residential units. The Premises has since been rezoned into the CB District where multi-family dwelling units are permitted. The CB District requires a minimum lot area of 1,500 sq. ft. per dwelling unit. Under the current zoning, while a 3-story building is permitted, the minimum lot area requirement only permits 3 apartments as-of-right. Thus, the proposed addition requires a de minimis area variance of 5,138 sq. ft."
Natural Light Used In Beacon Buildings
The Howland Circulating Library was one of the last libraries to use natural light in its main reading room. Today's Howland Cultural Center isn't the only building to use natural light in a major way - the Dia: Beacon, a former Nabisco box printing plant - also was built to maximize use of natural light. The printers in the press rooms in the plant used natural light that streamed through giant skylights to proof their work on the Nabisco boxes (as we learned through this Throwback Thursday of Beacon Revisited). Today, the Dia: Beacon, credited as one of the major sparks of Beacon's current resurgence, designed its museum around the natural light to showcase artwork of world-renowned artists.
The first floor of the 475 Main Street building has its own natural light design, as we saw when the artist Jeffrey Terreson moved in to use the front of the first floor as his gallery. He kept the back room (formerly known as a gallery called "The Back Room"), which has large windows and skylights promoting natural light, as his painting studio.
According to the application for the addition of the apartments, which mentions all neighboring buildings in its application except for the Howland Cultural Center, construction of the second and third stories will not impact the surrounding neighborhood. Stated in the application: "The granting of the requested area variance for the proposed building alterations and additions will not produce an undesirable change in character of the neighborhood, nor will it be a detriment to nearby properties."
Craig Wolf submitted a memo to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) requesting withdrawal of the application requesting a variance, or permission, to build the second and third stories for apartments. The application was withdrawn from the Zoning Board and taken to the Planning Board for consideration:
An excerpt of Wolf's memo is below:
"We understand from the Planning Board discussions that the item does not properly belong on the ZBA agenda yet. This proposal is a Type I action under SEQRA due to adjacency to a property listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which is the case with the Howland Cultural Center at 477 Main, originally the Howland Circulating Library. Under SEQRA, for a Type I action, there must be coordinated review. The Planning Board has taken the position of Lead Agency. The Planning Board has not completed its SEQRA review and has not yet reached the point of a positive or negative declaration of determination of significant adverse impacts.
"We believe that this item is therefore premature on the ZBA agenda at this time and request that it be withdrawn...
"We will argue that there are significant adverse impacts to this important historic resource as well as to the Historic District and Landmark Overlay Zone that applies to this neighborhood."
Beacon's Planning Board meets August 8, 2017 at 7 pm at One Municipal Plaza to discuss the issue. The meeting is open to the public to attend, but the public cannot comment during these meetings. It is unknown to A Little Beacon Blog at this time as to why the second and third stories in the back of the building weren't built originally, when the rest of the building was, including the second and third stories that are there now. If we find out, this article will be updated.
Past and future meetings of the city, including City Council, Workshops, Planning Board and Zoning Board are being republished on A Little Beacon Blog as an effort to make them easier to find and follow.
5th Annual For Goodness Bake Sale Benefits Tuition Assistance Fund for Beacon's After School Program
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It's here - the most delicious day of the year, when the Beacon community comes out to fundraise for a cause whether you like it or not. How could you not buy the delicious homemade brownies and cupcakes on sale at this year's For Goodness Bake, happening today, Saturday, from 10 am to 4 pm at Catalyst Gallery at 137 Main Street?! This year's edition of the sale has already been dubbed "Best spread so far!" by Beacon resident Jennifer Sarah Blakeslee.
The pop-up bake-sale-for-a-cause, For Goodness Bake, has dedicated this year's proceeds to the Tuition Assistance Fund for Beacon's After School Program. The 2016-17 school year marked the first that children and parents of the Beacon City School District had direct access to an after-school program within the schools themselves. That's right. No busing required to get kids into an enriching childcare program, from 3 to 6 pm at their very own schools. Until last fall, of the four elementary schools in Beacon, only one had an in-school after-school program: Glenham Elementary, and it was a joint program with Fishkill.
Thanks to the efforts of the Beacon Parks and Recreation Department, a five-day program was designed to offer themed content for kids, until 6pm. It's a little unbelievable at first, so pay attention to how it works: Planned in quarterly sessions, each day presents a different theme, which might include baking, yoga, bird-watching (yes, really!), theater, filmmaking, martial arts, and more. Speaking from experience, the program has been incredible. Kids learn to use cooking utensils (and may take over salsa-making in your home), and have interviewed city leaders including the Chief of Police during their filmmaking class.
The Tuition Assistance Fund offers 50 percent off of After School Program tuition to families who qualify for the Free Lunch Program in the Beacon City School District. Roughly 51 percent of Beacon families participate in the program, yet of the 175 children enrolled in After School at three Beacon elementary schools (Glenham is not included because it's in Fishkill's budget), only 21 kids used the Tuition Assistance Fund last year. But just over 80 kids would be eligible, according to the Free Lunch Program statistics. Word spread about After School's first year, but not everyone knows about the tuition assistance, which helps working families afford childcare. However, children in families who have stay-at-home parents certainly still benefit from the After School Program's activities.
Who Pays for Tuition Assistance
Right now, according to the Parks and Recreation Department's Assistant Director Nate Smith, the City of Beacon pays for the tuition assistance, and takes it as a loss. The After School Program was designed to fund itself. Tuition for one child to register for five days during one quarterly session is $600. Families eligible for tuition assistance pay $300, which is matched right now by the City of Beacon.
Hence the fundraising effort through For Goodness Bake, which has been known to raise $4,000 or more per sale. Past bake sales have been dedicated to organizations such as the Kids R Kids Feeding Program, Green Teen Beacon, the Beacon Community Kitchen, and the Children's Organ Transplant Association.
On sale at the bake sale for $5 each are works of art produced by kids in Camp @ the Camp, a summer program created by the Parks and Recreation Department.
Photo Credit: For Goodness Bake
Back to the Bake Sale
But really, let's get down to business and discuss what's available at the bake sale. Contributions from talented amateur and professional cooks alike include a wide array of sweet and savory baked treats, confections, and vegan, gluten-free, and sugar-free options. Also available is locally roasted coffee from Tas Kafé and hand-crafted sodas from Drink More Good.
The team at For Goodness Bake, Kristen Pratt and Tara Tornello, thanks the following people (and more not mentioned here): "ENORMOUS gratitude goes to these fine folks and establishments: Drink More Good for donating drink syrups, seltzer, and ice; Tas Kafé LLC, Adams Fairacre Farms, Inc. for sponsorship; Viridescent Floral Design for flowers; The Roundhouse for table linens; Beacon Bread Company for to-go containers; The UPS Store 4839 for printing; Catalyst Gallery for the lovely space; City of Beacon Recreation for tables and overall support; the kids of Camp @ the Camp for creating artwork to display; Kit Burke-Smith for hanging the artwork; Diana Vidal for photography; Patti McAlpine for her collection of cake stands and platters; our wonderful volunteers Christopher Dawson, John Fanning, Mary Jean, Ivette Mateiescu, Jessica Nash, Tara D'Andrea, and Maureen Neary and her sweet daughter (and baker extraordinaire) Tallix."
Registering for the Tuition Assistance Fund
To register for tuition assistance, contact Nate Smith at (845) 765-2470 or nsmith@cityofbeacon.org. Registrants fill out one form, keeping the process relatively simple.
My bounty, delivered by a friend from Cold Spring who was dropping off a baby gift after she finished Pilates class at Beacon Pilates. Sweetness all around.
