Happening This Weekend 9/21/2018
/|
|
|
|
Who is ready to Pumpkin Spice up ALL THE THINGS because the first day of Fall is this Saturday (at 9:54 pm to exact). Brett's Hardware is on it early, with this clever carving of a pumpkin inside a pumpkin inside a pumpkin inside a pumpkin. And they have mums. Because what's a front porch or window box in the fall without mums?
Mold Creeps Its Way Into Beacon High School, J.V. Forrestal, and 7 Other Dutchess County Schools - BCSD Is On It
/The official end of summer will be here before we know it, and September is proving to be an extremely hot back-to-school month. Forget fall wardrobe outfits and new boots on the first day of school, or even for school pictures which happen a few weeks later. We’re talking 100% humidity, people. And not all of the schools or classrooms in the Beacon City School District have air conditioning.
Two days after the first day of school, Superintendent Matthew Landahl emailed parents in the district about mold creeping into the high school, and the quality of the air. He wrote twice on Friday, September 7, and again on Friday, September 14. Then the Poughkeepsie Journal reported on it, as mold occurrences are happening in other school districts, including Millbrook’s Elm Drive Elementary School (classes are shifting to the middle school; remediation is estimated to take six weeks, according to the article). Wingdale Elementary School in Dover closed for a day, and Hyde Park apparently has a longstanding mold issue at Park Elementary School, according to Nina Schutzman’s Poughkeepsie Journal article.
Communication and action in the Beacon City School District looked like this, with emails from Dr. Landahl on September 7, 2018 (these are partial clips of the correspondences):
“I am writing to let you know about an air quality issue that developed in 6 classrooms in Beacon High School the past three weeks and steps we have taken to remediate it.
“On August 20, the Head Custodian at Beacon High School noticed some mold that developed overnight on desktops and other surfaces in four science rooms in the high school (rooms C127, C133, C135, C141). He immediately notified our Director of Facilities Anthony D’Amato who started working with the BOCES Safety and Risk Coordinator Brian Colandrea. We believe that the mold developed in those four rooms due to the classrooms having many potted plants and aquariums. That combined with the extremely high humidity outside helped to develop conditions for mold growth.
“We hired an outside company, ServPro, to clean the four rooms over Labor Day weekend and we have ordered HEPA air filters and dehumidifiers for those rooms which will be in place at the beginning of next week. We have already received the air quality tests from those four classrooms and the results came back Satisfactory with the recommendation that we install dehumidifiers and HEPA air filters in those rooms.
[Editor’s Note: In the original email, “humidifier” was used in that last sentence, but “dehumidifier” was intended, as confirmed to A Little Beacon Blog by Dr. Landahl.]
On Tuesday, September 4, staff at the high school noticed some mold growing on instrument cases in the closet of the band room (room D163) and underneath the risers of the Chorus room (D157). Our own staff cleaned the instrument cases and furniture immediately. We will have the same company come in to clean those two rooms, and the Band/Chorus practice rooms which are in the same wing on Saturday, September 8 and Sunday, September 9.”
As of now, the dehumidifiers and HEPA filters have been put into place. Later that same day on September 7, 2018, parents received another update:
“It came to my attention today that two downstairs classrooms at J.V. Forrestal Elementary had mold develop in window sills and some of the edges of desks one morning a few weeks ago. It was wiped down immediately the day it was found and did not return. Since it was reported today, we inspected all of the downstairs classrooms in Forrestal with people from ServPro this afternoon. We did find small amounts of mold in rooms 6-12 (fourth-grade classrooms, third-grade classrooms, and art). We will have ServPro clean all of the those rooms on Monday, September 10. We will also install HEPA air filters and dehumidifiers in those rooms next week. We will test the air quality after the cleaning and share those results with you when we have them.”
A week later, on September 14, with the 100% humidity unrelenting, Dr. Landahl shared another update with new developments. All of these updates have been posted on the Beacon City School District’s website. These are snippets of his updates:
“I am writing to provide another update on air quality at Beacon High School. Yesterday, we noticed some mold growth on some of the cloth seats in the Beacon High School theater. We had the theater visually inspected today by the industrial hygienist we have been working with from Adaptive Environmental Consulting and he concurred with our assessment.
“We want to take care of this as quickly as we can so we are going to close off this space for the next two [to] three weeks so we can run powerful dehumidifiers for an extended period of time and have cleaners from ServPro clean every seat and treat other surfaces in the theater. The reason we are closing the theater is so that the folks from ServPro can work uninterrupted during this timeframe. The Beacon Players will be able to rehearse in our gyms during this period of time. I apologize for the inconvenience this will cause people.
“We will continue to test for air quality throughout the high school and share those results with you. We will also continue to work with our air chiller in the high school to see what adjustments or fixes need to be done to help mitigate this in the future.”
Capital Plan Improvements In Beacon City Schools
Projects that are part of the Capital Improvement Plan, funded by a public budget vote in November 2017, may aid in the overall fight against mold that threatens any structure (you can read about them here in our article). For example, replacing carpet with tile at Glenham Elementary could help, as mold and dust fester in old carpets. I’m a mold-phobe, and have been known to rip out old carpet from my home in the middle of the night - only to make myself very sick in the process from dust and not wearing a protective air mask. I’m currently chiseling adhesive carpet tile from my sunroom. Block by block.
Rooftop ventilation systems are also slated for replacement at J.V. Forrestal and Sargent Elementary. Roof repairs are slated for Beacon High School and Rombout Middle School.
All eyes are on improvements, as it seems like things are on track to getting better. Until the next mold update!
UPDATE 9/21/2018
The Beacon High School received a “Satisfactory” air quality grade this week, resulting in an update issued from Dr. Landahl on the Beacon City Schools’ website and emailed to parents:
“Adaptive Environmental Consulting tested seven different locations, either hallways or classrooms, throughout Beacon High School on Monday, September 17 and then repeated the testing on Wednesday, September 19. All results came back with low amounts of mold and a Satisfactory air quality rating. ServPro will continue to clean the theater in the high school and we will update you when that work is complete. Again, thanks for your patience and support as we work through this.”
Enhancements for Beacon City Schools: More 1:1 Learning, Chromebooks, Smaller Elementary Classes & PE
/Matthew Landahl, Superintendent of Beacon City Schools, started off the new school year by getting in touch with parents and guardians of children in the district. His email to the Beacon school community spoke to his plans for the future, and enhancements to the programming that are happening this year.
They are as follows:
Fourth-grade instrumental music will begin for the first time ever later this fall, as a result of the grant we won last June.
Elementary students will experience Physical Education class every other day instead of two out of every six days.
Elementary class sizes are further reduced with the addition of three additional teachers.
Rombout Middle School will have a fully 1:1 learning environment with every student receiving a Chromebook this fall.
Interactive teaching screens will be added to Rombout Middle School and Beacon High School.
Further planning and development of the Capital Project (A Little Beacon Blog covered those details here) with construction the summer of 2019 on the Turf Athletic Field behind Beacon High School.
His goals for the upcoming year, as posted at the District website:
Create and facilitate a student advisory council for the district.
Create and facilitate a strategic planning process including forming a strategic planning advisory committee.
Increase and improve the quality of district communication in a variety of formats.
Help to create building and department leadership teams including the participation of parents and community members.
Facilitate equity leadership work in the district.
Maintain a high level of community and staff engagement through open forums, individual conversations, and online tools.
Already, parents of elementary students have been invited into the Parent Portal, which is an app that lets the parent and child log in to see homework and comments from the teacher. Older students used to be the only ones with access to this.
In terms of communication with parents at least, Dr. Landahl has been busy emailing updates about pesky mold that has been springing up in the Beacon High School and at J.V. Forrestal Elementary during these 100% humidity days, and steps the district is taking to remove it and prevent future problems.
Back to School Tips for Kids and Parents, From Michelle at Rhinebeck Bank (Sponsored)
/
Rhinebeck Bank works hard to connect with the community. That’s why they started the video series “Wake Up With Rhinebeck Bank” with Michelle Barone-Lepore. Their first episode of the new season kicked off with some great Back To School Tips in this video. The tips were so great, that we wanted to be sure you saw them too. Here they are:
Buy Bulk Snacks for Kids
After summer - when kids are free to snack anytime they want - the start of the school year is a good time to think about giving your children healthy snacks, and stocking up on good-tasting food. Kids love to snack and having their favorite snacks will help them feel comfortable in their new environment, and will give them fuel for the end of their day.
Set Weekday and Weekend Evening Routines
Now’s a great time to set up a routine that works for you and your children. Bath time, reading, supper time and bed. It’s great to try out audio books for soothing music that will lull your little ones to sleep, especially for those who are entering school for the first time.
Set your alarm for bedtime. Figure out the right balance for screen time, play time and reading, preparing for each child to transition into the Habits of Homework. By keeping your children in a routine, it may allow them be more focused in the classroom.
Establish a Set Family Time
Sitting around the table enjoying a meal inspires conversations and builds family relationships. It’s important to set aside time to talk about your day. Talking about highlights of your day brings you closer.
Have Your Kids Set Realistic Goals for the New Year
Pick which books to read for pleasure as well as study.
Getting in the habit of nightly homework.
Getting ahead on projects that may be due in a couple of months.
Figure out chores for your kids and set up allowance for the year. One goal could be reading 30 books. If that’s not your child’s goal, create something of interest to be their goal so they can feel accomplished at the end of the year.
As you know, childhood goes by in a flash. Start saving for your child’s college costs. Open an account or 529. You won’t just have smart children, you’ll be a smart parent as well.
Rhinebeck Bank is a proud sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and this article was created with them as part of our Sponsor Spotlight program. It is with the support of businesses like theirs that A Little Beacon Blog can bring you coverage of news, local happenings and events. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us! If you would like to become a Sponsor or Community Partner, please click here for more information.
Spooktacular Halloween Pop-Up Shop From The Queen of Halloween!
/The Hudson Valley’s Queen of Halloween is flying in on her broomstick to take over A Little Beacon Space with the first of what may become an annual Halloween Pop-Up Shopping Experience - HallowStyle. You may have read about Donna Davies - she was featured last year in the Poughkeepsie Journal.
Donna is a designer, crafter, and children’s book author. She will be bringing in Halloween-inspired jewelry, pottery, and even her own children’s books. Sign up for a craft class and grab a brew. There will even be spooky stories for the kids!
Make ‘n Take crafts will be available while supplies last, but make sure you pre-register! These are made really fast, and there is no set schedule for making.
Just take a peek at the video to set the vibe and see what decorations she might be bringing in here! In the meantime, join her Haunted Hudson Valley Facebook Page to stay connected!
|
|
Tiny Concerts at Beacon's Bus Shelters
4th Annual Sausage Fest
Special Presentation: Grannies Respond to Keep Families Together 
Back to Business, Back to School - September's Column in the Highlands Current
/
Writing about others is very easy and delightful. Writing about oneself is very hard! It is what I teach business owners, artists and makers to do in my Tin Shingle life. Yet in my A Little Beacon Blog life, this is a much harder exercise!
But here it is - The Highlands Current offered me a monthly column in their newspaper, and that is such an honor. Anything printed is a much tougher choice with layout/design, actual word length cut-offs, limited picture runs, distribution of the paper (aka driving it around and dropping it into locations), etc. But people love paper, they pick it up, it always works and doesn’t need to be plugged in and recharged. Admit it. You pick up newspapers, and you read paper flyers on walls.
They wanted someone to speak about Kid Life here in the Hudson Valley, with a focus on Beacon and Cold Spring. So, we have my column, called “Kid Friendly,” that will do just that! Plus I’ll touch on life as a (self-employed) working parent.
September’s column is on newsstands now - but only until Friday! Then it switches out to their next issue. I focused on my favorite time of year - September - because it is the time to begin again. It is the Back to Business season. Yet is also Back to School season. Which makes getting into a work groove very tricky. The article works to dispel the myth that parents can work with kids at home (or very little kids at least). The picture used in the article tries to debunk the myth created by photos of very calm-looking mothers sitting at the dining room table working on their laptop with a baby on their lap. Doesn’t happen!
Additionally, the article explores how business owners with storefronts do it. Showing up to a physical location at a set time can be extremely challenging. I have encountered more than one storefront that was closed during an OPEN day with a sign in the window: “Sorry, the babysitter canceled, we had to stay home” or “Sorry, we had to make an emergency doctor’s appointment.” For this article, I interviewed Carley Hughes of Ella’s Bellas in Beacon, and Dawn Scanga of Cold Spring Fitness. Carley started her business when her daughter was in a stroller, and Dawn started hers when her four children were still in high school. If you ever do encounter these signs at a local business, go easy on ‘em. It’s challenging to run a business with kids!
Pick up your copy today! Right now!
PS: The column is also online, but reading the paper is more fun.
Pop-Up Shop Is OPEN! Walk Around Corrado's Design Showroom for Kitchen & Bath Surfaces
/
A Little Beacon's Space is ready for you! Come in this weekend to touch and feel samples of flooring and countertops from Corrado's Design Center, where they specialize in porcelain tile, marble, stone, mosaics and glass products. This will be the easiest, most convenient home renovation shopping you will do in Beacon! But there are only two days left for you to visit - Saturday and Sunday.
Bring the kids, because you'll get to make a free tile magnet and take home a little Super Hero Tile Guy! These red Super Hero Tile Guys are actually spacers used when installing tile. Corrado's Design Center can help you pick out a pattern, then supply everything you need to make it happen. Do some Adult Coloring of your own on a blank magnet tile.
WHERE: 291 Main St., Beacon, NY 12508, First Floor, First Door
WHEN: Friday to Sunday, September 7 to 9
Saturday: 10 am to 8 pm (wine and cheese starting at 6pm)
Sunday: 10 am to 4 pm
KIDS CRAFT ALERT! Design your own free magnet! Available all day long, while supplies last.
DESIGN TIP: Take a picture of the room(s) you dream of renovating and bring it to the shop. This will help you imagine which styles would work. Could be the bathroom floor, shower, kitchen - anything.
More Details Here >
PS: This weekend, The Telephone Building is in extremely creative form! There will be ambient art from ambidextrous artist Donna Mikkelsen, visiting the Beahive next door for a "Day of Spontaneous Symmetry." More hands-on art creating is available for little kids from 3 to 4 pm. The littlest mark-makers (ages 1 to 3 years) are welcome to draw. From 4 to 5 pm, everyone, all ages, is invited to playfully explore symmetry, movement, and rhythm. Both of those sessions are free, so don't miss out! Come back in the evening for an opening of Donna Mikkelsen's own work, Spontaneous Symmetry, with art on Beahive's walls and happening live, before your eyes.
All of your Art Openings are starting today. Pick which ones you want to visit by using A Little Beacon Blog's Second Saturday Art Guide, which has write-ups of each of them.
|
|
Gallery Closing: Matteawan Gallery's Final Opening is September 2018 - Where to Find Karlyn Next
/It's bittersweet that this month's opening at Matteawan Gallery reflects on the passage of time: Eleanor White's It's About Time will be Matteawan Gallery's final show. Karlyn Benson opened Matteawan Gallery in March 2013 in a small space further east on Main Street near the mountain.
It was a pretty common sight to see familiar faces packed into the gallery and congregating on the sidewalk outside, discussing everything from new puppies (hi, Jack!) to the featured artist who used math and dots to make really neat art that I couldn't wait to share with my math teacher-Renaissance man dad. I (I = Second Saturday writer Catherine, not bloggista extraordinaire Katie) am a total art newbie, and don't always "get" the fancy/important work, but Karlyn's gallery always had pieces by new (to me), interesting artists. Who remembers the baseball card guy?
Matteawan will be missed, but keep your eyes peeled for Karlyn's name: "I plan to curate exhibitions under the name Matteawan Projects and to write about art in the Hudson Valley," she says. (Her first article is already up at Chronogram!)
September's Opening: Eleanor White's It's About Time
Eleanor White returns to Matteawan Gallery with It's About Time. In her second solo show at the gallery, Eleanor explores the passing of time in sculpture and drawings. Natural materials, including hair, dandelion fluff, wood ash, and eggshells break out of their place in the daily background to figure prominently as materials, reminding viewers of fragility and the cyclic nature of ... nature. According to gallery owner Karlyn Benson, "White takes ordinary objects and makes them into something wonderful, captivating, and strange, thereby showing the potential of everything around us to change over time."
This exhibit runs through Sunday, October 7, 2018.
|
|
$400K Grant Awarded for Music and World Language Programs for Beacon City School District
/
Photo Credit: Beacon City School District's Website. Photograph by Dawn Sela.
The Beacon City School District was busy this summer. According to Beacon's Superintendent Matthew Landahl, the Beacon City School District was awarded a $400,000 grant from the New York State Education Department to "expand the instrumental music program and to offer an additional world language program at the secondary level" said Dr. Landahl. Parent involvment influenced the results of this grant. “Both aspects of this grant were deeply influenced by community input through either surveys or community conversations that took place last year,” confirmed Dr. Landahl.
The grant money will be implemented over the next two school years, and will pay for:
instructional staff salaries
materials and supplies
professional development to both expand the instrumental music program and to begin an additional world language program.
Music Program Expanded for 4th Graders
Third grade students receive a special musical experience called The Calico Ball, courtesy of the Beacon Arts and Education Fund (BAEF) which was innitiated by Pete Seeger years ago. This dance residency is for every 3rd grader in the Beacon City Public School District. After weeks of practice, a performance happens in the Beacon High School at the end of the school year.
This newest grant provides an easier continuation of music to the 4th grade. According to Dr. Landahl: “The music portion of the grant will allow us to expand our instrumental music program into the 4th grade this year. We are working on hiring the teacher and the 4th grade program will be in place later this fall. The grant pays for the teacher's salary for a year and all of the materials, supplies, and most important instruments to get the program going.”
Mandarin Might Be Coming To Beacon Schools
Beacon currently offers Spanish as a world language that is taught in school. This grant will bring Mandarin closer to the classroom. “The grant is for us to offer Mandarin in the 2019-2020 school year. A key part of the grant is that it allows us to explore the best ways to do this for a year before we implement the following year. If we are not able to offer Mandarin, we will explore offering a different language. The grant pays for a year of a teacher's salary and all of the materials and supplies to get the new program going.”
Dr. Landahl gave a special thanks to Assistant Superintendent Cecilia Dansereau-Rumley for "heading up the effort," according to his article on the Beacon City School District's website.
The grant was part of a larger one totaling $28.5 million, awarded to 38 school districts across New York State as part of the Student Support and Academic Enrichment federal grant program. Read more about that here.
Beacon Team Wins Battle of the Books - A Multi-County High School Reading Competition
/
The finals at this year's High School Battle of the Books on Saturday, August 18, 2018, culminated in a tight battle between kids from Beacon and teens representing neighboring libraries: Cold Spring and Wappingers. "The three-round final ended with Cold Spring and Beacon in a tie. Everyone was on the edge of their seats when the two teams met for the tie-breaking round," according to the press release from the Howland Public Library. Beacon answered the tie-breaking question correctly to become the 2018 Mid-Hudson Library System's third annual High School Battle of the Books champion.
Battle of the Books is a national summer reading program for middle- and high-school students in the five-county region of the Mid-Hudson Library System. The program began in 2005 as a way to encourage middle school students to read during the summer. In 2016, the program was extended to reach high school students as well. Congratulations to Butterfield Library's team, The Evil Latin Teachers, who were the second-place winners, and to Grinnell Green Grapes, who took home third place.
Beacon Team Is Two-Time Champions, Five-Time Winners!
This is the Beacon team's second championship at the high school level, and their fifth win overall since the competition began in 2005. This year, 13 public libraries in the Mid-Hudson Library System's five counties (Putnam, Dutchess, Columbia, Ulster, and Greene) competed in this nationally recognized literature contest in which teens answer trivia questions based on books they read over the summer.
Individual library teams worked through the summer with their coaches to prepare for this final regional battle. Mini-battles were played throughout the summer to practice for the big event. Over 60 students in grades 9-12 participated, while coaches, family, and friends cheered them on. "The teams all proved to be winners when it came to knowledge, team spirit, and good sportsmanship," according the Howland Library's press release.
Join Next Year’s Battle of the Books Team
To find out when the Howland Public Library is recruiting for next year’s time for both Middle and High School age kids, subscribe to their newsletter and to A Little Beacon Blog’s newsletter. We usually put information like that in our Kids Classes Guide, as a helpful reminder of signup dates.
Special Thank You from The Howland Public Library
A message from the Howland Public Library:
A big thank you to the host venue, SUNY Ulster and Matt Pavloff, HS BOB chairperson. Congratulations to all of the volunteers and families who came out to support the teams, and the coaches and librarians who worked so hard throughout the year to make this special event possible.
The Howland Public Library team would like to give a special shout out to Harry Thorne for his help coaching the team and the Friends of the Howland Public Library who generously sponsor the Beacon team every year. Last but not least, many thanks to Pizza and Stuff for keeping the team's hungry minds fed all summer.
New Sidewalks for Blackburn Avenue Near Ron's Ice Cream
/
The road leading into town from Ron's Ice Cream near Memorial Park is about to get a new sidewalk on one side, thanks to a federal grant awarded to Dutchess County, as first reported by the Highlands Current.
According to the article, Beacon received $170,728 to build a new sidewalk along the southeastern side of Blackburn Avenue from Herbert Street to Fishkill Avenue. This side of the street currently has no sidewalk at all, making it unsafe to walk down after getting ice cream or after a trip to the park.
This fall, walking around Beacon is getting a little easier and smoother. Other sidewalks are getting constructed, like the one on the way to South Avenue Elementary School.
Updates Made to Development Guide: Pictures of 21 South Avenue and West End Lofts
/
A few minor updates were made to the Development Guide here at A Little Beacon Blog. This is our way of helping to put faces to the buildings that are going up or being rehabilitated or discussed around town.
The house pictured above on the left is 21 South Avenue. A public hearing for it is scheduled, regarding its request for a Special Use Permit (SUP) to rehabilitate. The picture on the right is a portion of the new apartment buildings going up on Wolcott Avenue (Route 9D) near the municipal building and police station.
A Little Beacon Blog
LOOKING FOR SOMETHING?
Mountain Stream Budo: Adult Martial Arts Classes
Mountain Stream Budo: Kids Martial Arts Classes
Recent Articles
GET THE RSS FEED:
Support for this publication comes in part from these businesses. We have highlighted what makes them special on their own dedicated pages. Want your business listed here? See the "Sponsor Spotlight" or "Event Promotion" option in our Advertising Page.
A podcast from A Little Beacon Blog.
Your hosts: Katie Hellmuth martin & Brandon Lillard.
Beacon and the Hudson Valley are filled with really talented people. Reach them now by posting a Job Listing with A Little Beacon Blog.
ALBB IS A MEDIA SPONSOR FOR:
Categories
- A Little Beacon Space
- ALBB Merch
- Art
- Artists
- Beacon City Schools
- Beauty
- Beauty Guide
- Behind the Scenes
- Black and Brown Community
- Business Directory
- Business in Beacon
- City Council Meetings
- Classes
- Classified Ads
- Come In!
- Community Announcements
- Development
- Donations
- Dutchess County
- Environmental
- Events
- Farming
- Film & Television
- Fitness
- Food
- Fundraisers
- Galleries
- Happening This Weekend
- Health and Wellness
- Hiking & Biking
- History of Beacon
- Holiday
- Hudson River
- Hudson Valley
- Human Rights
- In The News
- Job Listing
- Kids Classes
- Kids Events
- LGBTQ
- Letter To The Editor
- Loss Of Life
- Money
- Movies
- Music
- New York
- Newburgh
- Parking
- Pets
- Podcasts
The City of Beacon entered into a contract with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley to provide increased access to Beacon tenants facing eviction. They may also be able to help with sources of rent arrears assistance. Call the paralegal, Steven Mihalik at 845-253-6953 to inquire.
Dutchess County Helpline. Open 24/7 to take your calls, listen, and give you resources.