New Shingle In Town On The Telephone Building

Look who got a new shingle! Our building, Beacon’s own Telephone Building, which was built in 1907 and restored almost a century later. A Little Beacon Blog’s office and venue space is located inside on the first floor, sharing the building with other great business tenants.

Owner and master gilder Deborah Bigelow has completed her renovations to this building, a project that has taken her many years. Yet you’ll always see her outside tinkering on something with the building, such as securing the food compost bin or cleaning marks from the limestone.

We are honored to be a part of her journey as a tenant, and also as her branding partner with the designing of her first website to showcase the building. A Little Beacon Blog’s sister design agency, Katie James Inc., designed her website so that you can learn about all the building and the work Deborah and her team put into it over the years: www.telephonebuildingbeacon.com.

The Little Marshmallow Cookie Sandwich Spot-Hitter At Hudson Valley Marshmallow Co.

During the lowest temperatures of the polar vortex, and during the darkest nights of evening snow-shoveling in preparation for the morning, visions of blow-torched marshmallow cookie sandwiches have kept the home fires warm until the next time we can experience the real deal - firing up the little delight to hit the sweet spot of a chocolate craving!

The marshmallow cubes at Hudson Valley Marshmallow Co. These are made here in Beacon.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The prep for the s’more, before it gets torched in the video below.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

And I don’t even normally like marshmallows (except for these, melted, it seems). Which is why it has taken me until now to finally visit Hudson Valley Marshmallow Company and actually experience one of their toasted marshmallow s’more bite sandwiches between two cookie crackers (your choice of chocolate chip, chocolate chocolate or cinnamon), smushed into your choice of a single square of dark or milk chocolate (made by Alps Chocolate, right down the street!), and blow-torched to perfection by the marshmallow-ista. (What would you call the barista of a marshmallow bar, anyway? We’ll call her a marshmallowista.) Check out this video of her torching the marshmallow, and the special smush it gets once melted.

”My torso is famous,” said the marshmallowista. That’s how many customer videos she’s been in while custom-torching marshmallow s’mores for people. The Violent Femmes played on the speakers in the background while we customers grappled with the tough choices among marshmallow combos, selecting first the flavor of the marshmallow, which is made here in Beacon in the commissary kitchen of More Good. (Yes, there is an entire outfit behind the tea room further up Main Street in the center of town, where brands like this are born and fly the coop into kitchens of their own someday.)

The s’more cookie crackers at Hudson Valley Marshmallow Co. These are baked right here in Beacon.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

If you like gingerbread and pumpkin spice, you will face a tough choice between the two. For me, the choice is clear: salted caramel marshmallow between two chocolate chocolate cookie crackers (you can always mix and match), and a square of milk chocolate. Fire it up!

There is a growing number of marshmallow roasting gifts in the store. You could of course buy bags of the small-batch marshmallows (see their clever bags of black coal at Christmas), and a personal marshmallow roaster, should you want to start roasting inside your kitchen.

Valentine’s Day is just an excuse to buy these things, as eating these little s’mores any day of the year would give the same satisfaction as eating a giant cookie or brownie. 

The choice is yours. A warning: BJ’s legendary three-layer cakes are right next door. Find this strip of storefront heaven on the west end of town, toward the DMV. Also be warned: Hudson Valley Marshmallow is only open Thursdays to Sundays. But they are open until 8 pm. So all you commuters and neighboring shop owners who close and come home at 6 pm have no excuse for not going!

The Nostalgia electric s’mores maker
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Store Closing: Howling At The Edge Of Chaos Owner Diagnosed With Ovarian Cancer; Seeks Peace

Howling at the Edge of Chaos is closing on Saturday. Valerie J. Mitchell opened in Beacon a year and a half ago, and created a store that showcases artists' creations that "howl their truth," which is the store's motto. Valerie was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer in June. Less than three months after her treatments ended, she has learned that the cancer is back. It is in her liver and colon and she is considered terminal. Valerie says that she has chosen quality of life, and is not pursuing treatments. She will be traveling with family and being at peace with her next steps.

The lights have been on in the store hit or miss, in between doctor's appointments. We stopped in and made a few purchases (pictured above) yesterday, making sure to get in while she was open, pushing aside any other commitments that were on the calendar. Howling at the Edge of Chaos is at 428 Main Street in Beacon, NY, which is that tiny sliver of a store next to the Beacon Hotel, just down the block from Ella’s Bellas.

Two Lessons Here

A first impulse for some has been to reach out to help. Valerie’s passion is spreading truth and awareness, and so far she is doing both: about ovarian cancer, but also about supporting local businesses.

First: Valerie wove into her shop's mission to get out the truth. Her storefront window was dedicated to ovarian cancer awareness, as it is one of the most silent and swift of the cancers that often goes undetected. She wants more people to be aware of their bodies and to stay in front of them. A Little Beacon Blog will be sharing an ovarian cancer awareness post to help spread the word and educate about early signs.

Second: After Valerie and I hugged and laughed a lot about anything and everything at all, Valerie made sure to tell me about the “Just A Card” campaign. She's very eager to sell everything in the store, so do go in. The shop is very festive, with her sparkly Christmas trees and music (see our Instagram video). The "Just a Card" campaign is one that sends the message that if every person who walked into a shop and expressed their love and appreciation for it just "bought a card" - however small the purchase - it helps the store continue and prosper.

A personal regret of mine has been not buying more from Howling at the Edge of Chaos. Many times, I have walked past the store and seen her posts of rings and necklaces on Instagram from different artists she carries, and each time I thought: “Beautiful! I want that! But I'll treat myself to that later when I deserve a treat."

Later may never come. Out of this entire galaxy of time, we only live for 100 years of it, if that. Some of us only have 36 years, or 17 years, or 9 years, or 2 years. Don't wait for later. If you want this beauty in your life - these shops, these people who set up the shops and take big risks to be here - go inside. Treat yourself. Make someone happy with a gift.

Gratitude Alert: Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency As Lead ALBB Sponsor

During this holiday season, we’re sending out a simple message of gratitude to one of our first and longest sponsors: Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency. I first met Susan Antalek Pagones during a joint BeaconArts / Beacon Chamber Member Mingle at St. Rocco’s, and it is an evening I will always remember for its illumination of how history is handed down in Beacon.

Right after introducing myself and saying I had just moved here and where my house was, Susan turned to her colleague, Terry Williams, to ask her: “Whose house is that?” Now, I knew whose house it was from the young family we bought it from (they bought it years ago, and opted to move closer to the mountain), but Susan and Terry knew it from the two generations of the family who had lived there prior.

I have since heard about this other family from our first plumber who could identify the pipes in the basement as his own among the other pipes that were not his work. The next person who knew our home better than me was a handyman I hired for my office to hang an OPEN sign from the ceiling. It turns out he was friends with the son of the family who owned our home decades ago. They have since both turned into professional home improvement professionals, which makes sense when I notice the creatively custom-built details around our home.

Susan teaches me about community-centered business all the time. Susan, her partner Vince Lemma, and their team of dedicated agents can help make it easier for you to decipher insurance, whether home, condo, renters, business, health, car, etc. Learn about how they do it in this exclusive interview with Susan Antalek Pagones here, and the interview we did with Vince here.

Thank you Team Antalek & Moore for supporting local media and A Little Beacon Blog!

Brewery, Arcade and Event Space Proposed for 511 Fishkill Avenue As Industrial Arts Brewing Co. Looks To Expand To Beacon

The large property at 511 Fishkill Avenue (aka Route 52), which is between AutoZone and the Healey car dealership, has been acquired by Diamond Properties, a commercial real estate and property management business located in Mount Kisco, New York. This is the old Mechtronics building on 9 acres of property; technically it’s in Beacon, but it’s outside of downtown Beacon. The property is a 147,500-square foot, two-story flex/industrial warehouse and office building and includes loading docks, warehouse, office, and on-site parking, according to the website of Diamond Properties.

The vision is to transform part of the space into a warehouse, brewery, accessory office, arcade and event space, to accommodate Industrial Arts Brewing Company, who would be a tenant in the building, according to the application submitted by the applicant, DP 108, LLC.

Industrial Arts Brewing Company, who is based in Garnerville, NY (over to the southwest of us, in Rockland County), is looking to expand in Beacon by way of this location. The plan would be a new brewery production space with warehouse capacity, and an event space on the second floor of the building, which could include arcade use. The architect for the project is Aryeh Siegel, who is the architect behind several projects under construction in Beacon, as well as completed projects.

While the intent of use for an arcade is there, Beacon has an older, or vintage if you will, zoning requirement on the books that does not allow for arcades in Beacon, unless they are offering vintage machines.

An excerpt from the arcade zoning law reads like this (which was posted with the 12/11/2018 Planning Board agenda): “Such amusement center shall contain only vintage amusement devices that were built prior to the year 1980 or noncomputerized devices with the exception of first generation computerized games such as those manufactured prior to 1990.”

The requirement also has provisions for noise levels, and that windows are to be kept closed, and doors “open only during ingress and egress,” as well as a calling for no vibrations to occur off the premises. Children under the age of 18 years old would also not be allowed to be in before 3 pm (school release time), and that age range cannot operate the machinery after 10 pm.

The Public Hearing was triggered after a representative from the project came before the Planning Board during a Planning Board meeting on 12/11/2018 to review the application to amend an existing Site Plan Approval and needed zoning law changed to allow amusement centers that include more current games, not just vintage.

During the 12/11/2018 Planning Board meeting, it was explained this way: “Right now, amusement centers are prohibited unless they are vintage amusement centers. In which case they are allowed by special permit. We are taking that distinction away and just saying ‘Indoor Commercial Recreation is a permissible use.’” The Planning Board discussed amending the old zoning requirement, and then sent their unanimous recommendation of “Yes, Amend” to the City Council for a vote.

In order to vote, the City Council must hold a Public Hearing to hear opinions from the public, which is scheduled for today, Monday December 17, 2018. An email from a Beacon business owner, Paulette Myers-Rich, who owns No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works on Main Street in Beacon, is on file to be present during the Public Hearing, in which Paulette asks that the special permit remain in the legislation in order to give more selection to which business opens where.

According to the proposed draft change of the law, the only proposed change coming from the City Council’s attorney seems to be to the vintage aspect of the zoning requirement.

Screenshot of the proposed Draft Change of the arcade law, which is what is being discussed at a City Council Public Hearing Monday, December 17, 2018.

Stock Up Sandwich Shop To Close; Owners Expanding Marbled In Cold Spring

Photo Credit: David Ray Martin

Chris and Lisa, the owners of Stock Up, the sandwich shop in Beacon, as well as Marbled Meat Shop in Cold Spring, announced their intentions to close their Beacon location by Sunday, December 30, 2018. The location, at 29 Teller Ave., had long been the home of Beacon favorite, The Copper Roof Deli. Stock Up opened in early 2016 with the intention of making responsibly sourced meat and a variety of vegetables more accessible to Beaconites.

Closing a business is always a difficult choice, filled with many variables leading up to the decision. According to their announcement made on Instagram, the main reasons were the need to spend more time with their young family, and the reluctance to raise prices or change their high-quality offerings in order to increase profit margins.

Stock Up’s Announcement via Instagram:

Hey Neighbors,

December 30 will be our last day in Beacon. We gave it everything, met some incredible people on both sides of the counter, and really enjoyed our time here. We can no longer put our energy into 29 Teller Avenue. Our kid misses us and we are spinning our wheels to keep our doors open week after week. So many of you want to know what happened. The truth is, we could not make this space and this overhead work without a significant increase in menu prices or a complete overhaul of the program. We weren’t up for either. We’ve taken side jobs and cut our team in half. 2018 saw a significant drop in sales across the Hudson Valley and we’ve fallen too far behind to make it through another Hudson Valley winter. We can go on and on. Instead, let us focus on the positive. Come see us in the next three weeks, share a sandwich, a beer, a story. We will miss being part of the neighborhood but know that this is the best thing for our family.

Other Beacon businesses like Hudson Valley Vinyl, Tito Santana’s, Ella’s Bellas, The Studio Beacon, Artisan Wine Shop and Echo rallied around the restaurant in the announcement’s Comments section, and even Black Vanilla from across the river in Newburgh, as well as Signal Fire Bread and Industrial Arts Brewing voiced their support and respect for such a hard decision.

Stock Up Devotees Lament And Vow To Eat As Much As Possible Until Last Day In Beacon

Stock Up started as a promise to people who loved good, clean, food. They sprouted their own quinoa in their basement. They cured their own meat. Important to them was offering serious cuts of responsibly sourced meat and poultry, paired with seriously-good-for-you vegetable and grain options.

Customers’ reactions to the closure announcement were swift, with many mentioning immediate cravings for menu staples like:

• The Big Bird (fried chicken, Stock Up sauce, natural pickles, crisp greens, on organic Bread Alone brioche)

• The Breakfast Bird (fried chicken, bacon, fried egg, Mike’s Hot Honey and crisp greens on organic Bread Alone brioche)

• Downstate BEC (two fried eggs, house-made heritage bacon, cheddar, and spicy ketchup on organic ciabatta)

Over 220 comments have been made so far to say goodbye on the announcement post, including these:

@icicles2 “I’m so sad. Stock Up is our favorite place. This is going to leave a huge void.”

@pipsqueeaak “Literally in tears. You guys will be missed so freaking badly.”

@thyme_co “I’m so sorry to hear this. Thank you for your wonderful food! You’re an inspiration. Good luck on your next adventure!”

@janellefelder …”I will forever be craving your fried chicken sandwich. Best ever! Will get a couple of more in during your final weeks. Best of luck to you in the future.”

@laur1025 “Barry will definitely miss the smell of cured meat when he plays in the backyard.”

@huggyhbomb “We will just have to get in the car and come see you at Marbled Meat Shop.”

The Good Food Dream Continues In Cold Spring at Marbled Meat Shop

Some of Stock Up’s offerings can be found in Chris and Lisa’s original shop in Cold Spring, Marbled Meat, which involves a beautiful drive down a wooded section of 9D, and then crossing over to the rural section of Route 9 (a good excuse to get to know the differences between these closely named roads!).

While the full menu of Stock Up will not be available, the couple is offering a small lunch menu and more prepared foods in Marbled. Said owner Lisa Marie Hall in the Instagram comments of the announcement: “We will be going back to our meat shop roots.”

Marbled Meat Shop opened in Cold Spring in 2014 in the compound of shops on Route 9 that include Vera’s Marketplace (famous for their homemade donuts, mozzarella, produce, and amazing everything) and The Pantry (famous for their expanding line of roasted coffees). This is quite a delicious strip of food heaven!

According to an e-newsletter from their neighbor The Pantry on November 8, 2018, Marbled Meat Shop expanded to offer more: “As new ideas continued to develop, Chris and Lisa were unsure if an expansion would be possible at Route 9 or if they would need to relocate. The Giordano family (who owns Vera's Marketplace & Garden Center) graciously designed new larger space for Marbled so that they could have more retail and production space. Come on by and see their new special space, located between Vera's entrance and our storefront.”

Chris and Lisa have explained on their Marbled Meat Shop website that they considered moving their Cold Spring location in order to expand their business in the direction of a wholesale sausage, house-made cured meats and charcuterie options. Their landlord responded with a plan. Says Chris on Marbled’s website: “Dominic called us in to hear their proposal. He stood in the center of Vera’s market, and said ‘you’re not going anywhere, we will make this work.’ What came next was a plan that kept us, The Pantry and Vera’s operating under the same roof while giving us the space we need to grow.”

Beacon Destinations For Responsibly Sourced Meats and Vegies

While there is a void with Stock Up gone (most of the renters of A Little Beacon Space like edible Hudson Valley would get their catered lunch from them!), there are other options for high-quality, creative food. Barb’s Butchery is extremely selective with their meats and is known for constantly inventing new flavors of their sausage, which are celebrated during their annual Sausage Fest. Homespun is a Beacon staple (with a second location down at Dia) and Kitchen Sink and Meyers Olde Dutch offer farm to table - some of which is from their own family farm. Beacon Pantry is known for their European selection of cheeses (and recently expanded in their location to make cheese and their sit-down cafe exclusive of each other). Beacon Natural has a daily selection of freshly prepared foods for a quick but healthy lunch or dinner, and Ella’s Bellas is the destination for gluten-free baked goods and cafe experience. Beacon’s Farmers Market, which has moved to its inside winter location at the Memorial Building (aka the Veterans Building), also makes available fresh produce, meats, poultry, fish, pickles, baked goods, and even home goods from a variety of vendors and farms.

Even more delicious restaurants are available in Beacon. Just check A Little Beacon Blog’s Restaurant Guide to learn more about them.

Wishing Chris and Lisa all of the best as they grow in new directions!

Pop-Up Shop Is OPEN! Holiday Artisans At A Little Beacon Space

WHERE: 291 Main St, Beacon, NY 12508
The Telephone Building
First Floor, First Door
WHEN: December 8th
Saturday: 11am-8pm

Going on now for one day only, the Artisan Holiday Pop-Up Shop at A Little Beacon Space! Most of these artisans are not in stores, so you can only find them during pop-up occasions such as this. Organized by Susan Labodin, designer and founder of Allegory, this pop-up shop features five talents: the painter Anna West, the ceramics artist MossPocket, the fabric enthusiast reklaimed, and the maker of fun dog collars (she brought the ones that you can color!) Teller Hill.

This pop-up shop is extra special because one of the artists, Kat Stoutenborough of reklaimed, was an original pop-up shop creator here in Beacon. Some of you may remember Cherry Bomb, which exploded into Zora Dora's for at least two years during the winter season (the spot has been occupied by different pop-ups ever since).

Kat's creation inspired A Little Beacon Blog to incorporate pop-up shops into our business model when we took the office space on Main Street in the Telephone Building. Kat's ability to bring dozens of artists together in a retail community during the winter months was exceptional, and created lasting relationships.

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ALREADY SHOPPED
Not gonna lie... we have already shopped this pop-up and did take home a few spoons - but left some for you! The reklaimed pins are flying off her table, Teller Hill's adult-coloring dog collars are a no-brainer for the dog owner on your gift list!

Main Street Beacon Is OPEN After The Snow Storm!

Friday may be a snow day for every parent in the Beacon City School District and other private schools, but businesses are open on Main Street in Beacon. These business owners are resilient, and some were out with their shovels on Thursday night as the snow fell, pre-clearing the sidewalks for Friday morning’s forecast of rain.

Sleet did fall at 6:30 am at least, making for slippery and dangerous roadways, but come the 9 am hour, snow was falling, and by 1 pm, we are in full blue sky and sunshine.

How is the parking, you ask? Eh, skip the parking, just get your winter boots on and come on out! Let today be your day to ride the free Beacon bus up and down Main Street. Hail it from wherever, and get off whenever.

Here is a sampling of who you can go see on this snow day, and beyond into the weekend!

Hot off the grill at Barb’s Butchery. Hungry!
Photo Credit: Barb’s Butchery

Luxe Optique, the stylists will see you now! Clearly, this picture was from before the snow fell, but they are still open.
Photo Credit: Luxe Optique

Emily at Utensil is a steady-eddy - always open! And now in her new location on the west end of town near Mountain Tops. She probably sells hot chocolate powder inside…
Photo Credit: Utensil

You can’t keep these bakers away! Ella’s Bellas is all dug out, open for business. making up some chocolate ganache this morning.
Photo Credit: Ella’s Bellas

Because what Are you gonna do on a snow day… stitch and stuff cute critters of course! That, and yarn and fabric inside at Beetle and Fred.
Photo Credit: Beetle and Fred

Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique at the base of the mountain is not open today due to snow, but this is the view from the Lambs Hill Wedding Venue at the top of Mount Beacon, overlooking the city-town.
Photo Credit: Lambs Hill

Luxe Optique Expands Next Door - Use The Door On Right!

Luxe Optique came to Beacon about two years ago. It wasn’t the first glasses store that owner Laurie Riehle had opened - and it won’t even be her last. Prior to coming to Beacon with her loyal crew, Laurie sold her optics shop in Warwick, NY, but couldn’t sit still. She moved into 183 Main Street, the spot on the corner of Main Street and Cliff Street that had been the location of School of Jellyfish, the curious combo shop that was half sustainable architecture teachings, and half hot chocolate bar and source of an award-winning truffle (really, it was a place to present green architecture with bait of really good chocolate - it worked).

After a time, the building that housed Luxe Optique went up for sale, and Laurie went for it. She bought the building, which included two storefronts. At the time, Beacon Pilates was upstairs (they have since moved to West Main Street by Brett’s Hardware, with better parking - and you can always find their outpost at All Sport) and Bellus on Main, one of my personal favorite boutiques while they were here for high-end shoes.

Stretchin’ Their Legs

Luxe Optique are collectors of distinct lines of hand-crafted glasses, and have fantastic eye doctors to give eye exams to adults and kids in their store for glasses and contact prescriptions. You can see how Luxe Optique quickly got crowded with their ever-growing number of frames for kids and adults, and the eye exam office. Luxe Optique began an expansion into the second storefront. For now, the original side of the store on the left is under construction, and the new side on the right is open!

Look for the following enhancements when the work is complete:

• A larger selection of children's frames - getting a thorough eye exam is really easy.

• A larger selection of sophisticated affordable brands to make sure everyone has access to good quality eyewear, no matter the budget.

• A private lounge that patients can book (for free) to secure time with an optician like Ryon, Christos, Julia, or Laurie herself so they can receive the best experience possible.

• And an overall facelift!

Keep your eyes on these folks - and get some new glasses and an exam to see everything better.

P.S.: Luxe Optique is known for making super-fine adjustments to glasses. For those with particularly tricky prescriptions, going there is like therapy for your glasses while the pros adjust them.

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Editorial Note: Luxe Optique is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, but this article is not a part of their campaign. Their expansion is part of the energy and Shopping Guide Shuffle on this end out town. Do see their listing with more pictures in our Shopping Guide.

Utensil Kitchenware Moving Across Town In Latest Building Renovation

You’ve driven by it countless times - the construction going on at 143 Main Street, the building that formerly held the office for Shane Hobel’s The Mountain Scout Survival School. Prior to that storefront, the space was the location for the art gallery Fovea before it moved across and up the street to the second floor of Hudson Beacon Glass.

Slated for a Saturday, November 10, 2018, grand opening, Utensil Kitchenware, owned by Emily Burke, will move from her location on the east end of town to this larger, fully renovated space on the West End. Emily and her architect husband designed it specifically to fit the kitchenware store.

The store has always held a cozy collection of pretty much any kitchenware item you needed - or didn’t know you needed - and now will offer an interactive demonstration space so that you can learn how to use the gadgets that Emily has discovered. The front doors have been expanded to be double doors, the front windows enlarged. If you’ve walked by, you may have seen exciting red ceiling beams on the inside.

The building Utensil originally opened in is currently for sale. Says Emily of her new location: “I am really excited about this new chapter. Although I will miss the East End, I think the community will like the new location too. I secured a long-term lease at 143 Main Street a very fair rate. The building owner is a great guy who really cares about Main Street, the tenants and building renovations.”

Newest shop, Darry'l’s Contemporary Women’s Clothing, opened in former Nella’s Bellas, which had been Global Home.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Fun Fact for Beacon Trivia Lovers: This is not Emily’s first time working on this end of town. She worked at the home decor shop, Global Home, before it pulled up its pins several years ago. That location was later occupied by Nella’s Bellas, and now Darryl’s Contemporary Women’s Clothing. (A brand new shop… looks like they are also in Rhinebeck and NYC on Amsterdam of the UWS… We are investigating!)

West End Of Beacon’s Main Street Is Basically Getting Renovated

There’s a lot going on at this end of town - referred to often here as “the west end of town near the train” - from building renovations to business relocations. This change started when a large swath of property - 20 parcels - changed hands from the Piccone family (see our coverage in “Top Nabisco Pressman Starts Over At Age 54 To Open Salon - Mr. Bell’s Story”) to new owners in one of the largest real estate deals in Beacon’s history.

Colorant, now located at 146 Main Street started out inside of Beacon Healing Massage as a pop-up shop, turned perma-pop-up shop, and now has a permanent home across the street in the space formerly occupied by Miss Vickie’s Music.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Storefront shops always come and go on any Main Street, but taking a moment to reflect on what’s going on, not only has their been an ongoing Shopping Guide Shuffle since the summer, but there are building improvements as well.

Renovations Have Begun

At first blush, one might think that a bunch of new businesses are moving in. However, Beacon businesses already located here, for the most part, are simply moving around. The first major move and renovation was to Colorant’s space, which used to be a seasonal pop-up shop in Beacon Healing Massage’s space, which is right next door to the (now former) Mountain Scout office. Beacon Healing Massage’s new neighbor will be Utensil.

Colorant transitioned into a perma-pop-up in the Beacon Healing Massage space, and then officially moved out and across the street into the studio where Miss Vickie hung her musical shingle - but not before that space was totally renovated for Colorant. Miss Vickie has since moved to another location owned by the same people a few blocks up, down the alley near the shoe cobbler and Mr. Bell’s barbershop.

Miss Vickie’s Music, down the alley near Mr. Bell’s barbershop.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

reMADE, the boutique carrying handmade Hudson Valley items recently closed, yet the space has re-opened as a new store - Lewis and Pine. The new shop, however, occupies half the space. The store was essentially two stores inside with an existing wall and door separating the two. This can make for an awkward layout - or not - depending on how you set it up. The space will now be two storefronts.

Says Liz Ferrera, owner of reMADE and PAX Studios of her decision to close the shop: “For me personally, the decision to close reMADE was primarily ‘life getting in the way.’ More specifically, aging parents and my desire to learn all that I can from them while I have the opportunity. The maker community in the Hudson Valley is just incredible! The craftsmanship and creativity that I saw being produced just blew me away. Educating people on the benefits of handmade will continue to be my passion.”

Wait - Where Is Mountain Scout Going?

A survival training workshop on the Mountain Scout property in Hopewell JuncTion.
Photo Credit: The Mountain Scout Instagram

The inside of the Mountain Scout office was really neat, and was set up as if you were outside in the wilderness. The Mountain Scout trains in survival tactics in the wilderness and taps into primitive stuff we humans otherwise may have disconnected from thanks to modern technologies. The true training takes place on several acres of land that Mountain Scout owns in Hopewell Junction, just 5 minutes from I-84 or the Taconic.

The big, tan Mountain Scout passenger van you see driving around Beacon is part of their offerings of shuttling clients to and from the Beacon train station to their land in Hopewell Junction for workshops or private trainings. His classes are just so neat - you should check them out for survival tactics for kids or adults, including Family Emergency Planning.

Meanwhile… On The East Side Of Beacon Near The Mountain

There are incredible finds! So many shops, galleries and eateries. We have a few articles slated to tell you about them, but a lot of good stuff. Loopy Mango (giant yarn), the No. 3 Reading Room for extremely rare art books and interesting print things not found in art galleries or book stores, The Vault for creative cocktails and one of the best baby kale Caesar salads, and Jeffrey Terreson’s curious dimensional paintings.

Eat up our write-ups of all of the shops in A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide, and the eateries in our Restaurant Guide. Don’t miss our Brunch Guide, of course!

Fairies Are Here...The Cutie Night Collection That Comes Out At Beacon Fine Jewelers

Love these little cuties every time they get put out at night in the storefront window of Beacon Fine Jewelers. They are part of the collection of miniature things that the son (of the father-son team) 🔥 fires up inside in the back of the store.

Not sure where this store is? 284 Main Street. Beacon Fine Jewelers are in the middle of Main Street, across the way from EnotecaAma. We profiled them last Holiday season, so check them out!

Really good gift ideas are in store for collectors in your life... or the real life fairies 🧚‍♀️ you find in your house... We’re just sayin’.

JOB LISTING: Research Assistant for Media Resources at Tin Shingle (Part-Time)

This is a job alert for Tin Shingle, a national company that shares an office and a brain with A Little Beacon Blog. It would be really fun to find someone in Beacon for this job, even though it is a work-from-home-or-wherever job. There are a few requirements (like being a strong typer and someone who likes to do deep-dive research), so take a read and see if it’s a fit for you or someone you know!

ABOUT TIN SHINGLE

Tin Shingle is a training center and community for business owners, artists and makers who are promoting their brands. Tin Shingle puts the power of PR, social media, SEO, eNewsletter and design theory directly into the hands of creators, along with resources they can tap into any time. Crafted by business owners for business owners, Tin Shingle's programming trains people in how to get publicity, how to have sha-zam! social media streams, and how to master newsletter marketing. Tin Shingle offers a subscription membership where people can access different resources to improve their outreach. You can learn about that here.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The person who is the right fit for this assignment loves to dig online, research who‘s writing what in the media, and can’t help but get sparked with article ideas from the research. If you don’t know what an Editorial Calendar is, but you want to learn, that is great.

This Research Assistant position will be hunting and gathering for two of Tin Shingle’s resource databases, made available to our business and artist members who are pitching the media with article and story ideas:. The databases? Editorial Calendars and Media Contacts.

Editorial Calendars: These are PDFs put out by magazines that present what a magazine will be generally about for each issue. It’s a great way to know when a magazine will be doing their Back to School issue, or the big Gear Guide, or The Innovator Issue. The Research Assistant Googles and finds these PDFs online (usually found in Media Kits), or emails sales reps in the advertising department of a magazine to ask for the latest plans. Monthly themes are then typed up by the Research Assistant and imported into Tin Shingle’s database.

Media Contacts: Basic contact information for people who work in magazines, TV, podcasts, radio and blogs are available for Tin Shingle’s members to search through. We start our research in a bigger media database called Meltwater, and then whittle down that list by our own cross-checking research to make sure a person still works there, or works in a different capacity (maybe a top editor moved from a full-time position to a part-time contributing writer at a publication). Job assignments will be to take a deep dive into a media outlet (Vogue) or a subject (Spirituality) to gather or update fresh information.

Please Note: This is a not a free ride into Meltwater for a PR professional looking for contacts for their own clients. This is a research position that involves cross-checking and communication with Tin Shingle’s owner Katie to make sure we are updating people correctly. If you are a PR professional who really wants this gig, you can apply, but know that there are deliverables for each assignment and you won’t be pitching the media for this.

Skill Sets Needed for This Job:

• Fast Typer: You will be copying and pasting a lot, and may be re-writing in order for Tin Shingle’s members to get a better read on a person or magazine theme.

• Fluid In Social Media: While researching a media contact, you will know how to Google and search to verify where someone is working, and what they tend to write about.

• Excel Nerd: Everything we do at Tin Shingle is in Excel. Information you find is typed into Excel spreadsheets, and uploaded into Tin Shingle’s database by you (don’t worry - we have step-by-step directions!). A guide to our systems, to keep track of when a media outlet was updated, is also in Excel in Google Drive so that we can stay coordinated and work together from the same document.

• Communicator: You will be working directly with the owner of Tin Shingle, Katie, giving updates on what you are finding, and any questions or judgment calls you have along the way.

Location

This position is work-from-home (or wherever). You can live in Beacon or California or Colorado or Georgia. Tin Shingle does share an office with A Little Beacon Blog on Beacon’s Main Street, but our Open Hours are irregular. So it’s work-from-wherever to start.

TO APPLY:

Please send cover letter and résumé to katie@tinshingle.com addressed to Katie Hellmuth Martin. Email is best - no need to telephone in.

PAY RATE:

$20/hour, Part Time

Thank you!

We Got Stickers! And Totes! Visit A Little Beacon Blog at Spirit of Beacon Day

This year’s table experience is going to be a little different. For the first time, Main Street businesses are allowed to have a table. Normally the vendor opportunity was reserved for nonprofits, since the genesis of Spirit of Beacon Day was rooted in community organizations and schools coming together to create dialogue and improve relations.

A Little Beacon Blog has a table near our office at 291 Main Street. Come by and say “Hi!” We will be handing out stickers, and selling our first-ever tote bag for $25. We will donate $5 of every bag sold to ARF and the Beacon Historical Society. These two organizations are participating orgs in this year’s Spirit of Beacon Day. Without the Beacon Historical Society, we would not know as much as we do about the many iterations of Beacon. ARF matches homeless dogs and cats with their furever human families. We have 100 totes. So that could be pretty good! 

But first, I’ll be marching with South Avenue Elementary in the parade, as I helped out with making the float.  

See you soon!

Vogel Pharmacy Relocates To 9D, In Plaza Near Dutchess (Renegades) Stadium (we got pictures!)

Vogel Pharmacy relocates to 1475 NY-9D, in between Leo’s and the Dollar General, after the building housing its longtime Beacon location was sold to new owners. Pictured above is owner Anthony Valicenti waving from behind his new counter, and a staff member Audra.
Photo Credits: Katie Hellmuth Martin

The former location of longtime Beacon business Vogel Pharmacy, on Main Street in Beacon, NY. Vogel has since moved 10 minutes away to the plaza across from Dutchess Stadium, 1475 NY-9D, now serving old and new customers.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

In what is quickly becoming a new series on this blog - perhaps we’ll call it something like “Where did that shop go?” - we’ve been following which Beacon shops are moving where. They are often swapping ends of Main Street, or moving slightly off of Main Street.

We tracked down Vogel Pharmacy, owned by Anthony Valicent. For months, the pharmacy was in the process of moving from its longtime location at 234 Main Street (in the middle of Main Street near Homespun) after the building containing the storefront space they leased was purchased by new owners.

We are longtime customers of Vogel, preferring to get prescriptions filled with a local pharmacy that has deep roots in the community. Not to say we don’t high-five our friends who work at Rite Aid (love that nail polish bar and greeting card section … and remember that time Rite Aid got a total makeover and sliding front doors?), but having a local pharmacy keeps it real.

So Why Did Vogel Leave Downtown Beacon?

The building at 234 Main Street that housed Vogel Pharmacy was for sale earlier this year. Anthony told us that he considered buying it, but knew the building well, and knew it was in bad shape. When the building did sell to new owners, they had other plans for it that did not include it being occupied for the next bit.

Vogel Pharmacy had been in downtown Beacon for decades. Vogel was one of our “Where Is This?” contest locations when we featured their vintage wall with the original beaker wallpaper. Anthony had worked for Vogel when he was an up and coming pharmacist, and for last 16 years has owned Vogel Pharmacy himself.

The New Vogel - Is The Same! With Gobs More Parking!

VOGEL’S CONTACT INFO:
1475 NY-9D
Wappingers Falls by 12590
Same Phone Number: 845-831-3784
If you call after hours and don’t hear a voice mail, don’t worry. Simply call during their Open hours.

Silver linings are everywhere in this relocation story. For starters, the parking. Vogel serves everyone including the elderly, veterans, kids, and irregular cold and flu patients. The downtown Beacon Main Street location did not have much parking, and walking there has become even more difficult, now that the building is dwarfed by scaffolding to the right of it, and directly across the street, as two multistory buildings are built from the ground up. Homespun has had to put up a sidewalk sign at the end of the block encouraging people to keep walking through the scaffolding to find them.

Now when you drive to Vogel in their new location, you have sooooo much parking. You need a disabled spot? You got it! Is Leo’s busy that night? Is there a sale on detergent at the Dollar General? No problem! There is parking in the back of Vogel or on the other side of the VIP front row parking spots. Already, new customers who live in the area are coming in, thankful for the new pharmacy.

Everything Is Just As It Was At The Old Vogel - Kids Toys, Vaporizers, Eye-Glasses Donation Box

Inside of Vogel, the aisles are just as they were, and the phone number is the same.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Don’t worry, all of your old favorites at Vogel are still there. Even Vogel’s phone number is the same. The Melissa & Doug toys (that are so often marked down) that you can buy your kids when they come with you to pick up a prescription. The eye-glasses donation box. The magazines. Vogel is where I get my monthly issues of Family Circle and Better Homes & Gardens, conveniently placed right next to the cash register, under the Blow Pops.

Anthony waves from his new perch while filling prescriptions.

Anthony himself is there as usual at the end of the aisles, either filling prescriptions or on the phone. The famous Rx sign hangs outside on Vogel’s new brick wall, just as it did at the other location.

I don’t mind driving down 9D. I look forward to it when I visit Stony Kill Farm, and I even drive my car payment to Rhinebeck Bank’s Beacon Branch - by choice.

Vogel isn’t the only Beacon business I’ve followed after they relocated. I followed my hair dresser Josh Boos to Newburgh from the Green Room (the salon near the mountain across from The Roundhouse). His new digs are in The Atlas Building in Newburgh so that he can manufacture his hair color organizer invention. So cool over there! I’ll be one of the voices encouraging the Newburgh/Beacon Ferry to ramp up its schedule, because it’s going to need to with all of this spread.

Look for Vogel at the Spirit of Beacon Day!

Vogel got a table this year at the Spirit of Beacon Day, so go say hi! This is the first year the Spirit of Beacon folks considered allowing businesses to have vendor tables (traditionally, only nonprofit organizations had tables). Regardless, Vogel’s move is so big, they probably would have been approved for a table anyway.

Congratulations to Anthony and his staff for making the move and making it through uncomfortable times in a business transition. The new location really does come with perks, and I’ll enjoy filling my family’s prescriptions there.

Putting the Community in "Community Bank" at Rhinebeck Bank (Sponsored)

When you live in the big city, you tend to not think about community banks. You may have heard about the financial benefits of banking with credit unions in financial books you’ve read. However, the concept of a “community bank” is one that shows up mostly in movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life” where community banker Jimmy Stewart is saved by his community after years of his independent bank helping people during their own financial challenges. 

What what does "community bank" mean in your real life out here in Beacon and the Hudson Valley region? When banking with a community bank like Rhinebeck Bank?

At Rhinebeck Bank, "Your Success Is Our Success"

“Your success is our success.” I’ve heard this statement spoken by the bankers at Rhinebeck Bank. Their involvement in the community through sponsoring events and elevating awareness puts them in the middle of everyday life. Finances of a community bank are directly connected to the people and the businesses in that same community. If a business who has a loan with Rhinebeck Bank fails, then the bank is impacted as well. Big banks that are too big to fail and have branches all over the world don’t feel that loss in quite the same way.

Listening To Customers

Stacey Schindler is the newest branch manager at Rhinebeck Bank’s Beacon Branch, located on 9D just before the Renegades Stadium. “I have been in banking for 21 years and it was always my dream to become a Branch Manager,” says Stacey. “One of the reasons is due to one of my all-time favorite movies, ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ I LOVE that you referenced it in this article.”
(PS: I gave Stacey a sneak peek of this article before going to publication.)

"The connections and relationships that are made with the people in our community and businesses here at Rhinebeck Bank have the same nostalgic feel of that movie. Here at Rhinebeck Bank, we connect with local people and help them realize their dreams through education, active listening, and genuinely caring about helping them find the best financial solutions,” says Stacey.

History Matters

Rhinebeck Bank, one of the only independent banks in the Hudson Valley, opened in 1861 and has made community involvement its top priority ever since. Many of your favorite organizations and businesses do business with Rhinebeck Bank, including The Art Effect (formerly Spark Media Project), and Mill House Brewing Company.

Plugging Into The Community

Dedicated to bringing people together to help business flourish, Rhinebeck Bank has sponsored hundreds of events over the years, working closely with entities including BeaconArts here in Beacon, and municipalities like the City of Poughkeepsie.

“At Rhinebeck Bank, we not only take pride in knowing the value of helping our community, but being a part of that community,” says Rhinebeck Bank’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, Michelle Barone-Lepore. “As a good neighbor, that means making a real difference and striving to create a positive impact on as many lives as possible, beyond just writing a check. Rhinebeck Bank has and will continue to always be a part of the fabric of the communities we not only serve, but embed ourselves in.”

Watch Rhinebeck Bank’s Show on TV!

Rhinebeck Bank also produces an interview series, called “Wake Up with Rhinebeck Bank” that features their business clients. Binge-watch it, because you’ll learn all sorts of things about the origins and special business challenges of big and small local businesses around you.

To learn about how Rhinebeck Bank can help you realize your business dreams, schedule a call with Beacon’s Branch Manager, Stacey, at (845) 831-0300, or visit one of Rhinebeck Bank’s many other qualified business bankers.

Rhinebeck Bank, Member FDIC

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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.