With Get Caught Reading Month coming up in May, the writerly folks at Get Lit Beacon are sponsoring a book drive to bring “student libraries” to the Special Education English classrooms at Beacon High School. Says Flora Stadler, a writer and part of the team that runs Get Lit: "We wanted to give students easy access to books they would enjoy reading, and classroom student libraries seemed like a great option.”
Get Lit is working with Principal Soto and Assistant Principal Simms to start small libraries in the Special Education English classrooms. “The teachers put together a great list of books from diverse authors to get students excited and engaged with reading."
The goal is to provide 90 books to three classrooms. Author and Get Lit Beacon founder Julie Chibbaro will present the books to the school during Get Caught Reading Month in May.
3 Ways You Can Help Make This Happen:
Go to Binnacle Books in Beacon to choose books from the teacher wish list, and Binnacle will order them for you.
Donate money to the cause through getlitbeacon.com, and Get Lit will buy the books for you. They'll also match total donations, up to $300.
You can also purchase books on your own and drop them off any time at Oak Vino Wine Bar in Beacon.
What Is Get Lit Beacon?
Get Lit Beacon is a literary salon founded by writer and teacher Julie Chibbaro. Get Lit Beacon is a way to invite writers out into the community where they can be seen and heard. The salon is a casual gathering where published and aspiring adult writers of any genre can hang out, have a drink and share their work. Usually, one or two professional writers are invited to join and discuss their work.
Get Lit Beacon meets on the Second Sunday of each month (mostly) at Oak Vino Wine Bar, 389 Main St., Beacon.
More Opportunities To Help Beacon Students
A Little Beacon Blog has dedicated a guide to ways you can help the kids and families in Beacon City Schools. This opportunity has been added to the Guide, under the Beacon High School section. Be sure to check that Guide periodically to learn of new opportunities to support BCSD, such as the Color-A-Thon happening for South Avenue Elementary.
The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market is seeking vendors for its 2019 Farmers Market, which will kick off on Monday, June 3, at 3 pm in the Pavilion at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum at 75 North Water Street in Poughkeepsie. The market will run weekly on Monday afternoons from 3 to 6:30 pm, from June through Labor Day in a fully-covered open-air pavilion that is just steps away from the Hudson River, with a stunning view of the Walkway Over The Hudson bridge.
Vendors Wanted - Deadline April 15 for Early Bird Discount
Vendor applications are now being accepted for the sale of fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, poultry, and baked goods from local Hudson Valley farms, as well as locally produced soaps and body products, wool products, bee products and other agriculturally related items. This year, the Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market seeks to expand its product lines to include Hudson Valley-produced beer, wine, cider and spirits, as well as hand-crafted kitchenware items created by local artisans.
Interested vendors are encouraged to apply by Monday, April 15, to receive an early bird discount.
The market is a lively, weekly, public celebration of the Hudson Valley. It also features entertainment provided by a variety of local musicians each week. In addition, “Kid’s Kitchen,” a healthy eating program for children will be held weekly at the market, free of charge.
Certified SNAP & WIC Payments Market
The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market is a certified SNAP market. It accepts both SNAP and WIC payments, ensuring the affordability of fresh produce and farm products for low-income individuals and families. With support from MVP Healthcare, the market implemented an Electronic Transfer (EBT) system, enabling income-eligible market patrons to use their SNAP benefits from a government-issued debit card.
Small Museum Taking On Big Issues
The Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum (MHCM) is the first children’s museum in the country to open and operate a public farmers market. The market opened in 2017 to connect city residents and families with fresh, affordable and locally produced food as a strategy for fighting urban food insecurity and advancing community health. As a small museum taking on big issues, the MHCM is planning an expansion, which includes enclosing the open-air pavilion, enabling the market to be held year-round, filling a need for fresh food in Poughkeepsie.
The Poughkeepsie Waterfront Market is steps away from both the Poughkeepsie Train Station and the Walkway Over the Hudson elevator, making the market accessible to city residents, families visiting the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum, tourists and commuters alike. The pavilion that hosts the market is fully covered, and offers public restrooms and free onsite parking at the Mid-Hudson Children’s Museum during market hours.
There is no easy transition into or out of yesterday's article about racist flyers, so... here is a transition slide to say that we are going back to our regularly scheduled Beacon programming, which includes some great events that are happening in our schools, as well as this public service announcement from the Firefox browser: "Watching the sunrise outdoors statistically increases your odds of having a good day." We didn't research their source of that statistic yet, but will try it ourselves. Meanwhile, look for upcoming articles on the donation of dictionaries, and the provision for tampons in the federal congress people's bathroom budget!
There are some shifts for businesses on Main Street this early pre-spring season. If you’ll recall, last spring, many retail businesses either moved into town, or moved across town.
Lauren & Riley was one such shop who flipped ends of town, leaving her east side location (replaced by The Beacon Underground) to the west side (replacing Theo Ganz Studio). However, the move was not to last. In an announcement to her people on the business Facebook page, the owner of Lauren & Riley, Kim, has announced that she is moving on:
”After eight years we will be closing :-( I am so lucky to have met so many great people and to have been part of the Beacon community. Moving on to a new chapter for me and I'm excited. Everything in store is 40% off. As of right now, we will be open Friday thru Sunday till further notice.”
Kim was a staple in the Main Street retail scene. You could always see her hanging with the Marion Royael Gallery folks outside on the sidewalk (in both locations - Marion Royael Gallery had been on the east end as well!). She will be missed! But don’t you worry - Kim will still be producing and burning her candles at fairs and online. Follow Beacon Candle Company at Facebook, and their website.
Darryl’s Clothing Boutique Opened In October
A few things quietly happened in October, including the opening of Darryl’s Clothing Boutique (replacing Nella’s Bellas clothing boutique), owned by Darryl and Ed. This is the third (!) location for Darryl’s, the first being in the big city of New York, and the second being in the Hudson Valley town of Rhinebeck. “We live in Wappingers, and have been watching Beacon grow for some time. We wanted to be a part of the community.” You can learn more about Darryl and Ed at their website, or better yet, say “Hi!” to them in their shop!
These shops have been updated in A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide. If you have any tips for us - like if any business snuck in and didn’t reach out to us yet - please let us know! We created the Shopping Guide to represent all of the shops, and would love to know about yours. Must be a storefront :) We also have the Beauty Guide and the Restaurant Guide.
UPDATE: 3/20/2019 The City of Beacon has since issued a response, telling people that if they see something like this, it needs to be reported to the police department for enforcement. Please see below for full quote.
Back in January of this year, when we were all adjusting to the new year and starting our new resolutions, racist and anti-Semitic flyers were posted to every telephone and light pole on Main Street in Beacon, from the east end (Bank Square Coffee) to the west end (Trax Coffee Roasters). But you never saw them.
Within a 12-hour period, two citizens of Beacon, who wish to remain anonymous, noticed the flyers and ripped every single one down with their bare hands. Bare hands is notable, because some flyers were affixed with strong adhesive, like a spray glue, and required prying all of the corners of the paper to remove it. Glue indicates that the hanger of the flyer wanted it to stay up for a long time. Other flyers were stapled to poles. The flyers were from PatriotFront, a well-known white supremacist hate group.
The day was cold but sunny. The two Beaconites were headed to meet each other for lunch, each from the other side of town. Each of these citizens happens to have studied graphic design and has a familiarity with art history. As they walked towards each other, some eye-catching flyers on the lamp posts and telephone poles caught their eyes. The visual graphic design was well done, they both noted internally, and kept walking.
The Meaning Behind The Markings
After passing more than a few flyers, including one on the Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church near Bank Square, the meaning behind the markings on the flyers struck them. The flyer series was promoting anti-immigrant sentiment, anti-Native American, anti-anything that was not white supremacist. Some might call it anti-people, some might call it fascist.
“The symbolism was disguised,” said one of the citizens who tore down the flyers. With a background in design, the Beaconite was aware of banned symbolism and disguised imagery used by white supremacist groups (read about disguised white supremacist imagery here in Foreign Policy). “Because the flyers covered more than one topic, they seemed to be recruitment flyers,” concluded the Beaconite. “The website of where they came from was prominently displayed across the bottom, so that someone could clearly see where to get more information.”
“Does White Supremacy Really Happen In Beacon?”
One evening during a regular City Council meeting, a gentleman approached the podium during the Public Comment period to complain about a large sign that hung on a building on Hanna Lane. The sign read: “Resist White Supremacy; Vote on November 6, 2018.” The gentleman was visiting Memorial Park with his friends, and was embarrassed to see the sign. “Is this really Beacon?” he asked.
That sign has become controversial and has prompted the City Council to deeply study its zoning laws on signs. The City Council has not yet come to a conclusion, as laws on signage are complicated in order to protect freedom of speech, as guaranteed by the First Amendment.
Being that the two Beaconites took down the racist and anti-Semitic signs that anyone visiting would have seen on the Main Street utility poles, chances are this person would not have seen these signs that encouraged white supremacy, and would have continued with his day, thinking that a white supremacist movement had not tried to move its way into this community.
Just Down The Road, Haldane Graduate and 2 Other Local Teenagers Arrested For Anti-Semitic Graffiti In Nelsonville’s October 2018 Swastika Incident
In October 2018, a swastika was sprayed onto the home that is owned by a Jewish man in Nelsonville. So far, three teenagers have been arrested for that crime. One teenager is a male who is 18, and is a graduate of Haldane High School in Cold Spring. He was arrested in February 2019, and just appeared in court last week. The other two were arrested in December 2018, one from Philipstown and the other from an unspecified location. They are 18 and 17 years old.
What To Do When Racist or Anti-Semitic Flyers Are Found
“If someone sees something like this, it needs to be reported to the Police Department so enforcement can be taken.”
— Anthony J. Ruggiero, M.P.A., City Administrator for the City of Beacon
The first response of the citizens who tore down the flyers was to call the Beacon Police. The officer who took the call suggested that they call the Building Department to complain. “I let the officer know that I wasn’t really complaining, but rather informing that white supremacist material was all over the street,” said the citizen. According to the citizen, the officer’s response was: “There’s really nothing we can do.”
A Little Beacon Blog inquired with the City of Beacon’s City Administrator, Anthony Ruggiero, about if there is anything to do about flyers. “It is a violation of city code to put flyers of any kind on a telephone or light pole. It would be a violation the Building Department could issue if we knew who it was.”
So there you have it. Now you know. A Tom Petty song comes to mind: “Don’t come around here no more.” Parents: Keep talking to your kids. Teachers: Thank you for teaching our kids about hate crimes of the past, so that they can identify and defeat them in the present.
The shootings happened on the afternoon of Holy Friday. Izdihar explains the meaning of Holy Friday, also known as Jumu’ah: “Muslims consider Fridays to be holy. A lot of people try to make it the mosque to pray. A sermon is given. It is like the Muslim version of a Christian’s Sunday church. The Friday prayer is held in the afternoon, and Muslims take a little more time to say their prayers.
“On Fridays, Muslims are more connected with their community and often will call friends and family just to let them know they’re in their thoughts and prayers.
“That’s what makes the crime all the more heartbreaking - it was done on a day where Muslims are more focused on spreading peace as they meet, pray together, and later discuss any community problems or achievements. Everyone feels more united and at ease after a Friday prayer.”
Izdihar’s poem was first published on her Instagram account here. She granted permission to have it republished on A Little Beacon Blog as well. Her InstaStory has a more images of the people hurt and killed.
aggressive rivers of crimson flood the floors of sanctuaries heavy weapons and weighted boots, what else to expect from a deluded man and his object of destruction? from a man who laughs in tune to the cries of the innocent, to the symphony of his gun?
scattered evidence of life taunt the living; tiny shoes, visions of the future scarves... tattered fabric dispersed and purses spilled
barefoot in the streets, fleeting as thunderous echoes of chaos ring sharp in their ears neighbors weeping, some taking leaps over fences and dashing through doors
how can we rescue when we don’t know where danger hides and why it smiles how can we rescue when we can’t tell apart our enemies as they are free to live joyous lives?
A young girl, her father’s baby wisps of long lashes rest over her chubby cheeks tendrils of hair shape her petite face
she’s not sleeping, not with the way he holds her with tension in his breaths clouds of stinging pain in his shadowed eyes she’s not sleeping, but I wish she is her beautiful face marred by the dark blood running down her face tears of the world on a day of prayer
tears shouldn’t be red and we shouldn’t be crying why must man be unjust has pain replaced peace, have your hearts gone to dust
children in the neighborhood on lockdown in schools imagine the eyes of the youth, blurry from fright the thoughts of their teachers, the terrors their parents face at night sisters and brothers leaning into one another
the men in blue, and the paramedics speeding with flashes of light do they cry too their neighbors are dead who is left to protect?
who is next? synagogues, churches, temples and mosques candle-lit does it matter if you’re bricks and stone of peace symbols of sanctuary?
roses, carnations, bouquets of peaceful ivory, valuable gold, nurturing shades of pink, and ambitious strengths of purple cries of blue and ruby petals; they’re dying too
I hope to see you in paradise your friends and family, neighbors and carers I hope murder on holy friday no longer makes the news
I’ll suffer but I hope I don’t lose my faith in you
It's... a really spring-like day! Not wanting to jinx anything, we'll take this nice weather. Which brings us to this exciting announcement before you get your weekend on: A Little Beacon Blog's Summer Camp Guide is in full swing! And updates continue to be made as details for camps emerge!
One of our most relied upon Guides for parents in Beacon and beyond is our Summer Camp Guide. It is the most inclusive Guide in the Hudson Valley, as it is free for most camps to list, thereby giving parents plenty of unfiltered options when it comes to researching the best fits of fun, entertainment, and learning for their family's schedule.
SPONSORSHIPS NOW OPEN
Camps who want to stand out in the list can buy an Advertiser Camp Kit and get their logo listed, a photo gallery, video if they have it, and possibly an Instagram share (starts at $450 for seasonal placement in this Guide).
Businesses who want to be a Community Sponsor can do so as well. This is a great fit for doctors, urgent care centers, professional organizers, and others who want to show their support to parents (starts at $250 for seasonal placement in this Guide).
These are early bird rates as we introduce this first phase of advertising on this Guide.
Howland Chamber Music Circle presents “Music of the Gilded Age in the Hudson Valley"
Day: Saturday, March 16, 2019 Time: 4 pm Location: St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 15 South St., Beacon, NY Information >
BSC Annual Woody Dinner Dance to Benefit the Woody Sloop
Day: Saturday, March 16, 2019 Time: 5 to 11 pm Location: Chalet on the Hudson, Route 9D, Cold Spring, NY Information >
Elysium Furnace Works presents Matt Mitchell
Day: Saturday, March 16, 2019 Time: 8 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Rombout Middle School Night at Chipotle (Fishkill)
Day: Tuesday, March 19, 2019 Time: 5 to 9 pm Location: Chipotle, 10 Westage Drive, Fishkill, NY Information >
Plan ahead and check out what's coming up this month in our Events Guide.
BOUTIQUES ON THE WEST END
Luxe Optique
183 Main Street www.luxeoptique.com
What a treat! This week we got to see the new collection of frames from Anne & Valentin at Luxe Optique, presented by Andry (left) to Luxe's photographer and stylist, Ryon (right). If you are like many in Beacon, you have become a collector of handmade, designer frames. Your next pair could be here in Andry's trays. We'll see what Ryon selected for the store!
SHOPS IN THE MIDDLE
L a M è r e Clothing + Goods
436 Main Street www.lamereclothingandgoods.com
Girl... La Mère Clothing and Goods was on fire last week with her sidewalk rack during the Parade of Green - hopefully you scored something. New merch from Free People - including these summer sandals - has arrived. And did you see that the pink velvet ballet flats are on sale for $60? Order from her website to reserve yours, or go in and visit! Pick up one of these pink stemless wine glasses (or with stems) while you're there...
BOUTIQUES ON THE EAST END
Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique
1 East Main, Retail #3 www.lambshillbridalboutique.com (near the Dummy Light)
Did you know that you can book the Lambs Hill wedding venue on Mount Beacon for smaller weddings? The venue includes an Equestrian Suite, where you can meet the ponies who live there. Contact them to schedule a day to visit this private spot.
Spring 2019 Hudson Valley Restaurant Week
Days: March 11-24, 2019
Customers can feast on dishes from nearly 200 restaurants, via three-course, prix-fixe lunch ($22.95) and dinner ($32.95) menus. Restaurants from eight Hudson Valley counties are included in HVRW: Dutchess, Greene, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester. The complete list of participating restaurants is available here: valleytable.com/hvrw.
Friday Night Yoga Community Class at Firefly Yoga!
Day: Friday, March 15, 2019 Time: 7 to 8 pm Location: Firefly Yoga, 992 Main St., Fishkill, NY
Donation-based power vinyasa yoga class co-taught by recent teacher training grads Jill Kramek and Marilyn Perez (Managing Editor for A Little Beacon Blog). Class is open to everyone, all levels! Reserve Your Spot >
SAVE THE DATE Restorative Sound Bath with Shawn Feeney at Firefly Yoga Day: Sunday, March 24, 2019 Time: 4 to 6 pm Details >
Art & Zine Club Meetup Day: Friday, March 15, 2019 Time: 3:30 to 5 pm Location: Howland Public Library, 313 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Saturdays At Stony Kill Barn
Check A Little Beacon Blog's Classes For Kids Guide to see what there is to do every day of the week. We collect ideas and organize them by day. If it's Tuesday, check in and see what you can do!
For a full list of upcoming classes, visit A Little Beacon Blog's Kids Classes Guide.
19 Russell Street, Beacon, NY
This three-bedroom house is up the road from Dogwood, near Mount Beacon. The home is in a convenient location, and from the plans of it, looks well-stocked with things you'd want in a home like a spacious laundry room, walk-in closet in the master suite, which is lined in glass walls.
From Gate House Realty: “Mountain home, a short walk to Main Street Beacon and the Metro-North Train Station. Custom-designed for your modern lifestyle: three bedrooms, study, library, great room with fireplace and walls of sliding doors leading to 500 feet of mahogany decking, dining room, kitchen with island and Viking appliances.”
PRICE: $895,000 BEDROOMS: 3 BATHROOMS: 2 Real Estate Agent: Gate House Realty, (845) 831-9550 Details + Pictures >
Has your business received an insurance audit?
Your best defense is a good offense. Antalek & Moore can’t emphasize enough the importance of keeping good records and a working, current relationship with your insurance agent. When your paperwork matches up with the work you do, everything falls into place. Get the Full Story >
Private Social Media Training
Are you staring at your Instagram account, not knowing what to do? You see what others are posting, but can't think of one thing you could post that would represent your brand and bring you sales. The visual storytellers at Katie James, Inc. can help you change all that. Schedule A Session >
What did we learn from this week's InstaBlackout across the social platforms? That if all your “get the word out” tools are in the same basket, you got no backup plan! You need to put this wonderful content you produce on your blog - the blog of your business. Learn More >
BeaconArts :: Open Studios
A Little Beacon Blog recently signed on as a proud sponsor of Beacon Open Studios! We are thrilled to support this project, which offers an inside look at artists and their spaces in Beacon. Reserve Your Spot as a Sponsor! >
A Little Beacon Space
A Little Beacon Blog's Space is available for private rentals for your meetings, workshops, client parties, or pop-ups. Located in the heart of Beacon at 291 Main Street (inside of the Telephone Building), meeting here is easy, cozy, and inspiring. $275 Half Day $485 Full Day $850 Pop-Up Shop Package See Pictures >
Beacon Chamber of Commerce Business Directory
Work with the Beacon Chamber of Commerce to throw a Ribbon-Cutting ceremony if you're new in town, or just opened. It's a great way to meet your neighbors and broadcast your business! Learn More >
MASTHEAD Producers of this newsletter include:
Katie Hellmuth Martin, Publisher, Writer, Designer, Photographer
Marilyn Perez, Managing Editor
Catherine Sweet, Editor of the Second Saturday Guide
Advertise With A Little Beacon Blog
The support from every advertiser of A Little Beacon Blog helps make local news get produced. You can be part of making it happen, and get your business in front of the community in a meaningful way.
What a delightful surprise while making our sponsor rounds today for this weekend’s Friday Feature in the newsletter (subscribe if you haven’t!). When stepping into Luxe Optique, we got to see a real live stylist and representative from Anne & Valentin with the newest designs.
Often, actually, we stumble in when a major line is in the store with all of their suitcases filled with precious goodies while we’re collecting a feature photo.
Meet Andry pictured here. He was sooo nice, and knew all about the designer curves of all of these new frames. Look for Luxe Optique’s feature photo in their sponsor spot this Friday!
Discover more shops in A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide! You can always tap Guides and Calendars in the navigation above - from your computer or mobile.
A girl can’t pass a good sale rack... La Mère Clothing and Goods always delivers.
It was a pleasure visiting the shop and #shootingtheshingle (a new Tin Shingle term!) during our mini-photo session for her sponsor spot in A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide!
Go visit our Shopping Guide to learn about more Beacon stores, by tapping Guides and Calendars, then tap Shopping Guide.
As Beacon increases in popularity as a tourist destination as well as a lifestyle change destination, away from the big city - or just by people relocating here for job opportunities - trash disposal needs also change. Two major shifts have happened that triggered a metal trash can swap-out on Main Street:
Overflowing Trash: Residents have complained of trash overflowing from metal trash cans on Main Street after regular weekends, three-day holiday weekends, or weekends that have special public events.
Recycling: The crash of the recycling market has rocked recycling collection across many communities in the United States. In short, most of the recycling isn’t getting recycled because China, who buys most of the world’s recycling, has tightened its restrictions on what it will accept. Most recycling sent to China is dirty, as in, coated in food, contaminated with non-recyclable objects (like plastic bottle caps not screwed onto a bottle - who knew?!) or is wet paper (only dry, non-shredded paper is accepted - nothing smaller than 6” x 6” actually, according to Beacon’s recycling processing center).
Recycling Must Be Clean: What came out of the 2018 City Council Meeting discovery session with the facility who processes our recycling, is that dirty recycling does not get recycled. If you throw in a plastic container coated with food: it won’t get rinsed at the recycling center. If you throw in straight up food, or other items that are not part of the Single Stream, you are contaminating the recycling collection, and the haul cannot be used. This makes recycling on Main Street pretty useless, being that most people throw in food containers that have food on or in them, and items that are not recyclable at all.
City Council Agrees To Larger Hole At Top Of Trash Cans
The Beacon City Council, which consists of four representatives (called Council People) from each area of the City, as well as a Member-At-Large, the Mayor, the City Administrator, and the City’s Attorney, all consider many details about how the City of Beacon functions. They even think about the design of the trash cans. At one point years ago, two holes were considered to help with trash: a small one for recycling (presumably cups and other small objects), and trash. But not too large, so as to guard against residents of nearby apartments putting their household trash into the public containers, as recalled by Mayor Casale during a City Council meeting.
Trash Cans Replaced At No Cost To The City
During the May 29, 2018 City Council Workshop meeting during which Royal Carting, the City’s contracted trash collection company, presented their proposed budget for a new contract, Royal Carting’s presenting attorney, James Constantino, suggested a replacement of the cans at no cost to the City. “The designs of the cans are not accommodating or giving capacity. We have agreed with the Highway Superintendent for a new can… I can assure you the Mayor has been very clear that he wants the trash cans maintained, and doesn't want to see litter.”
Beacon’s City Administrator confirmed with A Little Beacon Blog in August 2018 that the City was moving forward with the replacement of the cans. By January 2019, the new trash cans lined Main Street.
UPDATED 3/20/3019: The City of Beacon has since issued a response to our inquiry about the 2019 Cupcake Festival decision. Please see below for that quote from the City Administrator.
K104.7’s annual Cupcake Festival has moved from the Main Streets of Fishkill for a few years, then to Beacon for two years, and now is at the Stormville Airport, which is also known for the Stormville Airport Antique Show and Flea Market. The Cupcake Festival is wildly popular, attracting bakers from all over the state to compete for a chance to be considered at the final judging table to take home a cash prize.
“We were hoping to come back to Beacon this year but given the growing attendance and space/parking constraints, we had to look elsewhere. We’re looking forward to keeping it in the county and growing the festival in new and exciting ways.”
Attendance to the event has been growing, and possibly grew out of Fishkill, triggering the radio station to consider Beacon. For two years, the festival was hosted in downtown Beacon on Main Street, shutting down the street and leading to an elbow-to-elbow sugared-up experience (parents know how difficult it can be to maneuver children past tables and tables of cupcakes and lemonade).
We reached out to Pamal Broadcasting, the hosts of the event and owners of K104.7, to learn more: “We had met with the City [of Beacon], and after discussing all the particulars, it was in the best interest of both parties to change the location. The two years the festival was in Beacon catapulted this event to the next level and we are very grateful for the city and what it had to offer,” said Zach Higgins, Non-Traditional Revenue Director for Pamal Broadcasting.
“The attendance estimates for this year seemed more than the City could handle in parking and safety constraints. We would love to have them back, but wish them continued success and hope to work with them on other projects in the future.”
— Anthony J. Ruggiero, M.P.A. City Administrator
The City of Beacon’s City Administrator, Anthony Ruggiero, had this to say: “The City had an incredible working relationship with Pamal Broadcasting and their success was our success. However the attendance estimates for this year seemed more than the City could handle in parking and safety constraints. We would love to have them back, but wish them continued success and hope to work with them on other projects in the future.”
How Was The Cupcake Festival In Beacon?
A Little Beacon Blog did a an unscientific economic study of the Cupcake Festival on businesses in town in 2017. Most eateries did extremely well that day, while boutiques reported a mixed experience. One retail store who had been a vocal opponent of the Cupcake Festival in its first year, raved about it the day after the first festival came and went, after the day’s sales came in, calling the day “as good as Christmas," which in retail-sales speak means a very good day.
However, other businesses were not as pleased, including an art gallery owner who found it difficult to keep children away from touchable artwork inside the gallery, and other retail stores who saw lots of lookers, but no buyers. Citizens experienced a deluge of cars parked near their homes, sometimes blocking driveways. To read more about the 2017 cupcake experience, click here. To see pictures from 2018’s cupcakes, click here.
Trash was well-contained for the most part, though residential complaints about overflowing trash cans after most spring/summer weekends with or without events prompted the City to accept the offer from the trash collection company, Royal Carting, to replace the metal trash cans on Main Street, letting go of the two-hole approach for recycling and trash, in favor of a larger hole for all waste.
Now that the recycling market has crashed, and most recycling in this country isn’t getting recycled due to it being dirty (food waste on plastic makes it non-recyclable) or wet (soggy newspapers or cardboard can’t be recycled), this can replacement seems to be containing trash better. A Little Beacon Blog does have an article coming on this, and you can read more about it in the Highlands Current.
Parade-A-Month Keeps Beacon Touchable By Citizens
Beacon is known to have a parade every month from spring to fall, so this is one less event to keep track of on the calendar (well, in town, that is… you could still drive out to Stormville!), but there are new events coming to Beacon at the Riverfront, in addition to the usual annual events and fundraisers that keep the community in Beacon together.
If you need a quick map on where Stormville is, here’s a picture of the map. It’s *that* way! Good luck to any bakers entering the contest, or vendors vending on the big day!
SOME OF THE ART GALLERY OPENINGS IN BEACON, NY, FOR MARCH 2019. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: IN THE GARDEN OF FORKING PATHS AT MOTHER ART GALLERY; STILL STILL MOVING AT THE HOWLAND CULTURAL CENTER; NANCY DREW-INSPIRED GROUP SHOW AT THE HOWLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY; OVER HERE , DUTCHESS COUNTY’S WORLD WAR I STORIES AT BEACON HISTORICAL SOCIETY, AND WORKING OVERTIME AT PHOTO BOOK WORKS.
Happy Second Saturday, Beacon!
We know you’ll be kicking off festive spring with the annual Parade of Green, but after that - then what? Galleries, my friend. Gallery openings galore: at regular spots like Dia, Catalyst, the library (Nancy Drew art show - what?) and No. 3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works, but also at once-in-a-while spots like the Beacon Historical Society and an art pop-up at the Beahive in the historic Telephone Building. Check A Little Beacon Blog’s Second Saturday Guide for start times, pictures, and descriptions of the exhibits opening in Beacon.
This month’s Second Saturday Art Gallery Guide is sponsored by No. 3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works, at 469 Main Street, down toward the east end of Main Street near the Beacon Movie Theater, where you’ll find not just rotating exhibits, but cool collections of handmade books that the public is encouraged to peruse.
Busy weekend this weekend! Saturday is double-booked with the highly anticipated Parade of Green, followed by the all-day openings of different exhibits in Beacon's Art Galleries for Second Saturday. However, it is also the start of Maple Fest season, followed by the start of the Spring Hudson Valley Restaurant Weekon Monday. Lots to do!
"Working OverTime"
No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works
469 Main Street, Beacon, NY
"Working OverTime," works on paper by Clarence Morgan and David Rich, opens at No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Book Works. The exhibit asks: "What does it mean to make a painting over time? What does devotion to one’s practice extended over a lifetime entail? To painters Clarence Morgan and David Rich, each in their sixth decade, time has become compressed, with a degree of urgency about its limitations and passage."
Beacon's St. Patrick’s Day Parade of Green
Day: Saturday, March 9, 2019 Time: 12 pm Location: Main Street, Beacon, NY Information >
Maple Fest at Randolph School Day: Saturday, March 9, 2019 Time: 11 am to 3 pm Location: Randolph School, 2467 Route 9D, Wappingers Falls Information >
NY Blood Center Blood Drive
Day: Saturday, March 9, 2019 Time: 10:30 am to 3 pm Location: Tabernacle of Christ Church, 483 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Movies That Matter presents “Newburgh: Beauty And Tragedy: A Film By Dmitri Kasterine”
Day: Saturday, March 9, 2019 Time: 6:45 to 10 pm Location: First Presbyterian Church, McKinley Hall, 50 Liberty St., Beacon, NY
Dmitri Kasterine began taking pictures in Newburgh in 1996. It wasn’t the city’s reputation that drew him, but its beauty. His documentary, shot in 2015, consists of a collection of interviews together with glimpses of life and houses in ruins. Incorporating his original portraits and a commentary of what drew him to Newburgh, the film gives voice to those who live perilously, often in uninhabitable houses, in a city where education has faltered and employment is scarce. We hear what is actually happening to the fabric and people of Newburgh as they face another crisis: a determined program of gentrification. Information >
The Beacon Players presents FIRST LOOK
Day: Saturday, March 9, 2019 Time: 7 pm Location: Richard D. Woolley Auditorium at Spackenkill High School, 112 Spackenkill Road, Poughkeepsie, NY Information >
Live Concert: Miolina - Reclaim the Night
Day: Saturday, March 9, 2019 Time: 7:30 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Classics For Kids presents “Tic Toc Choc”
Day: Sunday, March 10, 2019 Time: 12 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Live Concert: Simone Dinnerstein, Piano
Day: Sunday, March 10, 2019 Time: 4 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Get Lit Writer's Group
Day: Sunday, March 10, 2019 Time: 5 pm Location: Oak Vino, 389 Main St., Beacon, NY
Get Lit on Sunday, March 10, features two speakers about award-winning children’s literature power couple James Ransome (illustrator) and Lesa Cline-Ransome (author). Learn more in A Little Beacon Blog's "Writerly Happenings" column. Information >
Plan ahead and check out what's coming up this month in ourEvents Guide.
BOUTIQUES ON THE WEST END
Luxe Optique
183 Main Street www.luxeoptique.com SECOND SATURDAY @ LUXE!
Pop open the bubbly! Let the stylists at Luxe Optique teach you about the new collectible line of luxury eyewear from The Leisure Society. Luxe has made it easy for you with champagne, hors d'oeuvres, and Glazed Over Donuts.
SHOPS IN THE MIDDLE
L a M è r e Clothing + Goods 436 Main Street www.lamereclothingandgoods.com
The pot of gold is at La Mère Clothing and Goods this weekend. Be sure to visit this boutique after the parade to stock up on your gold home goods, like the gold pineapple bookends, shimmery slippers, and this not-to-be-missed gold coin pillow with fuchsia on the back.
Binnacle Books 321 Main Street www.binnaclebooks.com Book Club: Wednesday, March 13 | 7 pm
Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of "The Daily Show" began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away.
Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother - his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.
Discuss at Dennings Point Distillery on Wednesday Book Club.
BOUTIQUES ON THE EAST END
Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique
1 East Main, Retail #3 www.lambshillbridalboutique.com (near the Dummy Light)
A happy bride takes home her gown from Lambs Hill, on the east end of Main Street. Step inside the shop to view their collection of gowns, as well as jewelry and other accessories for the day. Call (845) 765-2900 to schedule an appointment!
Firefly Yoga is hosting a Weekend Immersion with Yoga and Mindfulness teacher Kerry Armstrong. Workshops include:
Hearts & Hips Flow
Day: Friday, March 8, 2019 Time: 5:30 to 7 pm Price: $35 in advance, $40 at the door Location: Firefly Yoga, 992 Main St., Fishkill, NY Information >
Learn To Float - Inversion Workshop Day: Saturday, March 9, 2019 Time: 1 to 3 pm Price: $35 in advance, $40 at the door Location: Firefly Yoga, 992 Main St., Fishkill, NY Information >
Back Bending Workshop with Kerry Armstrong Day: Sunday, March 10, 2019 Time: 5:30 to 7:30 pm Price: $35 in advance, $40 at the door Location: Firefly Yoga, 992 Main St., Fishkill, NY Information >
For a full list of upcoming classes, classes during the week, and workshops of all kinds, visit our Adult Classes Guide.
Mixed Media Art - After School
Grades: Kindergarten-5th Days: Fridays, March 8 to April 5, 2019 Time: 4 to 5:30 pm Location: Compass Arts, 395 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
For a full list of upcoming classes, visit A Little Beacon Blog's Kids Classes Guide.
From Gate House Realty: “Clean and bright second-floor apartment in a beautiful Victorian home, in the heart of Cornwall on Hudson. Apartment has an updated bathroom, forced air, ductless A/C unit, new washer and dryer in unit, upgraded appliances and off-street parking for one car. A dog is welcome!”
PRICE: $1,200/month BEDROOMS: 1 BATHROOMS: 1 Real Estate Agent: Gate House Realty, (845) 831-9550 Details + Pictures >
2019 Parade of Green Grand Marshal Fred Antalek Shares His Fondest Beacon Memory - "Rowing Behind Rite Aid"
Born in 1937, Fred Antalek has been in Beacon with his business for a long time. We asked his daughter Susan for his fondest memory of Beacon. "When Fred was 10 years old, he used to row around in a boat on the street behind Rite Aid. This area was always flooded.” This prompted a look back on the blog as to why, which also gave us a glimpse into to the old department store, Schoonmaker's. Get the Full Story >
Private Social Media Training
Are you staring at your Instagram account, not knowing what to do? You see what others are posting, but can't think of one thing you could post that would represent your brand and bring you sales. The visual storytellers at Katie James, Inc. can help you change all that. Schedule A Session >
One Idea Is All It Takes To Get Featured By The Media
Do you dream of getting your business featured by the media? Are you trying to get the word out about a concept or movement? You can do this. It starts with the right idea. Learn More >
BeaconArts :: Open Studios
A Little Beacon Blog has just signed on as a proud sponsor of Beacon Open Studios! We are thrilled to support this project that gives an inside look at artists in Beacon. Reserve Your Spot as a Sponsor! >
A Little Beacon Space
A Little Beacon Blog's Space is available for private rentals for your meetings, workshops, client parties, or pop-ups. Located in the heart of Beacon at 291 Main Street (inside of the Telephone Building), meeting here is easy, cozy, and inspiring. $275 Half Day $485 Full Day $850 Pop-Up Shop Package See Pictures >
Beacon Chamber of Commerce Business Directory
Work with the Beacon Chamber of Commerce to throw a Ribbon-Cutting ceremony if you're new in town, or just opened. It's a great way to meet your neighbors and broadcast your business! Learn More >
MASTHEAD Producers of this newsletter include:
Katie Hellmuth Martin, Publisher, Writer, Designer, Photographer
Marilyn Perez, Managing Editor
Catherine Sweet, Editor of the Second Saturday Guide
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You’ve seen this face before - longtime Beacon resident and business owner Fred Antalek. Fred was born in 1937 and still works for his family business, Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency, coming to work “faithfully to keep everyone in check.” On Saturday, March 9, 2019, he’ll be bundling up along with everyone else to serve for his first time as the Grand Marshal in Beacon’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade of Green.
To find out how Fred feels about being this year’s Grand Marshal, we reached out to his daughter, Susan Antalek Pagones, who now runs the business with her partner Vince Lemma and their team of staff members. “Fred is quite honored about being the Grand Marshal this year,” Susan replied. “People ask if he is Irish… LOL, he is actually from the Gallagher family, so don’t be fooled!”
Fred’s Fondest Memory of Beacon
Schoonmaker’s, a department store in Beacon. Open from 1929 to 1960. Photo Credit: Beacon Historical Society
Our Beacon elders are filled with fond and important memories. We asked Susan for one of Fred’s: “When Fred was 10 years old, he used to row around in a boat on the street behind Rite Aid,” Susan recalled. That street is also the location of Antalek & Moore’s current Beacon office. “This area was always flooded.”
Flooded? “Yes,” said Fred. “Matteawan Brook is what constantly overflowed. This brook caused major flooding to the back of what is now Rite Aid and the intersection of Church and South Chestnut Street.” Before Rite Aid, the location was the home of Schoonmaker’s.
Schoonmaker's Department Store. Beacon had its first "modern" Department Store when Schoonmaker's opened its doors in the Christmas season of 1929. With "60 departments under one roof" (including "Toyland" in the basement), Schoonmaker's was the first stop for your Christmas shopping on Main Street. Later on, across the street at 341 Main, was the W.T. Grant store (Schoonmaker's biggest competitor), where you could even buy a live parakeet for Christmas! Like so many other good things in Beacon, Schoonmaker's and Grant’s were both gone by the late 1960s.
A map of Beacon from 1876, when the town was known as Fishkill on the Hudson. The Map shows the Matteawan stream.
UPDATE 3/9/2019: Since first publishing this article, a reader wrote in with a picture of a map of Beacon from 1876 when it was known as Fishkill on the Hudson. The stream is also on the 1867 map we covered earlier. The reader, Air Nonken Rhodes, is on the Resources Committee for Beacon, a new committee that is currently compiling all known natural resources in Beacon. Residents who live in that area still experience some flooding, so we asked Air about the stream as it is today:
“They buried the stream circa 1910 - scavenger hunt to find the plaque in Memorial Park commemorating that! The stream-burying was done rather poorly. It was especially challenging since it was swampy ground all around what’s now Rite Aid. That’s a big part of why the center section of Main Street wasn’t developed sooner and more fully. So, flooded basements still today, and not many historic buildings along there.”
More Beacon Business Trivia
Family businesses run deep in Beacon. Fred used to have his office on East Main Street, where Tiko’s Hair is now. “I remember it well,” recalled Susan. “I used to slide along the floor, where the large picture window is. playing with my toys. His sister Mary Ann worked for him.” In the late ’70s/early ’80s, Fred moved to 308 Main Street, where the Darrow Brothers used to have their clothing store. When Fred merged with Pat Moore, the business moved to 340 Main Street, Antalek & Moore’s current location. Fred’s mother worked at Gallagher’s Market, the current location of BAJA.
Continuing in her father’s footsteps, Susan has recently closed on the purchase of their building. She is one of Beacon’s newest female building owners. She’s got her eyes fixed on a new project on their roof involving a light. “We are trying to get the ‘beacon’ light on the roof - look for it the next time you pass by. I think that might be neat to find out the history of that.”
Stay tuned…
Antalek & Moore is a 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.
Main Street is getting even more shoppable as business owners invest in their websites so that locals - or out-of-towners who have never been here, yet - can easily shop a local store online to buy in advance and reserve at the shop for local pickup.
For La Mère Clothing and Goods, it may be easier for owner April’s clientele (who tend to be women, who sometimes need to have their children tagging along when out and about) to buy in the middle of the night as they are thumbing through La Mère’s very active Instagram feed. This way, April’s customer (or men who buy for partners or their home) has the option of buying something without bringing the whole family inside of the shop to complete the purchase of the coveted pink velvet ballet flats shown here. And yes, those are mine now, purchased on a Sunday night at 10:30 pm, picked up on a Friday morning while I was in the shop taking La Mère’s advertiser photo for our weekend Happening This Weekend newsletter.
Our sister design agency, Katie James, Inc. designed La Mère’s website and fashioned the Free Local Pickup option on the site. Whenever in the shop, I “shoot the shingle” (a term used over at my other training business, Tin Shingle) with most business owners about how business is going, what is working and not working. Turns out, when La Mère’s owner, April, told customers in the store that they could “buy an item online,” they took that to mean that she was giving them permission to go elsewhere and purchase it online, like at Amazon or something (I’m not a fan of Amazon for a myriad of reasons). Turns out, shoppers needed to be educated about La Mère’s own online shop, and that it was OK to shop local that way. The online store was the end result of the sale.
To let shoppers know about the online shopping feature, we came up with this official Local Pickup Pile in the store. April made a sign for it, and she may show it more to her customers via Instagram and a future newsletter to customers. Shoppers can select the Free Local Pickup option at checkout, and then come in when they can, and visit with April! I love getting these personalized pink Post-It notes on the bag!
Up Next:Knot Too Shabby on the other end of Main Street is in the final stages of website redesign for her shop. Stay tuned! There are LOADS of things you’ll find in her store other than the Annie Sloan furniture paint. Which is of course, everyone’s favorite.
PS: I had insider intel that these pink velvet ballet flats - which suddenly went on sale - were only available with one pair left in my size. You know what that means: midnight shopping for local shopping. 🛍
Editor’s Note: This article is a Sponsored Partner Post that A Little Beacon Blog did with Katie James, Inc., which is also part of A Little Beacon Blog and is also run by me - Katie (it’s like owning different restaurants that serve different food). This article a way to show you about our design and consulting services, but it made for a pretty good article regardless, don’t you think? ;) We can do these kind of editorial approved Partner Posts for your business as well. See our Media Kit for details, and reach out if you have a topic that might be appropriate.
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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.
