Happening This Weekend - 9/13/2019
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SECOND SATURDAY ART: See the art exhibit from the Beacon-based artist Catherine Welshman, in Darryl's now.
Kids + Bus Safety Is Crucial In First Days Of School - Antalek and Moore Gives Tips (Sponsored)
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The end of summer vacation comes too quickly and before you know it, it’s that time of year again! School buses are picking up children all around, parents are in a rush to drop their kids off without being late to work, and kids are on their bikes rushing to catch first period. “This can be a dangerous time because children - as well as drivers - are adjusting to back-to-school routines,” says Alex Epstein, director of Transportation Safety for the National Safety Council (NSC). Fortunately, Antalek & Moore has a few key tips to keep our community safe and happy:
BE PATIENT – STOP AND WAIT
Share the road with school buses. We know the first few days take a little longer to get the kids loaded, but be patient! Who doesn't love a good first day back-to-school picture with their kids waving from the bus?
KIDS IN MOST DANGER NEAR THEIR BUS
According to the National Safety Council, the most dangerous area for children is within 10 feet of their bus. Give them space to load and unload. This is especially true in the first few weeks of school as kids are excited and getting used to this year's routine.
If the bus has its lights on and its stop sign out - it is never safe to pass the bus. This applies to multiple lanes as well, so be aware when traveling on a road like Route 9 as school buses may be traveling in the opposite direction.
WATCH FOR KIDS WALKING TO SCHOOL
We have a good amount of our students who walk to and from school in Beacon. Please be aware of them, especially in a school zone. Be sure to follow posted speed limits, avoid blocking crosswalks when stopped, and keep an eye out for crossing guards.
Many children nationwide begin and end their days with a trip to and from school, whether that’s by bus, walking or biking. By exercising a little extra care and caution, we can create a happy and safe school zone. Wishing all Beacon City School District students, a happy and safe 2019-2020 school year!
How To Participate In The Spirit Of Beacon Day Parade - As A Marcher Or Table
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A few readers have written in with questions about how to participate in the Spirit of Beacon Day Parade and street celebration. The parade is always on the last Sunday in September, which this year is September 29, and runs from Wolcott Ave./Polhill Park at the beginning of Main Street (near Bank Square) all the way to Tioranda Avenue (just past the Howland Cultural Center). Participants in the parade usually include the Beacon city schools, nonprofits, businesses, and others.
Learn more about the Spirit of Beacon Day here in our article about the new leadership, as well as the event’s history.
After the parade, people return to the middle of Main Street to enjoy the tables set up by different groups to come together with the community. If you are thinking of marching/rolling in the parade, or if you want a table, here are some guidelines from the Spirit of Beacon Day Committee, as posted on their new website:
Who Can Register For A Table At The Event?
Local nonprofits, community groups, schools, churches and Main Street businesses. Space is limited: The nonprofit groups get registered first (since this has been the tradition), and additional spaces will be available to Main Street businesses.
How To Register For A Table
1) Local nonprofits, community groups, schools and churches register first, during July/August. If you would like to register your community organization, contact spiritofbeacon@gmail.com.
2) Any additional spaces available after August are offered to Main Street businesses on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact spiritofbeacon@gmail.com.
Who Marches In The Parade?
Local schools, churches, not-for-profit organizations, veterans, community groups, local businesses, Beacon’s City Council and first responders (like police, firefighters, etc).
How To Participate In The Parade As A Marcher
A registration letter is sent out in July and will be also available online. Contact spiritofbeacon@gmail.com.
Spirit Of Beacon Photo Exhibit At Howland Public Library
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Over 30 people submitted the best of their Beacon photos to the second annual Spirit of Beacon Photo Exhibit, produced by the The Howland Public Library (HPL) and the Spirit of Beacon Day Committee. The artistic challenge was to find the best photo that captures the essence of the "Spirit of Beacon." Is it the people, the connection to the river, the historical buildings, the beautiful mountains, all of the above, or something else?
The photos have been chosen and will be on display starting opening night, (Second) Saturday, September 14, from 5 to 7 pm. The exhibit, curated by Michelle Rivas and Jennifer Blakeslee, will be on display through Sunday, October 6.
Stop by the library on opening night to see the annual community “portrait” of the City of Beacon.
The Howland Public Library is centrally located at 313 Main Street in Beacon, NY. For more information, go to beaconlibrary.org.
Photo by Cindy Gould
Photo by Jennifer Blakeslee
Photo by Dylan Wood
Photo by Kevin Bertholf
Photo by Bill Winter
Photo by Rick Rogers
Photo by Carolyn Glauda
Photo by Kelly Ellenwood
Photo by Cynthia Careccia
Photo Uncredited
Photo by Philomena Kiernan
Photo by Ross Corsair
Yes, There Is A Kids Halloween Parade In Beacon And It's...
/You all are getting ready for Halloween already, and are writing in to ask us if there is a Kids Halloween Parade this year. Yes, there is! Always check A Little Beacon Blog’s Events Calendar for yearly events.
The Kids Halloween Parade will be Sunday, October 27, 2019. We are getting details on this year’s start time and parade route. As of now, it is the same day as the rain date for the Beacon Car Show, which is Sunday, October 20. Hopefully the weather will be great that day, with no need for a rain date.
Read more about what to expect from this Halloween Parade in our article about it.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY: Face Painters Wanted For Spirit Of Beacon Day
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The Spirit of Beacon Day Committee is seeking volunteer face painters to give one hour of their day to being a face painter for kids between the hours of 12 pm and 4 pm. Supplies and training/orientation will be provided.
The Spirit of Beacon Day is Sunday, September 29, with a rain date of October 6, 2019.
Do you enjoy working with kids and paint? Sign up!
If you’re interested in volunteering, please email: spiritofbeacon@gmail.com.
Happening This Weekend - 9/6/2019
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9/11: Beacon's "We Will Never Forget" Memorial Ceremony
New Stop Sign For Elm and Oak Streets, Making It A Four-Way Stop In The Land Of One-Way Streets
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The intersection of Elm and Oak Streets is about to get a fourth stop sign, after a unanimous vote by Beacon’s City Council this week (9/3/2019), completing this intersection as a four-way stop. Located in a neighborhood featuring several one-way streets and hedges that swell into the sidewalk, peeking around the corner to see who is coming or zooming through can be difficult.
Several intersections in this area of town, which generally stretches from behind Rite Aid to Max’s on Main, do not have four-way stops. Knowing whether you need to come to a complete stop is not obvious, as sometimes there is no stop sign where you think there would be one, causing the driver to slow down, which might cause the opposite driver at the actual stop sign to consider going. It’s just all confusing.
Note to selves: Let this stop sign installation be an inspiration to moving forward with your dreams of encouraging improvements on streets around you. If you wish something were so, go on down to a City Council meeting and ask for it - with logic informing you and in a gentle tone (some folks can be quite feisty, but kindness helps… You also might start by emailing your council representative). For instance, there are vanishing sidewalks and crosswalks to nowhere at Verplanck and Willow Street, making crossing safely at any of the four corners unsafe, and actually impossible if you are rolling in a wheelchair or pushing a stroller.
Electric wheelchair traffic is common in Beacon. Broken or non-existent sidewalks are a barrier to travel, leaving lots of pedestrians and electric rollers to travel in the street.
Mayor Issues Warning About Aggressive Driving In Beacon - Police Are Ticketing!
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During a recent City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 3, Mayor Casale issued a warning to everyone driving that the police are out looking for aggressive driving, and are ready to give tickets. During their meetings this summer, the City Council has been talking about parking issues, possibilities of bike lanes, and traffic congestion in general.
“Police have been on Main Street to watch for this aggressive driving. I sat in a storefront and saw seven U-turns. This is your warning. If you get a ticket, don't call me. Be aware of the law.”
As Main Street fills up with vehicle traffic from tourists and locals, so has reckless driving, especially as the weekend approaches. Illegal U-turns are commonplace, passing on the double yellow line while a car is parking is becoming normal (it’s not legal and is super dangerous… it’s easy to flatten a pedestrian you don’t see crossing while a car is parallel parking), young kids on bikes are doing wheelies while taunting traffic, and other mischievous fun.
The double yellow lines just started getting their seasonal repaint job this week, as announced by the City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero.
Exit 11… No, Wait… Exit 41…? Where Am I? Beacon Exit on I-84 Changes To 41
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The story first broke on Brian PJ Cronin’s Instagram, when he teased out that Beacon’s iconic Exit 11 had changed numbers to be Exit 41. It was part of an article he was working on to be published later that week in print in the Highlands Current newspaper.
According to his reporting, the State Department of Transportation initiated the number change to give it some logic (if you know the relevance of 11, chime in in the comments below). The exits on I-84 now correspond to how far away the exit is from the Pennsylvania border. Beacon is apparently 41 miles, and Fishkill, with its new exit number, is 44.
As you are driving, and you pass Exit 41 and expect to see Exit 42 - well, you won’t. The numbers only go by the mileage. Not being highway experts, and not having inquired yet with the state highway department, we’re not sure that a regular driver would get the relevance of 41 to 44. Do all exits work this way? We hadn’t really thought about it, but will now pay attention to the numbering systems while on the road in different states.
Exit 11 had been commemorated years ago by the owners of Mountain Tops Outfitters with a line of sweatshirts and T-shirts with “Exit 11” proudly printed on them. They produced the T-shirts even before opening their shop. Will they stop printing the gear? According to Brian’s article, quoting Katy Behney, co-owner of the store, they will continue. “It helps define everyone who arrived in Beacon prior to now. We’re the Exit 11 generation.”
There is a reference used in Beacon that we don’t use here on the blog: “old Beacon” and “new Beacon.” It’s become at times a contentious label, so we don’t encourage it. Further, it’s not clearly defined. We have had people refer to themselves as “old Beacon” after moving here 10 years ago. I moved here 10 years ago, and I’d never apply that label to me! I was thinking 30 years was the minimum to be “old Beacon.”
As for the exit, however, “old” has been declared on the sign itself with a helpful hint underneath: “Exit 41 (old exit 11).” So there is certainty in Exit 11!
The original Exit 11 has been thrown to the ground and not yet taken away. Nature has slowly started creeping over the sign, swallowing it into the earth.
Sniff sniff. Long live Exit 11. Respect to the new Exit 41 and the logic it’s trying to promote.
Happening This Weekend 8/30/2019
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Artifact Beacon and Wares Closing Forever This Weekend - BUT…
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Don't freak out just yet over that headline: It’s true, two of your favorite artisan stores on the east end of Beacon near the mountain are closing this weekend, BUT they will be re-opening together later in September. Meanwhile, this weekend is your last chance to shop in each of their stores as they currently exist, so hurry in, and take advantage of 20% off at Artifact and Wares. Big sales!!
HIT UP THESE SALES LABOR DAY WEEKEND:
Help a little boutique (or two) out! Buy their stuff!
Artifact Beacon: 17 East Main Street (down the street/hill from Dogwood)
Wares: 2 Tioronda Avenue (the cute little house near the silos, just off Main Street)
Artifact and Wares Are Merging Into One Shop - On Main Street
Both shops were on the fringe of Main Street, situated as they were on East Main and Tioronda. Not being on Main Street isn’t the worst thing, but on the east end of Main Street near the mountain, it can be hard to feel a rush of foot traffic. So keep walking, people! Some of the cutest shops, galleries and eateries are located down here.
Artifact and Wares are merging into one shop to be located at 484 Main Street (the former Waddle n Swaddle spot, near the new yoga studio), and will be called Hyperbole. This new store brings together the owners Carolyn Baccaro, of Artifact, and her good friend Andrea Podob, of Wares. Says Carolyn: “Together, we're creating a unique shopping experience that connects independent, [thoughtful] artists with stylish and discerning customers like YOU.” Look for jewelry, art, clothing, vintage finds, and more at the new Hyperbole.
Fans of both shops are being directed to follow Artifact’s Instagram page, which will convert over to the new Hyperbole.
The former space of Artifact will be filled by new store owners, who are plotting their arrival as we speak.
Time to update A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide!
Drive-In Movie Theaters Still Open This Summer Through September!
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Sunny days are storming into cool nights as summer seeps into September. School will soon begin, work schedules will fill up, weekend plans may be a little harder to make. Drive-in movie theaters provide an easygoing mode of entertainment to ease the transition of summer break into a fall state of mind, especially since most theaters are open rain or shine until mid-September. If you are looking for an evening of nostalgia from the glow of the silver screen, a whimsical summer night with starry lights and blankets on the plush grass, or a breezy family night, cruise around the Hudson Valley to spend an evening at one of these eight locations before summer slips away.
Overlook Drive-In
Poughkeepsie, 30 minutes, 18 miles from Beacon
Photo credit: overlook drive-in
Located in Poughkeepsie, Overlook Drive-In proudly offers a screen about the size of a six-story building, the largest in the tri-state area. Opened in 1955, Overlook hosts 750 cars to view their double-feature movies. Classic movie theater snacks such as popcorn and candy are sold here, along with pizza, hot dogs, and burgers. In addition to the massive screen, the freshly made funnel cakes set Overlook apart from the other drive-in movie theaters. Adults pay $10, children ages 5-11 pay $7, and kids under 5 are free. If you are able to make it to Monday Bargain night, everyone pays $7 for a ticket.
Hyde Park Drive-In
Hyde Park, 35 minutes, 21 miles from Beacon
photo credit: hyde park drive-thru
If you are looking for a simple setting, this is the place. Hyde Park Drive-In consistently screens recent releases, accommodates around 670 cars in this pet-friendly location, and offers fried dough and cappuccinos, in addition to fast food and theater snacks. Bargain night is Tuesday night, when all tickets are at times reduced to $7.
Four Brothers Drive-In
Amenia, 50 minutes, 45 miles from Beacon
photo credit: four brothers drive-in
Established in 2014, this ’60s themed drive-in provides a modern yet whimsical aesthetic. General admission is set at $11, seniors pay $8, children 5-10 pay $6, and children under 5 are free. Four Brothers has a playground, mini-golf course and a hotel on site. Movies are centered around family-friendly content, ranging from comedy to drama, with the occasional cultural indie film. Their grounds boast a lively atmosphere, a wheelchair accessible park, and a communal litter box for the welcomed pets. The elaborate menu goes beyond the classics and dives into innovative, including hand-spun shakes with flavors such as baklava or wine, grilled burgers that go beyond beef to include salmon or veggie options, and paw treats for pets. I could probably write a separate piece on the menu alone.
Warwick Drive-In
Warwick (Orange County), 50 minutes, 41 miles from Beacon
photo credit: warwick drive-in
Open seven nights a week with three screens, this rustic setting plays recent releases. First opened in 1950, this drive-in serves usual theater snacks and fast food, most notably their popcorn chicken. Adults ages 12 and up pay $12, children 4-11 and seniors are $8, and children under 4 are free.
Hi-Way Drive-In
Coxsackie (Greene County), 1 hour, 68 miles from Beacon
photo credit: hi-way drive-in
Open seven nights a week since 1951, four screens showcase a different double feature every night. Offering only a classic snack bar, this location plays recent releases. Admission is set at $10 for adults, $5 for children 3-11, and free for kids under 3.
Greenville Drive-In & Beer Garden
Greenville (Greene County), 1 hour 18 minutes, 77 miles from Beacon
photo credit: greenville drive-in & beer garden
In business since 1959, this drive-in leans toward playing independent films, shorts, community works and the occasional classic. Locally produced beer, wine, and spirits are served here. Occasionally, drinks are coordinated to theme with the scheduled film, such as a kryptonite drink for the Superman movie. Outdoor seating provides a stage for live music, and the snack bar includes potato skins, ice cream and locally made popsicles.
Hollywood Drive-In
Averill Park (Rensselaer County), 1 hour 41 minutes, 102 miles from Beacon
Photo Credit: Hollywood Drive-In
Look out for random free passes at the bottom of your popcorn boxes at this charming drive-in. First opened in 1952, the Hollywood Drive-In plays a double feature seven nights a week. Crunch on nachos and pizza as recent Hollywood releases flicker across the silver screen. General admission for adults is $10, kids pay $5.
Jericho Drive-In
Glenmont (Albany County), 1 hour 25 minutes, 87 miles from Beacon
Photo Credit: Jericho Drive-In
Jericho Drive-In provides an old-time feel but plays recent releases. Pets are welcome - bring your pup on Sundays after 6 pm to receive a free Doggie Vanilla treat. An on-site ice cream shop sells fun flavors such as s'mores or Raspberry Rumble, a heavenly blend of raspberry swirls and truffles. Classic snacks and fast food are available, ranging from mozzarella sticks to popcorn and slushies. Adults pay $10, kids $5. Oh, and be sure to save your ticket stubs for a prize at the door!
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Trade Us A Plastic Bag For An ALBB Tote Bag At Back To School Block Party
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This Saturday is the 5th Annual Back To School Block Party and School Supply Drive from I Am Beacon, in partnership with Key Food at the South Avenue Park, just up the hill from the basketball courts and Beacon Dental. There will be games, food, music, and basketball!
A Little Beacon Blog will also be there, and wants to trade you one of our tote bags for a plastic bag! While supplies last (we have 19!), you can have a free tote bag when you bring one plastic bag. One tote bag per person. We’ll collect the plastic bags and stuff them into the plastic bag collection bin at Key Food.
Plastic bags don’t go into home recycling cans because they float around the recycling center and get into the machines, causing major problems. Start carrying a collection of totes, and skip the plastic bag - from anywhere! It’s a tricky habit to start when you’re in a restaurant or a store, and pulling out a tote bag isn’t commonplace. Or if you’re in Walmart with those rotating wheels of plastic bags. But give it a try!
Free tote bags for the first 19 plastic bag trades, and then we’ll have them on sale for $10 (normally $18 on this website).
See you soon!
A Little Beacon Blog
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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.