Skipping ahead on the episode release, this is one of our longer podcasts, but it needed to be in full length so that you could hear how everything works before settling into a decision. Normally topics like this are glossed over, but this current time period is creating space for once dismissed situations to be looked at a second time.
This podcast features Reuben Simmons, a Beaconite who had a job position for a year, and then didn’t. The reasons why are presented in this podcast, and outlined in an article on “Wait, What Is That?”
The inspiration for A Little Beacon Blog came from not knowing about things in Beacon. Could be the timing of a Spring Egg Hunt, or it could be why the Spirit of Beacon Day started (answer: after youth inspired racial riots decades ago!).
As the City of Beacon began growing with development of apartment buildings, a reader lamented one day: "A Little Beacon Blog isn't going to be so little anymore." And here's the truth: A Little Beacon Blog has the word "little" in it for 2 reasons:
1. The assumption was that there would be a lot of blogs about Beacon. Turns out, that manifested in the form of Instagram accounts, which are awesome.
2. ALBB always focuses on the little details. Could be a rose, could be a tree, could be an honoree, could be a bench, could a wrench.
In The Beginning...
At the beginning of the pandemic, people starting recording more videos. Disconnect people from each other, and we break out of comfort zones into new mediums in order to connect. This happened at A Little Beacon Blog too, in the form of a podcast. We set up a studio in Katie's shed, which is ventilated with 2 doors, a fan and an air conditioner, and we wear masks during interviews. Plexiglass is next.
About The Co-Hosts...
Brandon Lillard is the co-host of this podcast, and the recording producer. Raised in the City of Beacon, some of you may remember him from that time he attended Beacon High School and created a character for himself: Mr. Beacon High. This was his way of working with many different people. Brandon went on to become a community organizer, youth mentor and podcast producer with Youth Podcast Program, and is a board member for I Am Beacon. Brandon had nudged ALBB's publisher Katie for a while (ok, 5 years) to start a podcast. When in a pandemic, she said yes.
We are so excited to announce to you today the start of the podcast extension of A Little Beacon Blog, called "Wait, What Is That?" It's a podcast dedicated to finding out the answers behind simple and hard questions. Sometimes during our interviews, we discover more questions, and pursue new topics to dig deeper. This could be about donuts made in Connecticut but named after Brooklyn, or the Federal Investigation of the Beacon Police Department many years ago.
We have 5 episodes to start you out with. Do carve the time out of your day during your commute to nowhere, or your gardening time, or your outdoor fitness time.
Many of these episodes will serve you well in your homework for issues going on right now in Beacon.
EPISODE 1: The Beginning Brandon and Katie record their first podcast. Not sure what they were going to talk about. And then Brandon brought the Brooklyn Baking Company Donuts. Which are from Connecticut. And go…
EPISODE 2: Let's Do This Because sometimes you just need a cup of coffee and a Popsicle. In discovering their voices, Brandon and Katie take a deep dive into that house on the corner of Cross Street that is a storefront window. Brandon remembers when it was a deli and he went there daily on his way to and from the old Beacon High School.
EPISODE 3: Former Mayor Randy Casale Well HELLO. Our first interview is with the former Mayor of Beacon for 2 terms: Randy Casale. A born and bread Beaconite who knows everything about everything Beacon. Everything.
We interviewed Randy when he was fresh out of his political silence, during the debate about his stepson's bench and if it should be removed or moved. The original interview was 3 hours.
At the recommendation of his attorney, the podcast was edited down to 39 minutes. The bench issue has been settled for now, so he did not want to reignite.
We talk to him about his experience with the Beacon Police Department, his insistence on and fight for body cameras, and the Federal Investigation of the Beacon PD years ago.
He also discusses with us about the demotion of a Highway Superintendent, Reuben Simmons, who was demoted back down to a worker position, how a mysterious letter dis-crediting Reuben was hand-delivered to a council person's porch, how Civil Service rules worked to legally let it all happen, and if the City of Beacon had an opportunity to keep Reuben in his job, but did not take that route. Even though Randy voted for the appointment of the current Highway Superintendent, Randy said Reuben having the position be taken from him was one of his biggest regrets.
EPISODE 4: Mayor Lee Kyriacou BAM. Our next interview was with current Mayor Lee Kyriacou. During Randy’s interview, and during the 1st biggest BLM protest in Beacon, we learned that Lee spearheaded the look-see into Beacon’s Police Department in the early 2000s, which resulted in a Federal Investigation. We wanted to learn more about that.
EPISODE 5: Reuben Simmons Following up on what we learned earlier, we interviewed Reuben about how and why he no longer has the position of Highway Superintendent, after 1 year of serving in it. Katie worked with Reuben when he created the Rock Out For Mental Health music event last year. Many service agencies came together at one community event, which impacted a lot of people.
When Katie wrote the article about Reuben's inspiration for the event, she went to confirm his job title, which had been Highway Superintendent. Reuben worked for the Highway Department since 2002, and she was proud of his promotion. But LinkedIn showed a job descension: where he once was the Highway Superintendent, he was now Maintenance Worker. What happened?
Reuben couldn't answer at the time, as he was filing a complaint about the experience. One year later, at the first BLM sound stage, Reuben spoke out about it. Reuben walks us through the chess match of Civil Service rules which determine how a city can hire, fire, demote, and discipline employees.
Reuben says he did not know about the mystery letter until much later. A Little Beacon Blog has a copy of it, and published it with this podcast so that you can read it. Additionally, we have published the City Council Meeting from February 2019 where each City Council Member voted to appoint Reuben's co-worker to the job under a technicality. During that meeting, many from the Highway Department were in the audience (except for the 3 Black workers in the Highway Department, including Reuben, who say they were not told about the date of the appointment). The staff from the Highway Department can be heard hooting and hollering during the vote. Many on the Council laughed with them.
Reuben continues his work every day for the City, but has this to say on why he speaks out now: "I have experienced unfair treatment, harassment, and retaliation in the Highway Department that has continued after my efforts to bring a number of issues to the attention of city management and leadership. I share my story as a response to the many narratives and rumors spread by childish individuals and because I don’t want it happening to anyone else."
The letter, the public City Council meeting with the laughter, and a timeline of events have been published with this podcast. A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the City Administrator for confirmation of the timeline, and was responded to with an invitation to talk to the City's labor lawyer. While we don't need a conversation, we are awaiting an email response to our questions.
If you're following Police news with any hiring of positions, you'll want to listen to this podcast to get familiar with Civil Service chess. If you want to learn about how someone gets safely removed from a job without legal ramifications, you'll want to listen to this podcast.
EPISODE 6: Ali T. Muhammad Ali T. Muhammad was born and raised in Beacon, NY, walking every day down a literal pathway between prison and public school, as his home was on the grounds. He walked the “school to prison pipeline” (and tells us about what that means on this podcast). His father was incarcerated for 12 years, and upon getting released, became the Chaplin for Fishkill Correctional Facility. Ali’s mother was a teacher at Rombout Middle School (and was Brandon’s teacher!).
Ali lived the life of a Black youth in Beacon, and continues to as a Black man in America. As a way to keep himself occupied and on a straight path, he began getting involved with local politics, getting elected as a Council Member for Ward 4 at an early age.
Ali served on Beacon's City Council years ago, and after a period bucking his own Democratic party, wasn't elected back. He was known to stay focused on issues of inequality for Black and poor communities, but was often dismissed. His concerns are coming back to make sense now to more people during this racial revolution. Katie and Brandon talk to Ali about those issues, including how to build a WeePlay Tot Park at Davies Terrace and other low income housing projects that are owned by private, large, wealthy real estate companies. Lots of times kids in the low income housing projects don't have access to transportation to get to city parks, and depend on taxis to get to the Beacon Pool - if they can afford the ride. We discuss this and more.
Next Up: We interview Katie's son, Cole, who wanted to talk about his feelings upon hearing that Paw Patrol might be canceled, and then fact checking the White House who in late July said it was canceled, but was in fact not. Cole tells us what he values about Paw Patrol.
Then: We'll meet our sometimes 3rd co-host, Blake Daniel Leslie, a musician, artist, actor and podcaster. And Brandon's best friend. You might recognize Blake from his days with the cover-band Skin and Bones who used to play around town.
And a few more: We have a few more interviews on deck. We interview on Wednesdays, and will release as they are produced.
Not gonna lie, Fam, it was a little hard to get out of bed today what with all of the news going on. But you know what today is around here...it's Friday, which is the day for the Retail Therapy edition of the blog. After reading the harrowing experience of our media friend Chip Rowe of the Highlands Current barely be able to publish their weekly edition of the paper due to the power and Internet outage (can't wait to pick up a copy to see their storm photos), every day becomes that much more important to just. keep. trying.
Sometimes these Friday newsletters arrive into your inbox in the evening for you because we pack in a few new articles for you. We've woven them in below. See if you can find them!
Please Welcome As New Sponsors... La Mere Clothing and Goods! Girls Girls Girls...La Mere is open for in-person shopping, walk-in style. You can go in and out, but you have a lot to styles to find inside. New inventory arrives regularly, and includes home goods like this charging crystal, and to come: a girls section for clothing and style.
A Little Beacon Blog is accepting long-term sponsors for the Second Saturday Guide. Please contact us if interested.
Written and Edited By: Catherine Sweet
It's Second Saturday This Weekend! But...
RiverWinds Gallery - Beacon's Longest Running Gallery - Is Closing.
This is major news. Expect a video in our InstaStories with a sobbing emoji. RiverWinds opened in Beacon 17 years ago when a handful of artists shared a vision. Their story is here in this feature article. They cite the pandemic as the reason for their closure. Their "Everything Must Go" sale is now. Every day. Until August 31, 2020. Buy Something >
Ed Benavente (and others) At Marion Royael Gallery
Stick a fork in him? Not yet. Not ever. Local Beaconite Ed Benavente is popping up in Marion Royael after taking down some of his longstanding sculptures around town. You may remember the hammer people at Brett's Hardware, and other pieces that have been acquired to stay in place. See what else Marion Royael has in store for you. Browse >
Clutter's 3 New Shows - Color!
Clutter's three new shows opening include "They Came From Planet Rainbow Sparkle", the 4th edition of this show in which 5 dozen artists are each assigned a color to create a piece, then more than 100 pieces are arranged within the Clutter Gallery, by color. They create this sort of rainbow spectrum of whimsy. Catch the Rainbow >
Bau
Following last month's fundraiser, Bau opens with the always lovely work of Carla Goldberg in the Main Gallery.
Continuing Shows:
- Parts & Labor - It's the last weekend to see My Way, quilts from a historic community in Alabama that show big geometry and vibrant colors.
- Mother Gallery
- No. 3 Reading Room
16th Annual ReePlay Sale
Dates: Saturday, August 8 Time: 12pm-4pm Location: University Settlement Camp Theater (Beacon Pool entrance/9D, Beacon) Hot Tip: No car? Take the free bus! The blue G Line Bus includes the Settlement Camp in its route. It follows the train schedule. Learn more here.
One more day has been added! Saturday is 75% off day. Information >
Beacon4Black Lives Protest
Day: Saturday, August 8, 2020 Location: Polhill Park Time: 5:00pm Gather for Sign Making;
5:30pm March
5:55pm Memorial Park (Free Smoothies!)
6:10pm Program Begins
7pm: Decora
From the organizers: "Come out and celebrate Black lives as we continue to demand justice within our community. Wear masks. Social distance. Celebrate Black lives." Information >
Beacon's Summer Concerts In The Park
Day: Tuesdays, August 4, 2020 Time: 5-5:45pm Location: Performances at Pete And Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park. Information >
Fishkill's Summer Concerts In The Park
Day: Wednesday, August 5, 2020 Time: 6:30pm Location: Mauer-Geering Park located off Geering Way in Fishkill Information >
Beacon Public Library Is OPEN!
Day/Time: Reduced hours to start Location: 313 Main Street, Beacon, NY
The library is open for limited in-person checkout, computer use, and limited Childrens Room browsing. We have all the details for you. Information >
EAT CHURCH
511 Fishkill Avenue, Beacon
Hey Vegetarians! This taco is for you! Sizzling now in Eat Church's Test Kitchen. They are on fire in that food truck, to return soon to the Industrial Arts Brewery parking lot. Stalk Them On Instagram > Eat Church is an ALBB Sponsor!
BAJA 328
328 Main Street, Beacon
So many margaritas to choose from, so little time! Step out this weekend and enjoy their large, high end, selection of tequilla from Baja 328. Tuesday - Thursday: 4-9pm Friday - Saturday: 12pm-10pm Sunday: 12pm-8pm Follow on Instagram > Baja 328 is an ALBB Sponsor!
MEYERS OLD DUTCH
184 Main Street, Beacon
Last weekend when the Internet went out in Beacon, Meyers Old Dutch kept piling it on with the burgers. They might have had 19 missed calls, but they pulled through! If the Internet goes out again in Beacon, Tropical Storm or not, get yourself down there and place your order in person. Old fashioned-style. More > Meyers Old Dutch is an ALBB Sponsor!
HOMESPUN
232 Main Street, Beacon
Last week we featured the back patio of Homespun. This week we're featuring the front parklet! They are always changing it up over there on that foodie strip of Beacon. This blue strip of flooring is unique to Homespun. We have seen green putting carpet at Max's, wood paneling at Ziatun and Wonderbar. For a delightful afternoon or evening of wine sipping with a meal, Homespun is your destination. And while you're there, read their feature in the Wall Street Journal! Yes. The WSJ reached out to them to feature what they have been doing to make seismic shifts during the pandemic. More > Homespun is an ALBB Sponsor!
LUXE OPTIQUE
181-183 Main Street, Beacon
They're back! Walk-ins are now welcome in Luxe Optique, though you can always make an appointment if you're going to have longer browsing needs for specialty styles. And say hello to the new stylist, Crissy! She found her new job at Luxe Optique through the Little Beacon Blog job listing. Welcome! Go Shopping > Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!
BINNACLE BOOKS
321 Main Street, Beacon
Every so often, you'll see a call for sponsorship of a single book for a prisoner. It's the Prison Books Project that Binnacle Books started, and it's growing in popularity. We got the scoop from Binnacle Books on how it works, and why it might be growing in popularity. Read all about it here! "There are approximately 1,700 people incarcerated at Fishkill Correctional, which is in the City of Beacon. Between 200 and 250 of those people are in solitary confinement at any given time. Incidentally, people in solitary confinement can and do request books from us. According to one person who is currently in solitary, reading is one of the only things he can do to keep himself occupied. We sent him a bunch of books." Read The Article > Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
LEWIS & PINE
133 Main Street, Beacon
Every summer arm needs a delicate bracelet. You only have a few weeks longer of summer and your sun-kissed skin. The twig-cast bracelet from Lewis and Pine is good for all seasons, and one that you'll enjoy now if you love wearing nature on your arm. Pictured below is the sage leaf necklace. Both are cast in sterling silver. Open on the weekends, or... Shop Online! > Lewis & Pine is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
LA MERE CLOTHING AND GOODS
436 Main Street, Beacon
La Mere has one of the most active Instagrams of all of the boutiques in Beacon. Many look to her for inspiration, both in digital marketing ideas, but in woman to woman. In this post, owner April shows the behind-the-scenes of styling this photo for her gram. Swipe Left! > Lewis & Pine is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
ANTALEK & MOORE
340 Main Street, Beacon
Moving into a new house? Get these super easy moving tips to prepare you 30 days out. Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency wants you to watch these tips from Travelers Insurance as you prepare to move. And then call Antalek & Moore for your homeowners insurance needs. Get These Tips > Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!
TIN SHINGLE
You've seen the challenge. You may have participated. The beautiful black and white photos of women, in the name of supporting women. But why this challenge? Why now? Because it is a revived trend of a challenge that the media is saying originated in Brazil, and now is in the name of Turkey - for women who are murdered by their spouses, boyfriends and other domestic violence results. The black and white represents life being snuffed out of color. If you jumped in too fast on this challenge, and didn't use the hashtags that support femicide going on in Turkey, or domestic abuse increases in the US due to COVID, then listen to Tin Shingle's TuneUp webinar on what to do when social media challenges come around. For instance: what did you do on Blackout Tuesday? Learn More >
Luxe Optique Is Hiring Private Airbnb Manager For Apartments
The owners of Luxe Optique own their building with 4 apartments above the storefront. These have been redesigned and include washers/dryers for the short term rental market using Airbnb’s platform. Job Details >
Luxe Optique Is Hiring Cleaner of Airbnb Apartments
Luxe Optique is hiring a regular cleaning person or service to clean 4 apartments between Airbnb guests. Job Details >
August 2020 continues the return, kind of, of Second Saturday. Eight venues have in-person openings, whether on windows or in very strictly spaced indoors. Clockwise from top right: Nancy Woogen in the Howland Cultural Center’s annual member-artist show; Carla Goldberg’s FIZZ at Bau Gallery; Slippage as Form, works by Edwin Torres in the storefront windows of No.3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works; one of Karl LaLonde’s trees paintings at RiverWinds Gallery, who will close at the end of this month; and a creature from They Came From Planet Rainbow Sparkles at Clutter Gallery, one of three shows opening there.
It’s Second Saturday, and more galleries around town are tiptoeing into holding in-person events. Last month, five Beacon venues celebrated (re)opening with live indoor events, and this month it looks like we’re up to eight (Dia, Clutter, RiverWinds, Marion Royael, Bau, Howland Cultural Center, Mother, Parts & Labor), as well as the big windows installation at No. 3 Reading Room and Photo Book Works. If you do head out to Main Street, please, please follow each gallery’s rules about masks and distancing.
While galleries were closed, we focused on online exhibitions, social justice/protest art (there’s another protest and evening of action in Beacon), and taking care of the general health of those close to us. But if you plan to keep staying home, local galleries (especially Dia, Mother, and Clutter) are offering lots of digital alternatives to explore. We've got it all covered in Beacon’s most comprehensive Art Gallery Guide.
The biggest news this month is the impending closure of RiverWinds Gallery, Beacon’s longest-running gallery highlighting dozens of Hudson Valley artists over 17 years. See our writeup of the gallery and its backstory in our article here.
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, where you’ll find not just rotating exhibits, but cool collections of handmade books that the public is encouraged to peruse. Owner Paulette Myers-Rich has found new veins of creativity, coming up with ways to engage readers and consumers of art via her storefront windows.
While you're out and about doing Second Saturday, stop by our sponsors and support the businesses who support us! You too can become a sponsor at any time.
The Prison Books Project is an initiative from Binnacle Books, here on Main Street in Beacon. Launched in early 2020 with a bunch of postcards blasting into prisons in New York State prison facilities, Binnacle Books has been getting requests in and sending the books back out. Who buys the books for the prisons? You do! Anyone can be a sponsor. It’s a great way to give in a specific way.
The Prison Books Project is an outgrowth of the Beacon Prison Rides Project, which is a free way for people to be driven to visit their loved ones in jail from the Beacon train station stop. A Little Beacon Blog interviewed Mark Trecka of Binnacle Books to see inside of the project a bit more. Mark was published in the Rivernewsroom describing the intricate requirements of visiting a prisoner, and how much can go wrong to prevent a visit (like your own wardrobe violation).
ALBB: How do the imprisoned people make requests?
The basic principle is that we distribute postcards into New York State prison facilities, and then incarcerated people use them (or send letters or emails) to request books. We then acquire the books via one of several channels, whether it's Binnacle's distributor or Binnacle's shelves or we put a query out on Instagram. If the books were not donated, we post them on the Binnacle Instagram and then Binnacle's customers / followers sponsor them, title by title. The books are then mailed directly to the person who made the request.
ALBB: What are they thinking about? What kinds of requests come in? Do they know what books they want? Or do they want a subject, like “I want to learn accounting” or “I want a biography of someone”?
“There are approximately 1,700 people incarcerated at Fishkill Correctional, which is in the City of Beacon. Between 200 and 250 of those people are in solitary confinement at any given time. Incidentally, people in solitary confinement can and do request books from us.”
— Mark Trecka, Binnacle Books
Folks have requested all kinds of books. Sometimes the request is very specific, by title, or they might request anything by a particular author. Fiction, poetry, non-fiction, comic books, academic books. We also certainly get requests for subjects, yes like accounting or finance, abnormal psychology. Sometimes we'll get a request for a book that we can't source and then we send other books that we think they might like, always encouraging the person to pass the books along. Some examples of requests: "a biography of someone who made it out of prison," "a book on how to speak Creole," Shook One by Charlamagne Tha God, Black's Law Dictionary, Haiti: A Slave Revolution, "a book of love poems."
ALBB: Has there been an increase in requests since visitation has been banned due to the pandemic?
There has been an increase in requests lately, but actually it's a bit hard to say if it's directly related to visitation suspension or if the project has just been gathering steam. Regardless, we feel that it is deeply important to acknowledge and support the nearly 6,000 people who are incarcerated within an approximately 30-minute drive from Beacon's Main Street––not to mention the more than 50,000 people incarcerated in this state.
There are approximately 1,700 people incarcerated at Fishkill Correctional, which is in the City of Beacon. Between 200 and 250 of those people are in solitary confinement at any given time. Incidentally, people in solitary confinement can and do request books from us. According to one person who is currently in solitary, reading is one of the only things he can do to keep himself occupied. We sent him a bunch of books.
So, all that is to say that Fishkill Correctional Facility accounts for more than 8% of the population of Beacon. Those people are our neighbors. Fishkill Correctional also has the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths of any facility in New York State. So folks there are feeling it hard. Although getting a free book in the mail cannot solve these systemic problems, we feel that this work is valuable, both as an expression of humanity and also as important material support.
Beacon’s Howland Public Library is opening for limited in-person checkout, limited computer time, and limited Childrens Room browsing. They are pretty excited about it, and have made changes inside of the library, including no public tables at this time.
The letter from the library’s director, Kristen Salierno, has all of the details is below:
Dear Patrons,
I am once again thrilled to announce that the Howland Public Library has moved to its next Service Tier. Starting Thursday, August 6th, the library's doors will finally be open again. Patrons will be able to enter the building in a limited capacity and collect materials for themselves or use the public computers without an appointment. We are so looking forward to seeing you all in person again. Here is what you need to know about Service Tier "D":
Masks are required to enter the library building and must be worn properly (mouth and nose covered) at all times while in the building. Anyone not complying will be asked to leave.
Contactless Pickup Ends We are unable to continue contactless pickup while our doors are open. Please be assured that we have all the safety precautions in place for when you enter the building.
Senior Hours Begin We are setting aside Wednesday and Thursday mornings from 9:30-10:30am for seniors and those who are high risk community members. Please allow our seniors this time to be able to gather their materials and pickups.
Capacity Limits The library will be operating at half capacity so you may be asked to wait outside if we reach the maximum. There will also be a SIX person limit to the Children's Room. Please keep your visit brief to allow for more families to be able to access the space.
Computer Use Public computers will be available on a first come first serve basis and will have a strict two hour limit. A single laptop station is available for those who want to bring their laptop. That station is by appointment ONLY and also has a two hour limit.
Public Tables There are no public tables or seating available at this time.
Patrons should also continue to put ALL returns into the outside book drop, and not bring any items into the building. The bookdrop will be locked when the library is closed.
The library may look a little different but the staff is here to help you in any way we safely can. Please be sure to follow all the designated signs for safety while you are in the building to keep everyone safe! For more information about our Service Tier Plan click here.
In what is a most depressing article to write, RiverWinds Gallery, Beacon’s longest-running art gallery that featured 40 artists in several mediums, including painting, jewelry design, pottery, and more, will be over on August 31, 2020. RiverWinds is a fixture in Beacon, with their storefront window brightly lit with white lights every holiday season. The mural on the side of their building, which is a richly colored painting of a Native American looking over the Hudson River and the earth around it, is also a fixture.
Prior to the gallery taking the space, it had been a farm supply store, the office of Dentist Sam Kahn, Julia’s Beauty Parlor and other entities. The original artists who opened RiverWinds Gallery were Mary Ann Glass, a photographer; Kelly Newkirk, a fiber artist; Linda Hubbard, a photographer; Virginia Donovan, a painter; and Paola Bari, a porcelain painter. The 5 artists formed a partnership and opened the gallery. At the time, a woman named Mary Madden owned the 172 Main Street building and had hired Ron Sauer to renovate it. Ron Sauer and his wife Ronnie Sauer are credited with Beacon's original revival after Urban Renewal, a time period during which many properties were bulldozed and the Black community colonized in the Bank Square area were paid sometimes $27,000 to relocate elsewhere in Beacon (source: Katie’s neighbor).
In their founding words published on their website, RiverWinds believes this about artists: “The Winds represent constant change, the force that propels us, uplifts us, commands us to create art. They feed the artists souls with the need to connect, comfort and sometimes challenge. These winds blow warm and cool, hot and cold, from all directions, and sometimes not at all. Through these changes, the artists’ work evolves, and grows. The River and the Winds give the courage, inspiration and vision to open RiverWinds Gallery and to celebrate all the artisans have been called to create.
After 17 years, RiverWinds Gallery at 172 Main Street, Beacon, NY is closing as of August 31, 2020. “It’s been a painful decision to close” says Karl LaLonde, one of the co-owners. “We will miss our artists, our customers both local people and folks from out of town. And we will miss being part of Beacon’s vibrant artistic community.”
There will be a Going Out of Business Sale from August 1 – 31, 2020 with discounts from 25%-50% on most pieces of artwork: paintings, photography, pottery, jewelry, glasswork and fiber art.
“The pandemic has done us in!” says Mary Ann Glass. “We are the longest-running gallery in Beacon. We opened in July 2003, shortly after Dia:Beacon opened its doors. At that time, the west end of Main Street was a bit grim! But we just had a feeling that it was on the edge of change. And we were right. RiverWinds has been an integral part of Beacon’s renaissance. For 17 years we have promoted and sold work by some of the finest Hudson Valley artists.”
“It’s been a long, wonderful ride” says Glass who is one of the original co-owners. “ Our goal when we opened was to provide a place for Hudson Valley artists to sell work to customers who would appreciate such unique and beautiful items. We feel we’ve done that.”
Voted twice Best Gallery in the Hudson Valley, RiverWinds Gallery is a multi-faceted art space featuring over 40 of the finest Hudson Valley artists; fine art including paintings, sculpture and photography, and contemporary crafts, including jewelry, glasswork, cards, and pottery. RiverWinds Gallery, LLC, is a member of the Beacon Arts Community Association (BeaconArts) www.beaconarts.org.
Most merchandise is 25%-50% discounted. The gallery is open every day. They are also selling their display cases - everything must go by the end of the month! So stop on in and see what's available. And help support their local artists one last time.
Open every day 12-4 until August 31, 2020
Location: RiverWinds Gallery, 172 Main Street, Beacon, NY 12508, 845-838-2880.
Just as businesses were beginning to get into a grove of new business, and residents were starting new end of summer routines like day camps for kids, Tropical Storm Isaias tore through the region, leaving 116,000 Central Hudson home and business customers without power (on Tuesday, 100,000 was reported, but has increased since), and at least 500 locations with wires down as a result of the high winds. At least 360 line workers and tree personal, including arriving mutual aid workers, are on the scene to restore power, which increased to 500 by Wednesday and 570 by that evening, and this morning (Thursday) is at 600, and by Thursday evening has reached 700 line and tree personnel. Metro North continues to run on a weekend schedule, which it started Tuesday in preparation for the damage.
Central Hudson has declared it the 4th most severe to impact the region in Central Hudson’s history. In New York City, Con Ed told Gothamist that the storm was its 2nd worst for power outages, second only to Super Storm Sandy, leaving 210,000 customers without power in NYC.
City Hall and the Police Department both lost power, and some businesses on Main Street were without power on Tuesday, and owners of businesses suffered power outages at home, making it hard come in to open a store. Cross Court Tennis in Hopewell remained without power for at least two days as they recently opened a small tennis camp for kids.
Wednesday AM
Central Hudson crews restored power to nearly 26,000 customers on Tuesday night. As of 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday, approximately 89,000, customers are still without electricity, primarily in southern Dutchess County and Orange County on Wednesday:
Columbia County: 1,160
Dutchess County: 42,350
Orange County: 31,800
Putnam County: 2,800
Ulster County: 11,250
Wednesday PM
Said Central Hudson in a customer email: “As of 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Central Hudson has restored power to more than half the customers impacted by the storm. More than 1,100 damage locations remain, which is higher than the initial number provided on Tuesday, and approximately 57,000 homes and businesses are still without electricity, the majority of which are in southern Dutchess County and Orange County:”
Dutchess County: 25,000
Orange County: 22,000
Putnam County: 3,300
Ulster County: 6,400
Thursday AM
Said Central Hudson in a customer email: “Two-thirds of our customers impacted by Tropical Storm Isaias have had service restored within 36 hours. As of 7 a.m. on Thursday morning, roughly 38,000 are without electrical service, the majority of which are located in Orange County and Southern Dutchess County:”
Dutchess County: 16,812
Orange County: 14,468
Putnam County: 2,050
Ulster County: 3,900
Thursday PM
Said Central Hudson in a customer email: “A compliment of more than 700 line and tree personnel along with hundreds of employees in support roles are working to address approximately 1,000 damage locations. As of 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, approximately 26,200 homes and businesses within Central Hudson’s service area are without power, with the majority of remaining outages located in Orange County and Dutchess County. Central Hudson anticipates electric service will be restored to 95% of affected customers as follows by county:”
Columbia County: Friday, August 7, 8 p.m.
Dutchess County: Friday, August 7, 11:30 p.m.
Orange County: Saturday, August 8, 12 p.m.
Putnam County: Friday, August 7, 8 p.m.
Ulster County: Thursday, August 6, 8 p.m.
Since the start of the storm, Central Hudson crews have been addressing more than 1,600 reports of wires down and repairing 91 broken utility poles. Central Hudson anticipates 90% of homes and businesses will have power restored by 11:30 pm on Friday, August 7.
“Our crews continue to make significant progress in restoring electrical services to our customers. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work to recover from this historic storm,” said Ryan Hawthorne, Assistant Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations at Central Hudson in a daily storm update email. “We also want to thank the emergency responders as well as our municipal, county and state officials for their assistance and support.”
Internet Outage
Internet was also out due to the storm, which isn’t a first for Beacon at least, who has received spotty, unreliable service from Optimum since the pandemic started. Just last weekend, Optimum went out on Saturday evening, making calling or online ordering of food impossible, forcing customers to drive to their favorite restaurant to place their order. The nerve!
Central Hudson also lost Internet, rendering useless their ability to notify customers via digital outreach, including their website, mobile app, and other digital sources. They do have a Facebook and Twitter. According to the Times Herald-Record, services for 911 were down in Orange County, and have since been restored.
Safety Reminders - Gas Ordors
From Central Hudson’s Storm Update Email:
Heavy rains can cause localized flooding, creating hazardous conditions for drivers and pedestrians. Residents are urged to avoid standing or running water, as fallen wires could be hidden beneath. In addition, heavy flooding may undermine natural gas lines, and customers are urged to report gas odors they may detect by doing the following:
STOP what you are doing. Do not light or use a match. Do not turn lights on or off or use a flashlight, cell phone or telephone. Do not turn on any other appliance or electric/electronic device and do not flush or run water.
GO outside immediately.
LET US KNOW by calling 911.
Safety Reminders: Fallen Wires
Central Hudson also issues this warning: AVOID ALL FALLEN WIRES:
You can't tell if a power line is energized just by looking at it. Assume all fallen power lines are live and proceed with extreme caution.
Do not drive over fallen wires. Always follow the utility personnel instructions regarding fallen power lines.
If you see a fallen power line, stay at least 30 feet away from it and anything it contacts. The ground around a power line and any objects it contacts may be energized. Call 911 to report fallen wires.
Do not attempt to move a fallen power line or anything else in contact with it using an object such as a broom or stick. Even non-conductive materials like wood or cloth can conduct electricity if even slightly wet.
Power continues to be out for many residents after high winds and rain from Hurricane Isaias took down power lines across the region on Tuesday. Dutchess County Government’s Emergency Operations Center has announced that in addition to their other recovery efforts, they are facilitating dry ice availability, which has been in short supply, in coordination with Central Hudson. Keeping food cold has been challenging with no power.
According to Dutchess County’s press release: “with assistance from Town of East Fishkill Supervisor Nick D'Alessandro and Councilman Anil Beephan, County Executive Marc Molinaro had the County’s Emergency Response and Public Works departments connect Central Hudson with a Kingston area dry ice supplier and secure the vendor’s remaining inventory from Albany. Central Hudson will be distributing the 1,500 pounds of dry ice, along with regular ice and bottled water, this evening (Thursday, August 6, 2020, at the following locations:
Poughkeepsie Home Depot, 3470 North Rd., Poughkeepsie
Newburgh Armory 321 S. William St., Newburgh
East Fishkill Town Hall, 330 Route 376, Hopewell Junction
County Executive Molinaro said, “This storm has left a tremendous amount of damage in its wake and we continue to work together to recover as fast as possible, but complications such as a dry ice shortage only make the process more urgent and stressful. We are working together with our local municipal partners and the area utilities to ensure residents needs are met. This is a great example of the collaborative response effort underway – East Fishkill Supervisor Nick D’Alessandro was able to provide a resource opportunity and the County made the connection with Central Hudson – ensuring solutions to meet critical needs.”
Other Emergency Needs Met By Dutchess County
In addition to today’s effort, Dutchess County has been able to help in other ways, including:
Dutchess County Public Works highway crews have continued to clear roadways of storm debris, in coordination with utility crews, to help facilitate power restoration efforts;
Dutchess County Emergency Response was able to assist the Town of Stanford in providing bottled water to town residents; with Dutchess County Public Works delivering pallets of water, yesterday;
Dutchess County Emergency Response has secured a large supply of bottled water from New York State to ensure availability for residents;
Emergency Response has been coordinating with both Central Hudson and NYSEG to provide temporary power for residents still without power to operate critical medical equipment; and
Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office has been performing wellness checks on senior or disabled residents living alone who are still without power.
The MTA issued a press release on Monday, August 3rd, 2020 advising riders that service would be reduced to the weekend schedule in preparation for Hurricane Isaias. Empty tractor-trailers and tandem trucks on MTA bridges are banned on Tuesday, in anticipation of tropical storm force winds expected to arrive on Tuesday. Mayor Kyriacou translated the message during Monday evening’s City Council Meeting, and encouraged commuters to complete travel by 3pm to avoid delays caused by the storm.
“High winds pose a particularly serious concern on bridges, which is why we’re instituting a ban on tandem trailers and empty tractor trailers on our bridges from noon to midnight on Tuesday,” said MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Daniel DeCrescenzo. “Additional restrictions may put into place if conditions warrant so we are advising all motorists to look out for announcements as the storm passes through.”
More caution was given in the press release: "Customers should take precautions to travel safely and should defer non-essential travel, if possible, during and after heavy rain and winds. Customers may experience significant delays or disruptions and should allow for extra travel time, take extra caution when walking on platforms and stairs, watch for slippery conditions and be mindful for overhead foliage or wires."
An efficient way of getting fast updates from the MTA is by following their Twitter: www.twitter.com/mta
It's the weekend! The time of freedom for some of you, and the busiest time for others of you who work in retail and are feeding all of us and treating us to delightful retail therapy. There's even some open-air live music happening for you! And don't miss a special offer for some free SallyeAnder Soap from your new favorite designer Lewis & Pine...
Please Welcome As New Sponsors... Meyers Old Dutch! Big fans of their burgers, vegan options and cocktails, we are thrilled to be able to blog about Meyers Old Duch (MOD) each weekend for you, telling you what they have in store for you. This weekend, we learned that they are behind some live street music...
Homespun! Big fans of their new $20 and Under Wine table, and this isn't just any wine table. The new owner, Joe, is a sommelier who holds Wine Camp for his staff. So you are in for some education while you pick a bottle of bubbly prosecco. You know them for their delicious food, but check the menu lately for their new additions!
16th Annual ReePlay Sale
Dates: Jul 30 - Aug 2 Time: 9pm - 1pm Location: University Settlement Camp Theater (Beacon Pool entrance/9D, Beacon) Hot Tip: No car? Take the free bus! The blue G Line Bus includes the Settlement Camp in its route. It follows the train schedule. Learn more here.
Wee Play Community Project's Annual Ree Play Sale is an enormous tag sale of gently used children's clothing (infant to size 14/16—when donated), baby gear, books, games, bikes, maternity, and more. The proceeds benefit children's programming (Wee Play Community Project, Howland Public Library, BAEF, and the City of Beacon Rec.), and Beacon's parks and playgrounds. Previous years’ funds went to the Wee Play Tot Park expansion at Memorial Park. There are still more exciting things to built at the park in the future! Shopping Details:
- Masks must be properly worn over nose and mouth at all times, indoors and outdoors.
- Maintain social distancing throughout, indoors and outdoors.
- Please be understanding as we aim to keep numbers low, 25 people or less in the building at one time. Volunteers will be keeping count helping to direct flow of guests from outside to inside/inside to outside.
- They ask that kids please be left at home if possible.
- Please bring your own shopping bags.
- $20 fill a bag option is based on Key Food sized bags and only applies to clothing in bins on tables. Volunteers will be checking sizes of bags at checkout.
- Credit cards accepted. Information >
Celebration Of Black Lives (Beacon4Black Lives)
Day: Sunday, August 2, 2020 Time: 5:30pm Location: Polhill Park
From the organizers: "We're back starting at Polhill Park and we're going to add a little music to this week's march. If you have shakers or drums, play along and keep the beat and let it be heard that BLACK LIVES MATTER. Together we will celebrate the powerful and inspiring black voices within our own community as we continue to remind everyone that black lives not only matter- black lives are necessary. Black lives are beautiful. Black lives are loved and deserve to feel safe and welcomed here and everywhere." Information >
Beacon's Summer Concerts In The Park
Day: Tuesdays, August 4, 2020 Time: 5-5:45pm
Performances at Pete And Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park. Come out for a free evening of performance, song and magic brought to you by Beacon Recreation. Performances from Compass Arts & Gwen Laster of Creative Strings Improvisers Orchestra. Each week, different performers will be bringing different experiences for all ages to Pete And Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park Information >
Fishkill's Summer Concerts In The Park
Day: Wednesday, August 5, 2020 Time: 6:30pm
Fishkill's Summer Concerts in the Park Series. Each week features a different local band. All concerts are free to the public. Concerts are held on Wednesdays (Thursdays will be the Rain Date). From the organizers: "Please wear a mask or face covering whenever you are not in your seat such as when you are using the restrooms, to and from your car, and whenever else you are unable to practice social distancing. You do not have to wear your mask to dance but we recommend doing your best to distance yourself from the closest dancer." Information >
EAT CHURCH
511 Fishkill Avenue, Beacon
"Summer Test Kitchen" you say, Eat Church? Don't tease us with this tempting Summer ear of corn. Looks like you passed! We're hoping to see this item on the menu very soon! What do you think? Stalk Them On Instagram > Eat Church is an ALBB Sponsor!
BAJA 328
328 Main Street, Beacon
So many margaritas to choose from, so little time! Step out this weekend and enjoy their large, high end, selection of tequilla from Baja 328. Tuesday - Thursday: 4-9pm Friday - Saturday: 12pm-10pm Sunday: 12pm-8pm Follow on Instagram > Baja 328 is an ALBB Sponsor!
MEYERS OLD DUTCH
184 Main Street, Beacon
For the first feature of Meyers Old Dutch in this weekend newsletter, we get to uncover a mystery! One of your favorite Beacon musicians, Tony DePaolo, is back on Main Street playing live music. Outside of this burger spot (with vegan options), Tony has been strumming and plucking the tunes. Enjoy as you walk by, pickup take-out, or in MOD's parklet dining area out front. Tell us what you order! Details > Meyers Old Dutch is an ALBB Sponsor!
HOMESPUN
232 Main Street, Beacon
One of the most delightful back patios in Beacon - Homespun's! And now it rivals its own front patio - the parklet. With flowers everywhere, you are sure to have a lovely dining experience. Even if it does drizzle a little. The front parklet is completely covered by tents. In the name of safety, rennovations were made inside of the restaurant to give people more room to order, and actually speed up the food prep and delivery! Check out ALBB's interview with owner Joe about a mini-rennovation they did to the inside to increase ventilation and efficiency. News Channel 12 featured their safety changes also! Details > Meyers Old Dutch is an ALBB Sponsor!
QUINN'S RE-OPENING
330 Main Street, Beacon
Beginning Friday, Quinn's will be re-opening its doors for take-out only, 11am-9pm, Friday through Sunday. They are currently working with the city to arrange for outdoor seating, stay tuned! The menu has changed and a slimmed down version will be available for lunch and dinner.
LUXE OPTIQUE
181-183 Main Street, Beacon
It doesn't need to be Summer to enjoy a Sundae or Arctic Blast sweet treat, but it helps! Look cool while you're cooling off this Summer. Try on a vintage look with a cat eye shape pair of Oliver Peoples being modeled by @embodythemoda. Stay tuned to Luxe Optique's Instagram (@luxeoptique) to catch their newest designs! Go Shopping > Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!
BINNACLE BOOKS
321 Main Street, Beacon
A friendly reminder that while Binnacle Books is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, tiny food pantry is always open! Take what you need or leave what you can. Let’s keep our community fed and cared for. And by the way, although they're going to get the dollar books shelf back up and running soon, for the time being, yes those are FREE BOOKS. Information > Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
LEWIS & PINE
133 Main Street, Beacon Lewis & Pine is offering a special this weekend just for A Little Beacon Blog Readers!!
Friday through Sunday readers of ALBB will get a free SallyeAnder soap with purchases of $75 or more. The offer is available by mentioning ALBB in store or using the code ALBBSOAP at www.lewisandpine.com. SallyeAnder is another Beacon-based brand of handmade soaps carried at Lewis & Pine. Start Shopping! > Lewis & Pine is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
BEACON MERCANTILE
493 Main Street, Beacon
Did you miss #internationalselfcareday? Don't worry, make TODAY that day for you, or tomorrow, or the next day - who needs rules for self care? Treat yo' self! Beacon Mercantile is stocked with candles, botanical washes, essential oils, body polishes, and much more! Shop hours: Fri-Sat 12-6, Sun 12-5, Online 24/7. Start Shopping > Beacon Mercantile is a Sponsor, thank you!
ANTALEK & MOORE
340 Main Street, Beacon
Moving into a new house? The Home Inspection can be a game changer for your first new days or months. Do the outlets work? Are the floors too damaged? What can you learn from a good Home Inspection? Antalek & Moore Insurance Agency wants you to watch these tips from Travelers Insurance before you hire a Home Inspector. And then call Antalek & Moore for your homeowners insurance needs. Get These Tips > Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!
TIN SHINGLE
You've seen the challenge. You may have participated. The beautiful black and white photos of women, in the name of supporting women. But why this challenge? Why now? Because it is a revived trend of a challenge that the media is saying originated in Brazil, and now is in the name of Turkey - for women who are murdered by their spouses, boyfriends and other domestic violence results. The black and white represents life being snuffed out of color. If you jumped in too fast on this challenge, and didn't use the hashtags that support femicide going on in Turkey, or domestic abuse increases in the US due to COVID, then listen to Tin Shingle's TuneUp webinar on what to do when social media challenges come around. For instance: what did you do on Blackout Tuesday? Learn More >
Luxe Optique Is Hiring Private Airbnb Manager For Apartments
The owners of Luxe Optique own their building with 4 apartments above the storefront. These have been redesigned and include washers/dryers for the short term rental market using Airbnb’s platform. Job Details >
Luxe Optique Is Hiring Cleaner of Airbnb Apartments
Luxe Optique is hiring a regular cleaning person or service to clean 4 apartments between Airbnb guests. Job Details >
The new owner of Homespun, Joe Robitaille, took over the gem of Homespun, one of Beacon’s most well known restaurants, in November 2019, which included the cafe location down at Dia as well as the business’ thriving catering business also for Dia and other private events. A Little Beacon Blog featured them in January 2020, And then the pandemic hit and he had to shut everything down. During the shut down, he and his three small children would walk to the restaurant where his kids would scooter around the empty back patio during the cold Spring mornings, and he would resist scary visions of what might happen to Homespun if they could not open soon. Throughout, however, in the name of safety, Homespun was the first to close, and one of the last to open. And when they did open, it was with changes.
Homespun opened cautiously as others around them opened doors soon after they were allowed to. Homespun started by selling wine and specialty farm groceries. Joe is a sommelier, and introduced a deliciously curated wine selection (and their new $20 and Under wine table!).
Now with more and more outdoor parklets opening up, Homespun got in on the expanded dining experience by adding a beautiful parklet and opening their back patio. But not before making changes on the inside first. The pandemic made businesses do many things that were on the to-do list that never got done, and Homespun’s minor inside renovation was one of those.
To increase ventilation, the main counter where everyone ordered, and was often a bottleneck, has been moved to the left (see if you can see the difference in coloration on the floor). Orders would go from the register to the prep cook right behind the person taking your order. But now, that prep station has ben moved to the kitchen, with a new food window built for easier food delivery when it’s ready, as well as increased ventilation.
Diners cannot yet eat inside of Homespun, as Joe wants to keep everyone safely outside. As we reported with his neighbor Ziatun, the double outdoor dining space has helped them not rush to open the inside seating. For rain, umbrellas are at most patio tables, and full-coverage tents in the front of the parklet.
Watch our video interview with Joe as he takes us through the changes. News Channel 12 also ran a business story on the changes Homespun has been working on to stay open.
Graphic Warning: This article contains a graphic image on a flyer that we are sharing to give context to what citizens in Beacon received hand-delivered to their homes.
Back in June, 2020, a reader wrote into A Little Beacon Blog about a flyer they found to be disturbing, that had been put into their yard. The flyer contained a message of anti-choice abortion, and wasn’t the first time this reader had received a flyer. Last year around this time, the reader received a series of anti-gay fliers. This reader has a rainbow pride flag flying from their house, and says they are a queer family. Quickly, a rumor circulated that it was the KKK, which was reported by one news outlet but then retracted almost the same day.
This family wasn’t the only ones to receive the distributed flyers. Other residents with gay pride flags flying outside their homes had also received the flyers. The reader was spooked, has children, and was afraid to let their children play in the front yard. They wrote in: “I am hoping to raise awareness. There was a new wave of anti-choice abortion flyers distributed to the folks who have rainbow flags today. We got one last week and another 2 today thrown into our yard. Last year we got an anti-gay one (we are a queer family). I wanted to raise attention to it if others are receiving these too. I don’t want to be public on Facebook and open my family up further to harassment, but I wanted to draw some attention if there’s a larger trend.”
Several other households had been receiving flyers. At least two others reached out to A Little Beacon Blog to submit photos of the flyers they received and shared with the police. Said one recipient, Kit Burke-Smith, who has a pride flag flying and is part of a straight family: “We believe we have been targeted each time because of our pride flag on our house. Generally, we have found our community to be wonderfully caring and supportive. Knowing that one of our neighbors is repeatedly attempting to intimidate us and others in our community is reprehensible and disappointing,” she told A Little Beacon Blog.
The original reader pursued various channels to get the mail to stop. “Last year, I reported the letter to the police. I spoke to [then] Mayor Casale and a few attorneys, reported the harassment to the postal police, the New York Hate Crimes division and many others. I had dozens of conversations to report the harassment, and to my knowledge, nothing was done.“
Then came 2020. In the middle of the pandemic, and during Pride Month, a new batch of letters arrived. The Beaconite continued: “A few weeks ago, we found the abortion one on the car. I ignored it, honestly. Then, Saturday, we got a new batch thrown into the yard. Other folks we know got them on the porch."
Councilperson Terry Nelson of Ward 1 spoke out against the flyer campaign during his Community Report section of a City Council Meeting, saying: “Unfortunately, a first-grader of one of those families found the letter,” he said. “This has to stop. You have to stop doing this. To the coward who left those fliers, myself and a bunch of other people are allies of the LBGTQ community and just know that there are more of us than there are of you.”
Flyer recipients began suspecting that one of their neighbors was the sender. A Little Beacon Blog asked if they had considered simply approaching their neighbor to ask them to stop. Their response: “I am nervous about my children playing in the front yard.”
Style And Tone Of Letters And Flyers Begin To Match A Public Figure
Having seen the content of the letter, the style and tone resembled that of another Beaconite who has published his statements against abortion before in the Beacon Free Press an on his own blog. The style was so close, in fact, it resembled this letter to the editor published last year that sparked a large backlash to the newspaper for even publishing it. Here at A Little Beacon Blog, it inspired an article to be written about censorship. The writer, Richard (Dick) Murphy, had cried out to his newsletter list about local newspapers who had censored him. A Little Beacon Blog wrote in response the need for censorship, why it is helpful in some cases, and how it happens every single day because media outlets simply cannot publish all of the words in all of the world every single day.
Just as we were going to cross reference the styles, another Beacon resident received a postmarked letter from R. Murphy, with his return address on it. The postmark was out of Albany. The letter began by referencing his former political campaigning days: “I prefer handouts to signs, too many of them during my political campaigns I guess.” He signed the letter Dick Murphy. A Little Beacon Blog put on the list of things to do: “Email Richard Murphy to ask him if he is the same R. Murphy from the signed letter, and if he has been distributing unsigned flyers.”
When readers write in to you, spooked for their own safety and the safety of their children, a blogger will seek truth. While it seems unkind to call attention to someone who is doing something that most people would find mentally unhealthy, even if most of their intentions in other parts of their lives are good, to the receivers of the flyers and letters, they are frightened. Plus, conclusions are fabricated and made up. For instance, because this happened during the BLM protests all over the world,that the flyers were from the KKK. So to help these people find an answer and ease their fear, this article was produced.
Confirmation Pursued; Confirmation Received
On July 16, 2020, an email came into my inbox from Richard (Dick) Murphy. It happens from time to time. Richard (he prefers to go by Dick), sends emails to his list of about 125 people, most of whom never signed up for his list, wanting to know their opinions of his latest blog posts. Years ago, without my approval, and without me even knowing who he was, Richard added me to his newsletter list. When he can’t get published in a newspaper, he emails this list of email addresses to rant about it, and rails about the First Amendment protecting his right to get published in a newspaper.
Some people request to be removed from his list, and then he denies their request, citing the First Amendment. His response last year on July 19, 2019 to my request to be removed, when I referred him to the Can-Spam Act: “THE CAN-SPAM Act...gad! Never said you were required.” And then I was never removed.
This time, on July 16, 2020, he asked us what we thought of the removal General Lee’s statue. This sounds pretty random, and it is. Richard has a thought, blogs about it, and then emails us on his list. Richard didn’t specify which General Lee statue. My assumption is that he is referring to the 6-story statue in Richmond, VA. I replied to him via email by asking him questions about the flyers and the letters he sent with his signature and home address on them in the return address section of the envelope.
On July 17, 2020, Richard (Dick) emailed me back about the flyers. Hi hit Reply-All to his whole list, and sent me the below response:
“Regarding the First Amendment, it's a glorious thing. Hand delivering information to houses is done all the time especially during political campaigns and unfortunately it now seems it is always political campaign time in our country. The news is full of it, the media the newspapers etc. If a citizen thinks certain topics are not being given sufficient coverage or if local newspapers avoid printing letters of one opinion or another it is incumbent to find alternative ways to communicate. As I said, Isn't the First Amendment wonderful and isn't a healthy, reasoned and honest exchange of ideas what democracy is all about? Really, a "Love thy Neighbor" message shouldn't be all that "disturbing" or "scary." And, regarding "grotesque? Isn't 60,000,000 new lives destroyed by abortion since Roe rather grotesque? Let's keep the exchange going for the sake of democracy and the nation we love.
Sincerely, Dick
PS.Please include my remarks in your article and also invite the complaints to join in the discussion. This is hardly "targeting." It; a call for honest, reasoned dialogue and debate, It's just what the country needs.”
How The City Of Beacon Responded
In June 2020, Pride Month, Mayor Lee Kyriacou donated a pride flag to City Hall. The rainbow flag flew all month. A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the Mayor, the City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero, and to Terry Nelson who had first spoken against the flyers, asking if the City had received any letters, since it had the pride flag, as well as how they felt about this outreach. Anthony usually knows the rules around campaigning, knocking on doors, and perhaps about distributing flyers, so we sought some guidance there.
So far, we have only received a response from Terry. Questions and answers are thus follows:
ALBB: During a City Council Meeting when you first addressed the issue, did you know who was placing and sending the flyers?
“I had my suspicions, but I couldn’t 100% confirm it.”
ALBB: How do you feel about a neighbor sending his neighbors mail about his personal views? On a repeated basis?
“I hate it because it is harassment, plain and simple. I even asked this individual to stop emailing me his hate filled, bigoted blog posts only to have him accuse me of violating his first amendment rights. I never asked to be placed on his email list. This has gone on for about two years.”
Who Is Richard (Dick) Murphy?
Richard lives in Beacon and cares about it very much. He has a political history, that for clarification sake, I asked him to confirm so that we can know how he served:
“By the 1960s I was teaching High School American History putting the stress on The Bill of Rights and specifically the First Amendment as well as the amendments aiming for political and racial equality, Getting into Democratic Politics in the 1970s and appointed by Mayor Cahill to Chair the Beacon Human Relations Committee, I aimed at the integration of the Beacon Volunteer Fire Department, accomplished in 1978. A Democrat for most of my life, I ran on the Party line for a seat in the County Legislature in 1979 and was defeated. Ran again in 1981 and won and was reelected eight times retiring in 1999. I became Minority Whip in the Legislature for several years serving under an excellent Minority Leader Mrs. Kip Bleakley. I was pushed into a dissenter role by the Party when it gagged Governor Casey of PA barring him from giving a pro-life address to the delegates at the 1992 Convention.“
Beacon City School Superintendent Matthew Landahl is hosting another presentation of the district’s reopening plan via Zoom on Monday night at 7pm. Details for the call is below. “This will be the same or a similar presentation as last week's presentations,” Dr. Landahl said in an email to parents.
Last Thursday, he delivered another similar presentation, which he says will be posted on the website soon. “We are also looking at doing a final zoom call later this week to update everyone on the state of the reopening plan.”
If you are also attending the regular Monday night City Council Meeting tonight, you could ask your child to Zoom in and report on what they learn, or have the school meeting zooming on your laptop, and the City Council meeting streaming in your earbuds from your phone (via YouTube).
After a volley of open letters to each other (here, here and here…with a scathing letter from the Local Teamster 445, to which ALBB sought clarification for intentions here), Beacon’s Police Benevolent Association (PBA) by way of Vice President Michael Confield and Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou have issued a joint statement of support and cooperation to move forward with direct communication with each other. This also follows a “Support The Beacon PD” rally in Beacon last Sunday, which was met with voices from the Black Lives Movement.
The City of Beacon issued the following press release on Monday, July 27, 2020:
###
BEACON, NY: Mayor Lee Kyriacou and Beacon PBA Vice President Michael Confield jointly announced their commitment for the City and police union to communicate regularly and productively on issues affecting police, the City and the community.
Late Friday afternoon and on Sunday, representatives of the Beacon Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association met with City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero and Mayor Lee Kyriacou for lengthy open and productive conversations – involving listening, information sharing, assurances of respect and agreement on communication going forward.
Mayor Kyriacou and PBA Vice President Confield together stated, “We’re both appreciative of the open dialogue and are committed to making sure that city and police leadership are listening and sharing viewpoints.”
Separately, Mayor Kyriacou said, “I truly appreciate and applaud the PBA for reaching out, and working together to close the communication gap. All of us agreed that we should have reached out sooner, and that going forward, the communication will be frequent and open.”
PBA Vice President Confield also added, “Our conversations were very productive. We appreciate the Mayor’s and Administrator’s willingness to hear our concerns, and look forward to ensuring that everyone is heard in the ongoing process of improving police-community relations.”
The Mayor added, “Each time I greet an officer, my first words are ‘thank you’ and more recently, ‘I appreciate the difficult situation you are in.’ That support continues unabated.”
Support for this publication comes in part from these businesses. We have highlighted what makes them special on their own dedicated pages. Want your business listed here? See the "Sponsor Spotlight" or "Event Promotion" option in our Advertising Page.
A podcast from A Little Beacon Blog. Your hosts: Katie Hellmuth martin & Brandon Lillard.
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.
Meyers Old Dutch! Big fans of their burgers, vegan options and cocktails, we are thrilled to be able to blog about Meyers Old Duch (MOD) each weekend for you, telling you what they have in store for you. This weekend, we learned that they are behind some live street music...
Homespun! Big fans of their new $20 and Under Wine table, and this isn't just any wine table. The new owner, Joe, is a sommelier who holds Wine Camp for his staff. So you are in for some education while you pick a bottle of bubbly prosecco. You know them for their delicious food, but check the menu lately for their new additions!
