Not only is the food beyond delicious, but they use the finest ingredients including local food purveyors such as beef from the Hudson Valley, cheese from NY State and produce from local farmers.
In addition to beef burgers, the menu offers chicken, hot dogs and vegan options with multiple toppings and house-made signature sauces, plus hand-cut fries, salads and daily specials. Their full-service bar features a large selection of NY craft beer, locally produced wine and house-crafted cocktails.
All items are available via counter service and serviced in open seating and a back open-air patio.
Also, did you know Meyer’s Old Dutch is named after Chef/Owner Brian Arnoff’s great grandfather Meyer, who once owned and operated Old Dutch Grocery across the river in Middletown, NY? Brian also owns Kitchen Sink Food & Drink, a casual, fine dining restaurant in Beacon.
Head on in and take a bite of Beacon! OR OR OR, order for DELIVERY!
A reader submitted a Comment on the “How To Submit A FOIL Request” article, where he mentioned he was looking to, or had submitted FOIL requests for, permits issued for marches made for Black Lives Matter and the Back The Beacon PD rally.
We checked with Council Member Dan Aymar-Blair, who studies protesting and knows the rules and guidelines very well, had this to say about if permits are needed: "Permits are required for marches and rallies in Beacon's public spaces; however, the spirit of our permitting process is for the city to facilitate protest, for example providing police protection from counter-protests. While mobilizing police and other city resources for a peaceful assembly costs money, it is a cost we must live with to ensure the safe practice of our constitutionally protected freedoms.
"Free assembly is a human right, not a state-sanctioned privilege. That's why I'd rather we do away with the permitting process in most cases, and allow prior notification to be at the discretion of protest organizers."
We followed up with an organizer with Beacon4Black Lives, Justice McCray, to see if that organization has asked for or been granted permits for the approximately 9 protests marches they held. This was his response:
“We do not get permits for any of our protests. City Council member Dan Aymar-Blair stated in a council meeting on 8/3/2020, in response to Theresa Kraft's complaint about the protests during the Public Comment portion of the call, that our protests don't need permits.
”Usually (now Acting Chief, formerly Lieutenant) Frost or Lieutenant Figlia will contact me for details of our protest if I don't contact them. We're looking into training citizen marshals to help lead the protests and temporarily close off streets as we march. We don't ask the police to close the streets down and we'll gladly protest without them.”
Getting you through your Wednesday hump day! You need a little retail therapy right? Us too! That’s why we took the walk down to Raven Rose, whose storefront window is so alluring, and the decorative walls inside with her dried flowers hanging from antique ladders will have your creative wheels turning.
They bring together a variety of small makers to create an assortment of minimally designed goods for you and your home. In addition to the gift items, Raven Rose offers local flower delivery in Beacon and carry an array of houseplants and gardening items. For more flower delivery shops in Beacon, see A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide!
Need wedding flowers for your upcoming wedding that was maybe postponed? Raven Rose is your go-to! Their flowers have a unique character and beauty that can make your wedding yours! They will also work closely with you to create florals that reflect your style and personality.
Raven Rose is open Monday-Saturday from 11AM-6PM and Sunday 11AM-5PM. Hours are subject to change! Call to confirm 845-765-8660 - check to see if Milo is there too! Either in his dog bed or in further into the store. You don’t want to miss him…
Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) has job openings for 5 Public Health Advisors, including a senior supervisory position, for up to 18 months. The positions are being funded by a grant of $917,000 awarded to Dutchess County from the New York State Department of Health to further build capacity for COVD-19 case investigation and contact tracing coordination. The grant funding will enable DBCH to hire Recruitment is now open and interested applicants can review job description and apply online at the County’s website at www.dutchessny.gov/jobs.
As the jobs are temporary, they do not require a Civil Service exam from the county. Additionally, there is not box to check for a criminal background check, as Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro participated in a “Ban The Box” movement years ago to remove that box from county job applications. This is often a hurdle for people with records - even for minor issues - to be considered for jobs.
Marc Molinaro said, “This grant enables us to bolster our public health team and ensure we can continue to deal with case investigation and contact tracing quickly to prevent spread. This is critically important as the reopening process continues, - particularly school reopenings - and greater interaction leads to case increases, we need to have the capacity to respond rapidly.”
About The Grant From New York State Department Of Health
The grant is intended to increase local health department staffing to conduct rapid and complete case investigations, including ensuing that once contacts are identified, they are reached within 48 hours and have access to testing. The additional staffing will also be available for daily monitoring of cases and contacts and ensure any social supports needs are being met and for effective isolation/quarantine.
DBCH Responsibilities Have Increased With Reopening Monitoring
The grant funding comes at a critical time as local health departments must take on an ever-increasing workload and the annual flu season approaches. Local health departments have seen their role greatly expanded beyond their normal areas of jurisdiction, particularly as the reopening process has continued.
For example, health departments were tasked with conducting gym inspections by the state as a requirement of reopening of gyms and fitness studios, though these businesses are not under the authority of local health departments. Locally, DBCH has been providing support and assistance to nursing homes, assisted living centers and developmentally disabled group homes, all of which normally work directly with NYS DOH.
Additionally, DBCH has been coordinating closely with colleges and school districts for their reopening planning. All of this goes beyond the normal workload of DBCH, which still continues and includes other disease and virus surveillance, such as Lyme disease and other tick-borne illness, as well as annual flu monitoring.
“Our public health team has been working non-stop for more than six months responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and I am exceptionally grateful to all of the extraordinary members of our team whose professionalism and dedication has been inspiring,” said DBCH Commissioner Dr. Anil Vaidian. “These additional Public Health Advisors will be welcome additions to our team and enable us to continue our fight against COVID-19, while ensuring we are also addressing other critical health concerns in our community including overdose prevention, tick-borne disease awareness, and much more.”
Rolls Of The New Public Health Advisors
The grant-funded Public Health Advisors will be responsible for performing investigations and advising on all phases of coronavirus pandemic control efforts. These individuals will be part of DBCH’s Rapid Response Team and take part in case investigation activities including index case and contacts interviews, provide education and public information, assist with data collection and creation of reports and analysis; and stay abreast of new techniques and information that can be locally adapted in the fight against COVID-19.
Interested candidates should have strong knowledge of public health communicable disease investigation as well as current trends relating to emerging techniques and treatment and must have strong interview and communications skills, with positive interpersonal skills to successfully inform and educate individuals and the public at large. Candidates should have the ability to prepare complete and concise reports. Candidates should have education and/or experience in nursing, social work, health education or a health-related field.
For full job descriptions and application information, visit www.dutchessny.gov/jobs. Application deadline is September 11th
With this information at one’s fingertips, it should be easier to get correct name spelling of an officer or detective, send an officer a Thank You note if they were helpful in a situation, and have better familiarity with who works for the City of Beacon.
You can find the list here on this PDF on the City of Beacon’s website. As of now, it is not dated with an “Updated” type note so as to see which officers no longer work for the City of Beacon, or which officer has been newly appointed. For instance, Officer Ryan Murphy was hired by the City of Beacon in early January 2020, and submitted his letter of resignation two months later on March 6, 2020. Ryan was part of a batch of new hires after the Beacon PBA and the City of Beacon agreed on a new contract which gave the officers retroactive raises of 2% for 2020, with an additional 2% raise slated for 2021 according to an article in the Poughkeepsie Journal. The contract also “decreases compensatory time from 48 hours to 40; compensatory time allows the officers to take time off instead of receiving overtime pay,” according to the article.
At that point, the number of police officers was 37, the highest it has been in years, according to then Chief Kevin Junjulas (since retired). A new hire also included Officer Michael J. Connor, a Beacon High School graduate who transferred from the City of Newburgh Police Department, who had been working for the City of Newburgh, who was let go along with 15 fellow officers and 14 firefighters when the City of Newburgh purged its public safety force due to budget constraints. As of today, according to Beacon’s list of police officers, there are 32.
Starting Saturday afternoon on October 3rd, Tara Simmons will begin a 100mile journey from Albany to Beacon. She plans to run through the night in order to complete the race on Sunday afternoon, October 4th at approximately 4PM, finishing at Beacon Riverfront.
Who is Tara?
A Beacon native, Tara has been running since the 7th grade when she joined her middle school cross country team has since gone on to complete 5 marathons, and 2 half iron woman.
Tara decided she would use running across America to achieve her dream to raise awareness of Human Rights, calling her race FLIP IT 4 RESPECT. She said her run will be all about “educating, empowering and encouraging ALL people of the importance of receiving and giving respect to ALL, in each moment, because we ALL deserve it.”
Running Against Domestic Violence
For Tara, October is symbolic of her journey in discovering her own Human Rights.Tara said,“October is domestic violence awareness month. Domestic violence is part of my story, but today I stand strong. I am running this October to pay tribute to a local organization, Grace Smith House, for their help in my journey, for helping me regain my strength. I’m more than my past, I’m stronger than my past, I’m excited for the future. I want others to know their right for respect.”
Tara plans to raise awareness of human rights by encouraging others to complete the United For Human Rights, free online e-course found at www.humanrights.com She will also be spreading the message through educational guides and conducting live workshops beginning this fall.
The Flip It 4 Respect run strives to bring attention to this message, across the country, one step, one kilometer, at a time. Her ultimate goal is to run from Death Valley, California by traveling a 100K a day, to Beacon, New York. She will tackle her goal of running across country while raising awareness by completing milestone races over the next few years. This race in October, will mark her first milestone for in the journey.
Along the way, Tara will be accompanied by a dedicated team of friends and family that will be on hand to support her with fuel for 100-mile journey. Among the crew will be Tara’s 3 children(ages 19, 14 and 11), who are among her most enthusiastic supporters. Her brother Rueben Simmons of Beacon’s Highway Department will also be running, cheered on by her sister Brooke Simmons of I Am Beacon.
While spending most of her time and energy planning her journey, Tara is also a middle school teacher and local fitness coach. She plans on sharing her experience with her students and hopes to inspire them to continue setting and reaching extraordinary goals. Tara hopes everyone takes her message of “Hope, Choice, Love. This 100-mile is a demonstration to myself and others, I’m more than the story I wrap myself in. If I can do it, you can too!”
Join Tara!
For anyone who would like to join in her efforts or to find out more about Simmons’ run, visit www.FlipIt4Life.com or find her on Facebook at Flip It 4 Life.
“FOIL Request: The name of any probationary police officer who quit or was fired during their probationary period since Jan. 1, 2010, and any documentation reflecting that separation from service.”
A list of names was provided. Documentation for two of the names was provided. One letter of resignation was from Trooper Katelyn Ruffolo, who resigned in January 4, 2018 to went on to work for the New York State Police.
Officer Ryan Murphy was the second resignation letter provided with the FOIL. Ryan resigned on March 6, 2020, and had been hired in January 2020, as reported by the Poughkeepsie Journal. Ryan is a Red Hook High School graduate. He was hired along with two other officers during the time when Newburgh laid off 15 police officers and 14 firefighters (Beacon hired one officer from that round of layoffs - Michael J. Connor).
Former Beacon Police Chief at the time Kevin Junjulas said: “he would have hired as many Newburgh officers as possible, but the Dutchess County civil service exam has different requirements from the Orange County civil service exam, making it impossible for officers to transfer unless they previously took the exam.” This is an important note to remember as we discuss Civil Service rules and how they define a job, and make hiring, firing and demoting possible and even easy.
Beaconites don’t usually hear about resignations of officers during public City Council Meetings. These may be discussed during the Executive Session portion of the meeting, which happens after the public portion.
Hey Hey!
So many things. Gyms are open! Your favorite yoga, pilates, fitness centers have been struggling, and Governor Cuomo has been reluctant to open. But an agreement has been reached, and Marilyn at A Little Beacon Blog has written all about it, so you can know what to expect.
Meanwhile, if you go to a bar, and the bartender insists your order some kind of delicious app, even if it's on the house, this is why. Governor Cuomo clarified guidelines in July that require bars, restaurants, breweries and tap rooms to offer food to customers, in order to encourage people to sit down/still in one place and not mingle and shoulder rub, as is usually the case in a bar. Syracuse.com wrote a great article about it with lots of details.
Scroll down for the rest of your Retail Therapy for the weekend in Beacon...
Story Screen Drive-In presents "The Iron Giant" and "Back To The Future"
Day: Friday-Sunday, August 21-23, 2020 Time: 8:15pm (Gremlins), 10:45pm (BHC) Location: The Park at USC, 724 Wolcott Ave, Beacon, NY
Parking will be on a first come first serve basis. You can arrive up to 15 minutes before your screening's scheduled start time to be assigned a space. Please be aware that you must arrive no later than 15 minutes after your screening's scheduled start time to attend the movie. All admissions sales must be completed in advance by reservation on the website. Tickets sales end one hour before the start of the screening. There will be no tickets available at the Drive-In box office. Information >
Fishkill's Summer Concerts In The Park With Cherished Memories (Doo Wop)
Day: Wednesday, August 26, 2020 Time: 6:30pm Location: Mauer-Geering Park located off Geering Way in Fishkill Information >
Story Screen & Beacon Recreation Presents Movie Night: Muppet Movie
Day: Thursday, August 27, 2020 Time: 8:15pm Location: Green Street Park, Beacon, NY Information >
Free Drive-In Movie at Wilcox Park “The Secret Life of Pets 2”
Day: Friday, August 28, 2020 Time: 7:30pm Location: Wilcox Park Route 199 Stanfordville, NY 12581 Information >
EAT CHURCH
511 Fishkill Avenue, Beacon, NY Pop-Up Alert!!
It was so nice, they have to do it twice! Once again, Eat Church will be back this Friday and Saturday with another Masa Mission Revue. This week, they will also be featuring a special of Elote (grilled Mexican Street corn). Location: 3091 Route 9, Cold Spring, NY Date/Time: Friday & Saturday August 21-22, 2020 from 4:00-8:00 PM. Information > Eat Church is an ALBB Sponsor!
BAJA 328 328 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Have you stopped by @baja328 and tried their special taco, Blackened salmon with fresh spicy mango salsa served on a lettuce wrap? Their kitchen always uses the freshest ingredients for their dishes. Stop by this weekend! 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, NY
This week, Meyers Old Dutch would like to know if you ever tried their chili burger?! They make their chili completely from scratch with 3 types of whole dried chili’s, local cider and a special house blend ground beef. More > Meyers Old Dutch is an ALBB Sponsor!
HOMESPUN
232 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Yummm. Risotto with Arborio Rice & Oyster Mushrooms, cooked down with vegetable stock and white wine for our vegetarian friends, finished with Paolo Bea Olive Oil.
Watermelon Salad with yellow and red watermelon, feta, cucumber, red onion, Brazilian little beak peppers pickled in house, red currants, torn mint and opal basil.
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL
288 Main Street, Beacon, NY
You won't believe it...Hudson Valley Food Hall is serving Brunch on Sundays! Saturdays and Sundays. Food and drink from each of the vendors in side. Know This: You can eat outside at their multi-picnic table setup, or on their lovely back patio with several ceiling fans! Tell your friends. Time: 11am - 2pm Saturday's & Sunday's with Drink & Food Specials: This Weekend:
- Made to Order Omelettes by Miz Hattie's BBQ
- French Toast w/ Blackberries by MomoValley
- Mimosas made w/ Fresh Squeezed OJ from The Roosevelt Bar
Hudson Valley Food Hall is an ALBB Sponsor!
BEACON HOTEL
424 Main Street, Beacon, NY
WHAT PERSON DOESN’T LIKE PIZZA?
A weirdough 🙃
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The Cauliflower crust pizza is Vegetarian and Gluten free, available at The Beacon Hotel Restaurant & Lounge. Don't worry meat eaters, you have the option to add chicken or shrimp to your pie! Beacon Hotel is an ALBB Sponsor!
LUXE OPTIQUE
181-183 Main Street, Beacon
At Luxe Optique, they offer the highest quality eyewear at every price point. Another piece for Summer, check out these sunglasses from @leisuresociety . Leisure Society is dedicated to heirloom design and creating an object once with the intention of having it last forever. Go Shopping > Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!
BINNACLE BOOKS
321 Main Street, Beacon
Copies of Colin Dickey’s latest book, “The Unidentified” might just have some eerie doodles by none other than the unidentifier himself, @colindickey. If you haven’t picked this up a copy yet, do so today. “With the same curiosity and insight that made ‘Ghostland’ a hit with readers and critics, [in ‘The Unidentified,’] Colin looks at what all fringe beliefs have in common, explaining that today’s Illuminati is yesterday’s Flat Earth: the attempt to find meaning in a world stripped of wonder." Information > Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
LEWIS & PINE
133 Main Street, Beacon
The fragrance diffuser is back, baby! A fresh batch has just been made here in Beacon by Lewis and Pine. We know you missed them (we did too!) and wondered where they went. They were out of stock for ages simply because the creator Yali was pregnant, but the baby has arrived, and the batch-making has resumed. Pictured here is the Hygge scent, which is great for coy home vibes as we enter cooler Fall weather. Come Into The Store! > Lewis & Pine is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
LA MÉRE CLOTHING AND GOODS
436 Main Street, Beacon
Well "Hello, Gorgeous!" - with new arrivals showing up regularly at La Mére Clothing + Goods, there's always a reason to come back. Check out their current Sandal sale - buy one, get one half off! As always, you can shop online 24/7 at lamereclothingandgoods.com HOURS: Wednesday- Saturday: 11am-6pm Sunday: 12pm-5pm Information> La Mere is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
SOLSTAD HOUSE
488 Main Street, Beacon
After making the short move from East Main street, Solstad House is now settled in their new digs, come by and say Hi! Solstad House is a unique mercantile and general store with carefully curated handmade goods from all over the country.
Hours:
Su: 11 - 6
M & T: Closed
W - Fi: 12 - 6
Sa: 11 - 7
BEACON MERCANTILE
493 Main Street, Beacon
Now available at Beacon Mercantile, these gorgeous floral card sets from @talfotostudio_ (because pretty mail feels like the absolute best kind of treat right now!). Floral photography by award-winning Brooklyn artist and photographer Tal Shpantzer. A delightful and personal way to send flowers of a different sort. Boxed set of 6 blank 5 x 7 cards with envelopes.
ANTALEK & MOORE
340 Main Street, Beacon
We sure do have lots of options here in the Hudson Valley when it comes to camping. From renting a cabin to reserving a spot for a little RV glamping or an event setting up a tent in your backyard . Antalek & Moore asks what is on your list of camping must-haves? Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!
TIN SHINGLE
Co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement, Alicia Garza, has signed with talent agency ICM Partners for representation. Look for big things to come from her. New-ish to the scene is her podcast, Lady Don't Take No, where she has interviewed Kamau Bell and other great leaders, content creators and organizers. Tin Shingle is getting the Media Contact Information for this podcast for those who think their brands are a fit for possible feature. Pitch it! Tin Shingle is an empowerment platform that trains you in how to pitch the media. Learn More >
CASTING CALL: Paid Gig: Documentary For Being Over 50 + Turning Your Dream Career Into A Reality
A documentary is looking for people aged 50+ who are pursuing their dreams for a year long documentary. The pay is SAG Union scale, and starts at $2670 for participation, and compensation is available for people who join your story. The casting agency NINA DAY is taking submissions now, and would love to hear from you. PRO TIP: record your submission on your phone as a video! NINA DAY needs your answers to a few questions. See this job listing at A Little Beacon Blog to get the questions, and directions for how to apply. Deadline is 8/20/2020 but don’t wait ‘till the last minute. If you know of someone 50+ who is pursuing their dream, tag them or tell them about this job listing. Job Details >
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 >
Lately, as we cover more police related news, and job fairness news, we have been asking what seem to be straightforward questions that have answers in the public domain, but have been given answers of: “Please submit a FOIL,” by the City Manager, Anthony Ruggiero. Normally super helpful with providing information, this answer has been surprising. A FOIL is the Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law, Article 6) (FOIL) grants members of the public access to the records of government in accordance with its provisions.
In Beacon’s case, it means that while Anthony might have the answer in a filebox behind him or down the hallway, we need to go to a website to officially submit a FOIL request, which may get sent to Beacon’s City Clerk, Iola C. Taylor, who also works down the hallway from Anthony (or maybe on a different floor, we actually don’t know this part), who then goes through a decision process on if the request can be granted, and sends us an estimate for any paper copy fees, and may or may not provide the answer to the question.
In Putnam County, an actual Secrecy Law was enacted which allows any public document or contract to be marked confidential for any reason. The Highlands Current has fun submitting FOILs to get the information, but we are not sure on their success rate.
Such questions of late have been:
What was the salary for Reuben Simmons when he was the Superintendent of Streets?
What was the salary for Michael Manzi when he replaced Reuben as Superintendent of Streets about a year after Reuben was hired?
These questions seemed straightforward because when expenditures are being discussed, salaries are presented. Like last year, when Beacon was hoping to hire an HR person (has since happened) at $65,000. An Human Resources (HR) Director was hired. Or a Climate Smart Coordinator at $9,500. Or the Deputy City Clerk as full-time in the City Clerk budget (1410) for $18,685.
In fact, the salary of the new Human Resources Director, Gina Basile, which was dubbed as a “shared service” with Fishkill, in that she is Fishkill’s Human Resources Director as well, is $88,000. We will have to follow up to see if that is a split cost with Fishkill, or if that is Beacon’s share. Perhaps the answer to the question will be: “Please submit a FOIL.”
As of now, the salary language in the contract is here: “Your annual compensation will be Eighty-Eight Thousand ($88,000) Dollars. Salary increases shall be at the discretion of the City Council and similar to other non-bargaining unit members. Under no circumstances will the salary in a subsequent year be less than the year before unless imposed as the result of discipline or a reduction in required work hours.”
Yay for great salaries, but the application of providing the information is inconsistent. The salaries for the Highway Superintendents were not stated in their Resolutions, however, when Reuben was hired to replace his successor, Anthony Thomaselli, Anthony was hired to stay on as temporary position of part-time Street Superintendent for $50.90 for 8 hours per day, for 3 days per week, from January 17, 2017 through February 28, 2017. This rate detail can be found in this Resolution agenda dated 7/17/2012, here in this Resolution. Payment detail doesn’t seem to be noted in Reuben or Michael’s Resolutions.
Salary and negotiated contract rates are usually in their Resolutions. But when they aren’t, why aren’t they? Sometimes the attorney forgets to include details. For example, when Gina was hired, her name was left out of her contract/Resolution. An oversight that was acknowledged and fixed in the 7/6/2020 City Council Meeting.
Next questions:
What are the names of Beacon’s female police officers?
What are the names of Beacon’s Black or mixed race officers, or officers who are Hispanic or have origins from South America?
The answer to these questions were: “Please submit a FOIL.”
The next question will be:
“What is Beacon’s Police Chief salary as of 8/17/2020, which is when the new acting Police Chief Frost was appointed. The new Acting Police Chief is paid a portion of that salary. While the proposed 2020 budget had it as $147,733. Time will tell what the answer is when confirmation is requested. FOIL? Or easy email response.
There are directions on the page at JustFIOA.com. For police or fire related questions, you’ll choose the "PDFD" form for all requests having to do with the Police or Fire Departments. (** Standard motor vehicle accident reports may be obtained directly from BPD. Please contact 845-831-4111 for further info**). The "Clerk" form is to be used for all other departments.
Keep in mind: Start with the City first. Ask your questions. If you get a “Talk to the FOIL” type response, click those links above. Form your question as precisely as you can. Consider submitting several questions if your question is covering too much ground.
If you were wanting to look up the name of a police officer in town, you will need to submit a FOIL request, according to the City Manager, Anthony Ruggiero when A Little Beacon Blog asked for a list of female officers, Black officers, and officers of color. Perhaps we should have rephrased the question to: “Can you send the list of all officers.”
FOIL stands for the Freedom of Information Law (Public Officers Law, Article 6) and grants members of the public access to the records of government in accordance with its provisions. When asked if the City of Beacon was publishing FOIL requests already received, Anthony answered: “The requested FOIL information is still being compiled. Once complete it will be posted on the website.” Once that is complete, it is not clear how long new requests will take to get published onto the website in an ongoing way.
When asked if Beacon had fulfilled Mayor Kyriacou’s promise of publishing the names of police officers onto the website, that he announced at the July 7, 2020 City Council Meeting, Anthony answered: “This information is being compiled and worked on and when complete it will be posted on the City Website.”
During an interview on ALBB’s sister podcast, “Wait, What Is That?” we asked Mayor Kyriacou if he thought it a good idea to publish names and pictures onto the website, as a way to get to know those in the community providing protection. As not everyone knows who the police officers are, as there are about 36 of them, and most people don’t need the police that often so as to meet each one. Mayor Kyriacou thought it a good idea.
A Little Beacon Blog will submit this FOIL request as requested, and will look forward to learning the names of those serving the community when they are published onto the website. It will be easier to wave “Hello!” when walking by someone on the street.
So excited to have the owner of Beacon’s Subway franchise, Joy Carden, as a guest on our next episode of A Little Beacon Blog’s sister podcast, “Wait, What Is That?”
Joy has been in Beacon for a while, but as a franchise owner, she nor her business are usually featured or recognized in a support-local movement. We didn’t even know about her until we started A Little Beacon Blog’s Black Owned Business Directory that Izdihar Dabashi edited (official announcement of that to come with logo design from The Hyacinth Group !) . In Tin Shingle land, we know all about the importance of franchises and big box stores in terms of the opportunities they offer to women like Joy who want to take a calculated risk in opening a business, and makers who want their products bought wholesale and sold in big stores. It’s a big world out there, and Joy is part of it.
She’s going to talk to us about how people treat the store, how she feels as a local business (hint: invisible), her last experience on many boards during her corporate life, and other revelations. Tune in! Co-Hosted by Katie Hellmuth Martin and Brandon Lillard
According to the Dutchess Business Notification Network, if you follow the guidelines, and submit your Affirmation, you are eligible to open as early as Monday, August 24th. The County or its delegates can perform inspection prior to the 24th or up to two weeks after your opening.
2) Review and follow the attached Detailed Guidelines HERE.
3) Complete and implement the Business Safety Plan TemplateHERE and maintain on-location for inspection.
4) Go to the link HERE and complete the Affirmation and hit submit, which will go to the state of New York. The State will notify the County within 24 hours of the receipt of the Affirmation. The County will then send you an acknowledgement email using the address provided in the Affirmation, and contact you to arrange an inspection.
Indoor Classes And Swimming Allowed By Dutchess County
The governor has given New York counties the option to opt-out of indoor group fitness and aquatics classes. In NYC, Mayor de Blasio has already declared that gyms will not reopen before September 2nd. However, Dutchess County will allow indoor group fitness and aquatics classes with the mandate that the County reserves the right to opt-out at any time for any reason, including an outbreak at a gym or fitness center, or locality, or an increase in the County’s infection rate.
How Are Businesses Responding?
In an announcement from All Sport Health & Fitness in Fishkill, they state “When we first received word that we had to close the doors to the club back in March, we could have never imagined we’d be closed for five months…While we can’t give you back those 5 months, we’ve sure taken those 150+ days to improve our club, implement new protocols, and provide you with a fitness facility that you feel comfortable returning to.” They installed new ventilation purifiers (REME HALO) and filters (MERV13), using electrostatic sprayers and cold foggers to deep clean and disinfect surfaces, just to name a few of the steps they’ve taken to keep their 80,000 square feet space clean and safe. They will reopen on Monday, August 24th.
Gold’s Gym also announced on their Instagram that all of their locations will also reopen on the 24th including Fishkill, Poughkeepsie, and Newburgh.
Closer to home, The Studio At Beacon plans to reopen August 31st pending the new air purifiers being installed as part of the new guidelines. Some of the news measure they will be taking are limiting class sizes to ensure social distancing, have gym wipes available to clients who wish to wipe down any equipment before or after use, and will schedule classes so that clients have ample space in the locker area before and after class. BeBhakti Yoga Center will continue to keep their classes outdoors in their freshly paved parking lot along with Wednesdays evenings at Long Dock Park. They have chosen to wait a little longer before hosting indoor classes again.
Required Face Covering To Work Out with 33% Capacity
This is a tough pill to swallow for fitness businesses and may face some resistance from members. In larger gyms, members can roam more freely between equipment use, face covering is understandable - like having to put your mask on if you leave your table at a restaurant. However, when your facility is only classes like Spin or Yoga, this can be more challenging as you are stationary in one space and the mask can get harder to breathe through as you sweat into it.
Gyms are allowed only a third of occupancy at a time - that’s 33%. For many gym goers, they will need to let go of the idea of just showing up when they feel like getting a workout in and instead, reserve a specific time. This is normal for specialized gyms who are used to reserving spots for a scheduled session or class.
Zero-Tolerance Policy
There will be a zero-tolerance policy as it relates to compliance. If an establishment is found to be out of compliance with regard to indoor group fitness and aquatics classes, the local government will issue a Cease and Desist order which will prohibit the activities indefinitely. Keep in mind, the Governor can amend his determination and guidance at any time.
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison are moving forward on the development of a Youth Opportunity Center at the site of the former YMCA on Montgomery Street in Poughkeepsie. The two leaders have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) establishing a formal partnership to redevelop the property, with Dutchess County pledging commitment for up to $25 million for the design and construction of a new Youth Opportunity Center at the site, according to a press release issued by Dutchess County today.
This property is not for sale, but partners are being sought in the development is what is available there. Says Colleen Pillus, Communication Director of Dutchess County: “The intent is take the building down and create an open space while design plans are worked on for the construction of the project and community partners are sought. The 35 Montgomery Street Coalition includes partners that could potentially play a role.
Each step of the project – demo, design, construction – will have to bid out.
Where Is The Former YMCA On Montgomery Street?
According to the City of Poughkeepsie’s development page: “This is a high-profile location, situated just south of Downtown Poughkeepsie, easily accessed from Routes 44/55 and 9. The site is adjacent to well used Eastman and Lincoln Parks, Garfield Place Historic District, and is across the street from Soldier’s Fountain, a National Historic Landmark. The site is less than 600 feet from the Adriance Memorial Library on Market Street and is 0.6 miles from Vassar Brothers Medical Center.”
About The Former Dutchess YMCA
The former Dutchess YMCA closed in 2009, but had offered community rooms, a fitness center, gymnasium, indoor track, and a large 25 yard swimming pool among other amenities. It was enjoyed by city and county residents - kids and adults - for decades, according to the development website. Afterschool programs offering academic assistance and physical fitness supported generations of Poughkeepsie youth. Since shutting its doors, the building has been vacant ever since. A a requirement was made on the deed in 1966 by then Common Council requiring educational use for the property, which was promoted when calling for submissions to develop the property. Poughkeepsie’s Common Council had the power to modify or remove the deed.
The Intent For The New Youth Opportunity Center
The MOU outlines the intent and process to build the Youth Opportunity Center, including agreement that the County will have joint ownership of the property with the City of Poughkeepsie. The City took ownership of the YMCA property as part of its anti-blight initiative last year with the goal of using the property to yield significant community benefit.) The County of Dutchess must have an ownership interest in the property in order to finance any construction through a bond under local finance law.
Next steps will include drafting and formalizing an intermunicipal agreement between the City and the County, which Mayor Rolison will submit to the City Council for approval at a future meeting. Following City Council adoption of the agreement, the Dutchess County Legislature will then vote to authorize the agreement. Once the intermunicipal agreement has been authorized by both bodies, County Executive Molinaro will forward a resolution to the County Legislature to finance the demolition of the building and creation of temporary green space, and future construction of the youth center.
Demolition and Green Space At First
With support from the City Council and the Dutchess County Legislature, the process will begin with the demolition of the existing structure due to deterioration and environmental concerns. The site will be transformed into community green space while plans continue for a youth center and other community benefit services on the more than 3-acre site.
County Executive Molinaro said, “The County is eager and determined to move forward with the development of the YMCA site to create a center where the youth of our county can have the support and resources they need from birth through adulthood. The center will serve as a compass for them on the Path to Promise. Though the past six months have tested us like never before, our resolve remains fervent, and we are making the deliberate, thoughtful decision to make this long-term investment in a countywide youth center. It is clear that as we look around us, both nationally and locally, that our society needs such a facility to help youth successfully navigate their path to adulthood and we are excited to take these next steps to bring this much-needed resource to fruition.”
“This is a significant step in our overall vision,” said City of Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison. “We will bring activities to this site that affirm our commitment to create a community and recreation resource for the public. Taking the building down and creating open space in the interim is a sound, practical move that will benefit the community. We greatly appreciate our partnership with Dutchess County to get this project moving and look forward to future steps that will greatly strengthen our community.”
The City and County will engage with 35 Montgomery Community Coalition, whose vision presentation for the site, which can be viewed at cityofpoughkeepsie.com/35montgomerystreet, involves a multi-use facility that would provide services connected to their respective missions in the community. The coalition, which includes Dutchess County as well as education and health care leaders, has been working together to determine the most appropriate organizational structure to advance the project. The City, County and the coalition will work to secure funding sources in addition to the County’s $25 million commitment.
Chairman of the County Legislature Gregg Pulver voiced his support for the plan saying, “A youth center has been part of our discussions for several years now and it is encouraging to have this clear path laid out. Once the City Council approves the agreement, I look forward this project being adopted in the County’s next Capital Plan.” Chairman Pulver noted he expects the proposal to have overwhelming support in the Legislature as part of the County’s Path to Promise initiative. He also noted Democratic lawmakers on both the Common Council and County Legislature just last week publicly stated support for the County investment, which should allow the process to begin soon.
Dutchess County’s Path to Promise initiative strives to ensure that all young people in Dutchess County – from birth through age 19 – have the assets they need to achieve their full potential as they grow into young adults. The Youth Opportunity Center will be home to many of the activities, programs, and organizations supported by Path to Promise. “It will be the first destination on a path to building a healthy, happy, and fulfilling life for young people. The Center is an investment in our young people, and therefore, an investment in our future,” concluded Molinaro.
Does Beacon Have A Youth Center?
No. Beacon used to, but it closed. It is referred to often in A Little Beacon Blog’s sister podcast, “Wait, What Is That?” Co-host Brandon Lillard grew up in Beacon and used to use the service often. Beacon does have a Recreation Center building at 25 Center Street, but that is mainly small offices with one small playroom that has programming in it sometimes.
Just 40 days into his 90 day temporary term as Beacon’s Acting Chief of Police, William (Bill) Cornett has stepped down from his position, and will return to retirement. Bill, as referred to by those who know him, was appointed to the position by Mayor Lee Kyriacou after Beacon’s then Chief Kevin Junjulas announced his retirement, along with Captain Fredericks, soon after police protests and the Black Lives Matter movement started nation-wide.
Lieutenant Sands Frost, who currently works for Beacon’s Police Department, has been appointed by unanimous vote of the City Council to replace Will Cornett, effective August 17, 2020. Mayor Kyriacou said during the appointment at the 8/17/2020 City Council Meeting that apparently no one had stepped forward to volunteer to be in the position until now. The position will pay a pro-rated percentage of the currently budgeted Police Chief salary, which is $147,733, according to the proposed 2020 budget. Mayor Kyriacou thanked Lieutenant Frost for stepping up, “even if it’s not your first choice sometimes.”
The appointment of William Cornett came with controversy, as the Teamsters Local 445 opposed the appointment, stating that William Cornett had been in retirement too long (retired in 2000). At the meeting to appoint William Cornett, Teamsters Local 445 representative, Mike Pitt, spoke to the benefit of promoting someone from within Beacon’s Police Department: “The Mayor continues to say that it is ‘Acting Police Chief’ and totally disregarding the promotion or acting part of someone who is already in a command position in the Police Department, who can make the transition a lot smoother until you actually make an appointment of a Police Chief, after a thorough search.”
At the August 3rd City Council Meeting, shortly after appointments were announced about who was on the selection committee to pick a new Police Chief, 18 callers called in to voice their opinions. Normally, 15 members of the public are on the call total, and maybe 5 of them speak. One of the residents who spoke during the Public Comment portion was Ciarda Hall, a founding organizer of Beacon4Black Lives. Normally callers need to state their name and address during these public portions of the City Council Meeting. While stating ones name is helpful, stating their address seems an overreach of privacy.
H, I’m Ciarda and I don’t feel safe stating my address .
As many of us know, the Chief of Police resigned last month. Last week, a committee was named to help choose the new Chief of Police in Beacon. It has come to my attention that the first candidate choice from Beacon4BlackLives was disqualified from the committee simply because you disagree with comments they made at the previous City Council Meeting. Comments that our whole team agrees with.
Nobody in the city agrees with your choice of Acting Chief. Residents in the city don’t feel comfortable and there has even been complaints of sexual harassment within the Police Department against him. the only person who agrees with your choice of Acting Chief, is your neighbor and close friend, William Cornett. Oh wait, isn’t that who you chose to be Acting Chief? Tea. Hasn’t he been off-duty for over a decade? Hasn’t there also been reports of him being racist? This is who you chose?
Nothing about the process to choose this committee or acting chief has been transparent and furthermore, how can we trust the integrity of a committee and have hope in positive change if you are only choosing people who agree with your shady politics based solely in re-enforcing white supremacy and maintaining the status quo?
How can we trust someone who is supposed to be our Mayor but has never reached out to me. The girl who created the Beacon4Blacklives team. A team who literally started this movement and shook the room in our entire city. We have got nothing from you but an automated speech that you already know my feelings towards.
Do you even care about black lives? It’s not that hard to show you care. Yet you continue to fail. stand up if you care Mr. Mayor and step down if you don’t. Because your job is not done when you find a new chief like you said it will be. Make a change. Thank you.
A Little Beacon Blog has reached out to the PBA’s Vice President, William Confield, for comment as to rumors of recent allegations of sexual harrasment, as well as to the City Council, Mayor and Administrator. Should we get a response, this article will be updated. What is also not confirmed is when when William Cornett stepped down, if he was asked to resign, if he volunteered, and if the City of Beacon was without a chief for a period of days before Lieutenant Frost’s appointment. We are unable to get a list of officers who work for the Police Department in order to check for who the female police officers are, as the list has not been published to the City’s website yet, but was supposed to be, as was announced in mid-July by Mayor Kyriacou.
Mayor Kyriacou also announced that the City would publish FOIA requests to its website, when members of the public inquire about the backgrounds of police officers. But those requests do not seem to have been published yet.
A Bit Of Beacon History - Real Old School - 1977 and 1988
Officer William Cornett had worked for Beacon for decades, and was on duty during the “racial disturbance” as described by the Poughkeepsie Journal on May 21, 1977. It was during this time that the Spirit of Beacon Day started, as a way to temper racial tensions. At the time, William Cornett was an officer with Beacon’s Police Department, and disputed the release of 3 Black youths (plus 1 who made bail) who were arrested apparently during a riot situation in Beacon.
Photo Credit: The Poughkeepsie Journal
According to the newspaper from May 21, 1977, “Officer William Cornett, in a prepared statement, said the release of 3 Black youths in their own recognizance 'compounded the violence done by roving bands of thugs.’ Cornett said local citizens should make known opposition to the release. ‘Efforts to protect the public will be futile without their support,’ he said.” The Beacon PBA at the time was also critical of the release of the Black youths, according to the article.
The 1977 article goes on to say that City Court Judge Ian MacDonald released Brian Medley, 17, Ervin Burton, 19, and Michael Bell, 16, following their arraignment on felony riot charges (they are much older today). A fourth defendant, Robert McNair, 16, was held in $1,000 bail pending a later hearing. McNair, back in 1977, was charged with assaulting a police officer and resisting arrest. Cornett said McNair posted bail and was free on that Friday afternoon. Then City Court Judge Ian MacDonald honored a request from then Assistant D.A. Thomas Dolan to release the Black youth. “I think the assistant D.A. was right,” the judge said. “I realized the decision might be unpopular. But these were young people and they did not have a criminal record.” MacDonald also noted that the youths had not used weapons, according to the article.
William Cornett was also in Beacon for a jail cell hanging in 1988. According to a Poughkeepsie Journal 1988 article, the headline of which read: “Theft suspect found hanged in Beacon jail,” went on to explain: “A 36-year-old burglary suspect arrested Saturday by Beacon City Police hanged himself in the Police Department lockup 4 hours after he was taken into custody, police reported.” William Cornett was quoted in the article, and was then a Lieutenant. At the time, he could not release the man’s name, but confirmed that the man had been found hanged in a holding cell at 8pm that evening.
During William Cornett’s appointment to Acting Police Chief in July 2020, Mayor Lee Kyriacou stated that Officer Cornett was the only one the Mayor trusted during Beacon’s dark days of the police department (Mayor Kyriacou and William Cornett are also neighborly and shared a house driveway). Mayor Kyriacou was responsible for launching a Federal Investigation into the Beacon Police Department in the 2000s, which was innitially inspired by Mayor Kyriacou wanting to cut down on overtime pay. Listen to ALBB’s sister podcast, “Wait, What Is That?” to learn all about the Mayor’s experience with the investigation., which led the Beacon Police Department to become accredited, a rarity in these parts that other municipalities like Fishkill are now trying to earn. Former Mayor Randy Casale also speaks on the podcast about the dark days and his role in putting body cameras on Beacon Police Officers.
In the beginning…there were the texts. “My friend (cousin, aunt’s best friend) works at the Pentagon and he told me that the government is going to shut everything down in 2 days.” Perhaps you received texts like this too. Insider information. Scoop. It most likely drove you to drive very fast to the grocery store and buy $800 worth of groceries in a blizzard-prep mentality - each week - thus wiping out your savings before the actual pandemic was acknowledged, with the actual business shutdown requiring the $600/week Pandemic Insurance and a slippery PPP business loan. The physical lock down in one’s home never came, with soldiers patrolling the streets, but the business train wreck did.
Now with set to open, and botched roll-outs happening in other states, new quarantine fears are percolating: Quarantine Part 2. The new text thread includes a Facebook video of a woman at her home in New York, showing you how New York State, and the Governor specifically, wants to take your children, using the excuse of they might be infected with COVID-19, a disease which she says doesn’t exist. To prove it, she proceeds to show a video of her laptop screen reading the details of this bill - A99 - about how the Health Commissioner can and his or her opinion, remove you from your home and put you in detention until you are no longer contagious. For basically any amount of time.
The bill is a pretty freaky read, and at immediate first glance, was started in January 2019. But if you scroll down and dig in, it was really started in 2015 (which is just after an 2014 Ebola outbreak occurred in the United States) by Assembly Member Nick Perry, and has never seen the light of day. Nick’s Assembly District is 58, which is in Brooklyn. His office is at 903 Utica Avenue. You can read the 2015 version here.
A Change.org petition to fight the 2019 version of this bill started at least 4 months ago in April 2020 by Buffalonians Against Excessive Quarantine (716), to petition the NYS Assembly. So far, this bill is introduced every year, and it sits in a status called “In Committee,” is marked as “Active,” then seems to die.
The fear that the language of this bill has tapped into is not unfounded. It certainly describes what happens to illegal immigrants when they are caught coming into the United States seeking asylum. They are detained for legal amounts of time that get renewed, and their children are taken from them. Most recently, actions granted by the Trump administration, as reported on in a joint article from the Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and reported on by other news outlets like NBC.
Those who are concerned about quarantine law, could read an analysis of existing laws here. If you are a doubter of the pandemic, and don’t trust any data or science presented to you, one option is to look at the hospitals to see if they are full, and the funeral homes to see if they are wall to wall, and sometimes to the ceiling, with caskets. Like here in this New Yorker article, or here in Popular Mechanics. As is what happened in New York during the early months of this COVID-19 pandemic. Similar pictures exist for the 1917 flu pandemic.
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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.
