"Last Call 10pm" And The Retail Therapy Guide 11/13/2020
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Beacon Restaurant Owners Respond To 10pm Alcohol Curfew: The Grill Is Hot
/As coronavirus cases surge across the country, with states like North Dakota declaring that their hospitals are 100% at capacity and they don’t have enough nurses who are not infected, while Ohio warns that their hospitals may soon be over-capacity, and every day the United States out-does itself with the next highest record, Governor Cuomo nipped it by nixing late night drinking after 10pm at bars and restaurants. They can continue to cook for to-go orders, but in-person service will stop. Gatherings at home are limited to 10 people, and gyms must also close at 10pm.
At first blush, this seems to target canoodling. As one 8 year old observed: “Everybody knows that COVID cases are coming from people kissing at bars.” The truth may be that infections are spreading at home as people get lax in their social circles. With Thanksgiving coming up, Governor Cuomo just decided for you on if you were merging with another family, depending on the size of yours. Which may be good, as family table talk could get fiery with the election still in the rear view mirror.
For some restaurants in Beacon, the surge in take-out, delivery, parklets (seating in the street) and new safety measures have helped keep their businesses alive. We checked with business owners in Beacon to see how this curfew will impact them, interviews with some are below.
The eateries most impacted will most likely be Hudson Valley Food Hall, with the limitation of the Roosevelt Bar, Barb’s Fry Works, who just opened a stall inside HV Food Hall to cater to the late night drinking crowd, and The Beacon Hotel, who is known for their late night lounge service.
Max’s On Main, one of the original a late-nighters in the game, pivoted already to focus on food and take-out. The Eat Church Food Truck used to be hunkered down at Industrial Arts Brewing on Rte. 52, but long ago pulled up the pins and was serving from Marbled Meat Shop in Cold Spring, and will bounce to Kingston next. Sadly, Joe’s Irish Pub, announced their permanent closure and retirement in early November 2020.
We interviewed several owners below, and heard from others as well.
Some Restaurants Already Started Closing At Or By 10pm
MEYERS OLD DUTCH
Meyers Old Dutch (MOD) owner and chef Brian Arnoff used to have a weekend late night crowd, but stopped when he re-opened during the pandemic. “Since COVID started, we’ve been closing by 10pm anyways. We used to stay open until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. Thankfully, this shouldn’t impact us. At least for now anyways.”
CHILL WINE BAR
Jim Svetz, owner of Chill Wine Bar, is also able to proceed, saying: “Thankfully this won’t impact us that much, since we reopened with already limited hours Friday and Saturdays, from 5pm-10pm. So no change here. I think most places with limited indoor seating will have a difficult time this winter. But we will get through this together.”
HOMESPUN
New owner of Homespun, Joe Robitaille, who is a wine expert (aka sommelier), has increased the amount of wine bottles and specialty beer they sell from the store, which “has helped us so much,” he told us when mulling over Thanksgiving and catering options. Look for a possible fire-pit and heaters in the back garden, but that is not confirmed yet.
BANK SQUARE COFFEE HOUSE
Bank Square Coffee House is a coffee house that caters to a beer crowd for day-drinking and lightly into the evening. Says their manager: “I do believe it might impact our weekend crowd. Now with winter coming along, we depend a lot on our weekday regulars and our occasional busy weekends. Now with not many people being able to stay out late, I think we might see a little less of a weekend crowd. Fortunately, we close at 8pm even on weekends, so we won’t get too impacted.”
Late Night Bars With Food Who Pivoted With The First Re-Opening
QUINN’S
Quinn’s was one of the last restaurants in Beacon to re-open, waiting until summer. For this latest restriction, Quinn’s manager, Stamper, was feeling prepared: “After our hiatus between May and August, we re-opened understanding that we would not be a late night place again for a long while. With this in mind, we shifted our hours to incorporate lunch and closing at 9pm. With the removal of Main Street parklets, losing our outdoor dining, we’ve recently opened up indoor at an exclusive capacity, and with new hours: 5pm-11pm. This change was so fresh, that most customers still assume our kitchen is only open until 9pm, and so orders taper off around then. Ultimately, we’re losing an hour, but the bulk of our business is kept between the 5pm-9pm hours, and I’m certain as word spreads, folks will hang at Quinn’s until 10pm. Thank you!”
MAX’S ON MAIN
Max’s on Main is where you go where everybody knows your name, at practically any time of the day. You need a Blondie dessert at 11pm after having a great dinner at Dogwood? You go to Max’s. However, after the re-opening, they too shifted their late night bar scene to be heavy in food. We caught up with Jesse Kaplan, son of co-owner Richie Kaplan, and bar tenders Stephanie and Mary.
Said Jesse: “We were one of the business that served food the latest. Our customers know that we are available here later than some other places, and they have been very supportive of that. We are going to take a hit for that. But, we care about everybody being safe. If this is what we have to do to help the community be safe, then we are all in favor. I would never want to put the community at risk. We have been very careful here about everything. Face masks. Sanitation. Temperature. If we have to close at 10pm, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Will alcohol sales hurt Max’s? Jesse explains: “Our identity changed a little bit as a result of the pandemic. We made the decision to operate the business more as a restaurant once the pandemic hit, with an understanding that we would lose those alcohol sales, but our customers and our staff would feel more safe.”
Delivery is now available at Max’s. Right now, the crew is driving. “We all have been pitching in. Richie takes a delivery. I have been known to take a delivery or two. Stephanie (a bartender and former reporter and student in cyber crime) will take one one the way home at the end of her shift. The staff has really stepped up to pitch in.”
Stephanie chimed in to say that right away after the pandemic started, the community was very supportive and ordered a lot of food. Jesse recalls phone-in orders, where people will say: “Hi, I’m calling in an order, and I ordered from Brother’s earlier, and the Diner yesterday. I want to do my part to support restaurants in town. We are very thankful for that.”
True Late Night Bars Are Digging In
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL VIA THE ROOSEVELT BAR
Owner of the Hudson Valley Food Hall (HV Food Hall), Marko Guzijan was cruising right along with the bar business at the Roosevelt Bar until 1am, which was doing so well that Barb’s Butchery, who enjoys popping up on Main Street at the Farmer’s Market from time to time from her home base of Spring Street, had just opened a stall inside the food hall called Barb’s Fry Works, which catered to the hungry late night crowd. HV Food Hall is very spacious inside, with tall ceilings, and has a generous patio on their corner lot.
Said Marko, who was looking forward focusing on his 40th birthday: “The late night crowd has been very good for us. Barb’s Fry Works just opened, and her business model is based on staying open with the bar. So it’s a big hit. Everyone in the Food and Beverage business wants to do the right thing. If shutting down helps end the pandemic, then let’s do it. But it feels like the Governor just keeps punching down and hurting Food and Beverage businesses.
“We try to follow the rules. We implement new business models, and then the Governor changes it all up and offers us nothing in return. We have to help out with overhead and bills. Central Hudson still charges the same rate, Optimum charges the same rate, our insurance is based on the size of the business, but our business is cut by over half. I think all small businesses will do what is best for the greater good, but it feels like we are the ones taking the larger hit on our business.”
What new things has HV Food Hall done to accommodate the pandemic? Marko describes: “The food hall bar business model for us is fast/casual and self-service. With the new restrictions, we have had to hire more staff (2 hosts, 2 servers, a barback, and 2 busboys). Now we need to figure out if we need that staff anymore. I really don’t want to lay people off in a pandemic, but might not have a choice.
“We have limited our seating because of the 6 feet rule, which has forced us to turn people away at times. Because of the food rule, the bar will buy food for patrons instead of forcing them to spend more money on something they don’t want. We have 25+ staff in the whole food hall, and have not had a single positive test. When someone doesn’t feel well, they stay home and close the stall. We then pay for a commercial cleaning company to come in and deep clean everything, at a cost of almost $1,000. Five guys in hazmat suits spend 4-5 hours going over every inch of the food hall. We do these things and we’ve never had a staff member test positive.
“As the rules keep changing, we start running our business in fear. At any point, the Governor can send people in and take away the liquor license. I would love to have live music for Saturday and Sunday brunch, but can’t get clarification on if it is allowed or not. So I don’t let it happen, even though a few of the chefs have pushed for it.”
THE BEACON HOTEL
The Beacon Hotel was fully renovated a few years ago by a different ownership team. Jon Lombardi started as the general manager there, and is now co-owner. Under his management, The Beacon Hotel has become an eatery for all times: brunch, lunch, dinner, and operates as a lounge in the evening. Jon was walking past his restaurant when we caught up with him. When asked about the change, he didn’t flinch. “We’re ready. I’ve got my flyer. I’ve got my to-go glasses.”
Jon is never one without ideas, and has inspired his pandemic survival package with a “Last Call: 10pm” theme. Patrons can order to-go shots with group discounts, different cocktails in cute mason jars, and perhaps the best part: if you bring back your mason jar for a refill the next day or days later, you get a discount. Food has always been available to go at The Beacon Hotel, and continues to be, which includes rotating specials and themes for whatever is going on.
There are other bar/restaurants in town, but we did not get their definitive plans in time for this article. Wishing everyone the best, and to keep on ordering.
Reminder About Comment Policy; No Grammar Shaming; Bias In The Media
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After last week’s reaction to news, we are running an article to remind everyone about the Comment Policy at A Little Beacon Blog. As a result of the insults being thrown around throughout the pandemic, which peaked during election week, and will continue as we cover racial and pandemic topics, and quote people (any people), the insult darts from neighbor to neighbor are going to continue. This is how we deal with them at A Little Beacon Blog:
Comments Are Privileges, Not Rights
Back in the days when print media was the only way to get the news delivered to you in some format that was not word of mouth, people had the opportunity to write in a Letter to the Editor. Of the letters received, only a few could be selected. So it’s a big deal to be printed. Now with website platforms, people can publish comments usually un-moderated. Some websites thrive on this activity. ALBB does not. We do not relish in discomfort, hurt, punches through words.
While a news story might hurt someone’s feelings, it is usually a reflection of what happened. In a news story, reading the truth might hurt, or reading yourself quoted when you spoke at City Council Meeting or other public meeting might feel awkward, but that’s another matter.
The following types of comments will be deleted if left on our Instagram or Facebook, and will not be accepted to be published here on this blog:
Name Calling, like “They are stupid!” Phrases that disrespect people, especially those phrases that combine a word that implies a mentally disabled person. No matter what side you are on, or if you are blended into both sides, if you imply others as being stupid, your comment may be deleted.
False Accusations. When an implication is made in a comment, sometimes we will know who the person is, and if the claim is true. If we cannot validate an event mentioned in a comment, usually we use the comment as a lead to follow up on with the proper authorities, or get more information from that person.
First and Last Names Required, usually: When publishing a comment here at the blog, you need to include your first and last name, and your actual email. If you include just your first name, and your correct email, we may consider publishing it. But really, if you stand behind what you say, you won’t be afraid to include your first and last name. If you use a false email, we won’t publish it. Emails are kept private. They are not published, and we do not add them to our newsletter list.
Try to contribute a thought. If you’re making a comment, please try to contribute a thought that we all can benefit from, as we consider different angles.
Time to disengage. If a comment conversation gets too heated, with insults piling up, we will ask you to stop. Please respect this and move on.
Facebook Alias: If you use an alias at Facebook, and we find out, we may delete your comment. Already we have corresponded with people who do use aliases for various reasons. Those who do use an alias have so far left the most bully-ish comments. If you want to be a bully, do it under your full name with your face for us all to get to know you better.
Instagram Alias: Instagram is a different vibe than Facebook. It was not designed to be like a moving yearbook. If you use a cute name at Instagram, we are fine with this, and may quote you using your Instagram handle.
Quoting from Instagram or Facebook: When you leave a comment at Instagram or Facebook, it is public for the world to see, so we will not ask your permission to quote it if we lift it for an article.
Exceptions to these rules: If you leave a horrific comment, we may actually leave it up, so that others can learn more about you.
Grammar Shaming
What has become clear during the 2020 election is that one group is being implicated as stupid, while that group despises the other group for being elitist smarty-pants types. While one group viewed the 45th president as a great leader, others viewed and experienced him as a bully.
Grammar Shaming is an act of bullying. It is taking the distraction of one’s error in using a official word - either spelled or pronounced - and discarding them based on a spelling error or grammar flub. We discussed this with former mayor Randy Casale in a podcast episode on “What, What Is That?” Randy uses his own diction in pronouncing some words, and for years has been discounted and cut down for it in Facebook. And he’s not the only one who is grammar shamed. It happens all of the time in social media when someone spots a misspelling, etc.
Cutting someone down for the way they speak is wrong. If a white person did that to a Black person, it would be racist. If a white person does it to a white person, it is rude and hurtful. Both versions are an act of being a bully and are hurtful.
People love finding misspelled words. It basically makes them feel better about themselves, because they also make mistakes. But there are several things to consider here:
Ideas are not discounted just because someone spelled something wrong, or uses their own diction. If you see an error, and you want to snicker, keep it to yourself, and do not use ALBB’s social media to point it out.
The English language really is not logical. For those who are professionals at it - good for you. The logic just isn’t consistent. Why are “dove” and “love” pronounced with a soft “o” and “move” is spelled with a hard “o”?
Why does “y” sound like a “y,” except when it’s at the end of a word like “happy?”
There is probably a grammerly type answer for these questions, but that doesn’t mean they are logical or contribute to an easy life :)
So give everyone a break, and don’t use Grammar Shaming if you disagree with someone.
Editing For Spoken and Written Word
There are times when people speak in their style, and their grammar is unique, or part of a dialect of their community. We tend to not edit for that, especially when we transcribe a speech. The speaker loves the way they speak, and we want to respect that. If a speaker asks that we edit a pronunciation, we can do that.
Usually in press releases, if we feel that there needs to be an extra comma, and we really want to add one, we won’t. We love commas! And run-on sentences. If a press release forgot a word, like “not,” then we reach out if the context doesn’t make sense.
Holding Ourselves Accountable Too
There are lots of times we want to reply to a comment, but don’t, as it’s mainly a conversation space for you. We also know that you like your media on the neutral side. But sometimes we dip in. Know that we too are sitting on our hands and biting our tongues if a really snarky or sarcastic comment is trying to come out. We try to follow a guidline of not responding after 7pm, as that’s when words can get really spicy. We try to give it a minute.
Bias In The Media
Every single media outlet is biased, because it is run by humans. Even if the media was created by a computer, the machines learn, right? So they eventually lean in a certain direction. When a writer has an idea, they have an idea for a reason. From the genesis of their idea, or their clue that they are onto a good story idea, they are biased with that idea.
When they pitch it to their editor, their editor gets to make the choice of if the writer can pursue it or not. That editor is also biased. Everyone putting the publication together has a bias. Even the layout artist who is arranging pictures and words and headlines, to find what stands out more. You can’t not be, because you are alive and process information around you.
To accuse a media publication of being “biased” and that being the reason you stop reading is … a sign that you don’t like that one article. Everyone likes to hate on the Poughkeepsie Journal, except when that newspaper breaks a great story that proves your opinion.
Of the two people who unsubscribed from our last newsletter digest, one person had moved, and the other person, an avid reader and inspiration for our Where To Buy Easter Egg Stuff On Main Street Gift Guide (she DMed us from Target, where she put everything back and wanted to buy on Main Street), unsubscribed to say that the publication had become too biased.
That newsletter digest contained the article about the truck train, and article about the second Black person to be appointed onto Beacon’s Board of Education, and how Beacon’s Superintendent was committed to keeping the theme of Undoing Racism in the school’s curriculum.
So if this publication is biased because it is writing about Black people, and making a point to do so more, then yes, that is how we lean into our bias.
“But I’m not racist.”
That’s great!! This comment has been circulating a lot by people who say they are not racist. One of the first steps of not being racist is to be anti-racist. That little word, “anti,” means that you are putting out an extra effort to not be racist.
Part of not being racist is to believe people. If someone tells you a story, or shares a video of someone shouting “white power” in front of the Beacon Post Office, the comment that shows you are not racist would be: “Oh my gosh. That is dreadful. I am so upset he was part of our rally.” Or “Oh my gosh. I know him. I am ashamed that he did that in our rally. I am going to speak to him later.”
But if you say: “I did not hear that from the car I was in.” or “Did you it see coming out of his mouth? Did you see his mouth move?” This will signal that you are in denial. An person in denial contributes to racism. Which brings us back to being anti-racist. Several people who supported the Trump caravan did say these statements - stating that they did not hear anything and wanting more proof than it captured in a video - and it fueled the tension because it was denial. It also stunned a lot of fellow readers.
Ultimately, all of the readers wanted no racism. Anti-racism is how we get there. If you hear a story told to you, and then you respond by telling a story that counter-balances the testimonial given to you, you have denied that person’s testimony. That is not an act of being anti-racist. That is an act of being in denial, and contributing to racism.
You can also know, that our readership has grown with our racial coverage. White people reading are wanting to know more about Black people and their culture - a culture that exists within this very white community but isn’t covered that much - if at all - by the media. So we are trying our best to increase that.
In between breaking news stories about the pandemic or police or whatever else keeps happening.
Thank you for reading, and for your support. This community wants the same thing. Getting there is a unique journey, and never ends. It is a journey we will always be on, so is daily work.
Reminder From Beacon Arts To Apply for Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts Grants
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From Beacon Arts: Gwen Laster and Creative Strings Improvisers Orchestra, 2019 Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts Grant Recipient.
Reminder: Applications now being accepted for the Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts 2020 Grants
Deadline: November 15, 2020
The goal of the Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts is to fund Beacon projects not generally supported by other area arts organizations, including individual artist’s projects, unique exhibition, performance or public art projects, arts education programs, and community projects that promote area artists and arts activities and that draw attention to the valuable role of arts and culture in our community.
To honor Clara Lou Gould upon the occasion of her retirement after 18 years of service as Beacon’s Mayor, and in recognition of her support of arts and culture in Beacon, BeaconArts created a special Fund for the Arts named for Beacon’s former Mayor. Because Mayor Gould was born and raised in Cold Spring but spent most of her adult life in Beacon, the arts fund is designed to support arts and cultural projects and activities in the Greater Beacon community, including projects that may be initiated outside Beacon but benefit the arts community in the Beacon area of New York.
The Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts is a component fund of the Community Foundation of Dutchess County.
The 2020 round of applications for the Clara Lou Gould Fund for the Arts is now open, for projects taking place between December 1, 2020-November 30, 2021.
Applicants must be a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization or be fiscally sponsored by one. If you would like information about fiscal sponsorship through BeaconArts, please visit Beacon Arts website.
Application deadline: November 15, 2020
Apply Online Now
10 Is The New Number In New York: Establishment With A State Liquor Authority License Must Close By 10pm; Private Gatherings Limited To 10 People
/With COVID-19 cases rising in the nation and in New York, Governor Cuomo announced today via press conference that any establishment with a State Liquor Authority license must close by 10pm. The Dutchess Business Notification Network reported the news quickly. The Executive Order is to come, but you can watch the announcement here.
Hospitalizations in New York are up overall, as are deaths. While the average number of deaths over the summer was at around 4, lately it has been climbing, with yesterday reaching 32. While this is very sad, and overall low compared to New York’s death number in the spring, the increase is notable. Governor Cuomo in his daily emails has been stressing to limit private gatherings, and did remove the liquor license from a wedding venue in Long Island who hosted a wedding that exceeded reduced capacity, and ended up being a super spreader.
From his 11/9/2020 nightly email: “A Long Island country club lost its liquor license after hosting an illegal, super-spreader wedding. As we have seen time and time again, large gatherings can unfortunately turn into super-spreader events. The State Liquor Authority has suspended the liquor license for the North Fork Country Club following a wedding which violated pandemic-related guidance. A total of 113 guests attended—more than double the number allowed—leading to 34 COVID-19 infections, and scores of people in quarantine. New York will not tolerate illegal and dangerous mass gatherings.”
Said Governor Cuomo Tuesday evening: “In the micro-cluster focus areas, the positivity rate was 5.59 percent. Excluding these areas, it was 2.56 percent.” He has always indicated the “tighten the valve” method as numbers increase, and this is one of those measures, without fully shutting things down.
The Dutchess Business Notification Network also reported that while the physical location must be closed, restaurants and bars may continue to serve take-out and delivery options for food items.
Gyms are also required to close each night at 10PM.
Gatherings at private residencies must now be limited to 10 individuals maximum.
35 Restaurant Closures Including Dunkin’, Stewart’s, Bonefish Grill, Cousins Ale House, and Others
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As winter is coming, and extended outdoor dining in parklets (aka designated areas in parking spots on the streets) has ended as of November 1, 2020 in Beacon, restaurants are facing an incredible challenge to stay open. Some restaurants are able to keep their sidewalk dining open, and some have courtyards in the back. Some have been able to succeed through delivery options. Trax Coffee Roasters, based in Beacon, just opened a second location on Rte. 52, at the boarder of Fishkill and Beacon. For a list of which ones, see A Little Beacon Blog’s Restaurant Guide.
The radio station WPDH, ‘The Home of Rock and Roll’, has shared a list of at least 35 restaurants that are closing in the Hudson Valley. Some that have been in business for over 30 years! Reasoning for some closures are unknown, and others are due to COVID-19. Visit WPDH for more reporting they did on each restaurant regarding thier reasons for closing, most of which are pandemic-related.
WPDH also shared that, “Dunkin' is set to close at least eight New York locations. Dunkin' confirmed plans to close 450 locations, mostly on the East Coast, by the end of 2020. All of the Dunkin' closures are stores located inside Speedway gas stations. In the Hudson Valley, there are Dunkin' stores inside Speedway locations in Highland, New Windsor, Saugerties, and two in Kingston according to Google Maps. In New York, there are also locations in Hudson, Norwich and Margaretville. Click Here to read more.”
Below is a quick list of the restaurants closing. Be sure to read the article at WPDH for their reporting.
Beacon
Dunkin’ Donuts, on Rte. 52.
Other Dunkin’ Donuts inside of Speedway gas stations will also close, as walk-in foot-traffic has diminished.
Fishkill
Il Barilotto (on Main Street)
Wappingers Falls
Stewart’s Shops on Route 9D
Cousins Ale House, which includes the entire brewery, not just moving to a new location.
Michael's
Rita’s Italian Ice
Poughkeepsie
Sweet Obsessions
Nic L Inn Cellar Bistro & Market
Bonefish Grill
Table Talk Diner
Ruby Tuesday at the Poughkeepsie Mall (the Fishkill location had already closed months prior to pandemic)
Amici's
Newburgh
Cena 2000 (on the Newburgh Waterfront)
Waterfront Lounge and Grill (on the Newburgh Waterfront)
Union Square
Wallkill
Zoghby's Blueberry Mountain Ice Cream
Napanoch
White Wolf Restaurant
New Windsor
Sweet Peas Cafe
Kingston
TCBY
Duo Bistro
Dunkin’ Donuts
Irvington
Dexter’s Den
Scarsdale
California Pizza Kitchen
Montgomery
88 Charles Street Cafe
Garrison's Tavern & Restaurant
Veterans Day Recognized In Beacon With Ceremony And County-Wide Convoy Of Emergency Vehicles
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Beacon’s Memorial Building at 413 Main Street.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
As is tradition in Beacon, a ceremony was held at 11am at the Memorial Building at 413 Main Street to lay a wreath in honor of those who served and are serving, hosted by VFW Post #666. Normally a large group gathers outside to witness the ceremony, but due to COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings, Dutchess County instead offered a county-wide convoy of emergency service vehicles including police, fire, county, armed services, and local municipal vehicles to drive through every municipality in Dutchess County, “to safely recognize and celebrate the sacrifices of local veterans,” according to the City of Beacon’s website.
Said County Executive Molinaro about the day: “On Veterans Day we honor our nation’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the greater good. In their honor we will travel every corner of the county, heralding their service and once again celebrating these brave and heroic individuals. I encourage everyone to safely enjoy this convoy or any of the other community events happening throughout Dutchess. We are better, stronger and safer because of their service and sacrifice.”
Veterans of the VFW Post #666 help their fellow veterans whenever possible. A recent event was “helping a fellow member and Korean War Veteran, with some house repairs and upgrades to enable him to safely remain in his home,” according to a post on their Facebook page.
Members of VFW Post #666 helping a fellow member with upgrades to his home to improve the safety of his house.
Photo Credit: VFW Post #666
Beacon Shoppers Pop Up With Joyful Noise After Election Results Are Declared
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Saturday started a stunner of a weekend, with the sunshine and warm weather. The stunner of a surprise happened mid-day Saturday, when the 2020 election results were declared and just over one half of America began celebrating. Locals and visitors were already out and about to enjoy shopping on Beacon’s Main Street, which grew enhanced with joyful honking of passing cars.
As cars passed, some people walking on the sidewalk clapped and cheered. Twins Barber Shop had a DJ spinning beats, and Joy, the owner of the Subway franchise, stepped outside to film what was developing on Beacon’s mile long Main Street. She wasn’t alone. Several shop owners and staff also stepped outside to look at the cheers, take pictures, and step back inside for the hustle and bustle that is Saturday in Beacon.
While not organized, this demonstration of horn honking was impromptu and was done by drivers as they drove from Point A to Point B of their Saturday errands. Patrons outside of several eateries like Homespun, Zaitun, Max’s On Main, Amacord, Towne Crier Cafe, and others, lifted their arms when someone banged a drumb, clanged a pot, shook a tambourine, or sounded a horn. A few cars drove around several times, like one vehicle who was playing the National Anthem.There was very little if any police vehicle presence, as this was not a demonstration, but people reacting while going about their days.
Strangers gave socially distant high fives, people listening to different music in their ear buds joined rhythm and danced together while passing each other. The reaction was not isolated to one area of Main Street, or to one time of the day. This lasted the entire length of Main Street, from the mountain to the train, into the evening. There did not seem to be many fireworks that were ignited.
Later in the evening, at 8:30pm when Kamala Harris and Joe Biden addressed the nation and the world, horns were honking in their TV audience as well, as trucks had been orchestrated to pull up to their drive-in speech that was held outside, to honk in support.
Shopping was in full force this weekend. Below are a few pictures of the shops we stopped into. As for volume of sales, some owners are reporting healthy buying from the uptick in Beacon’s visitors. Brenda from Beacon Bath and Bubble observed that the sales are close to what they are at around Christmas time. She observed this back when the Cupcake Festival was hosted in Beacon, which became one of her best sales days of the year.
Anne from the Chocolate Studio was happy with the amount of people making it around the bend to her end of Main Street, she confided to us as we ate a delicious vegan strawberry ice cream that is quickly becoming a famous flavor for dairy lovers as well.
And of course we had to stop into the Snooki Shop! Snooki, who’s name is Nicole, opened the shop in Beacon, returning to her roots of the Hudson Valley to expand her business. We learned that she also has a line of makeup, and other goodies you’ll find inside the shop.
For those who are fans of the annual Hop and Shop, event, a date has been set! Reserve December 3 (Thursday) and December 4 (Friday) for extra long nights of shopping.
Below are videos of different areas of Main Street and the joyful noise sounded.
The Chocolate Studio, on Beacon’s East End of Main Street, near the mountain. Try their vegan strawberry, a favorite with dairy lovers.
LLTO is back! Once in the tiny shop near Mountain Tops, this decor shop has opened mid-way down Main Street. Very selective inventory that from around the world, you’ll want to stop in.
Bath salts, bubble bath, bath bombs, all you need to brighten your bathroom are in Beacon Bath and Bubble, along with childhood favorites candy and soda.
New journals and towels are in at Beacon Mercantile, a perfume store in Beacon, where the scents are made in the shop.
Makeup from Snooki in the Snooki Shop, which includes a glitter pallet. You’ll even find stick-on eyelashes!
Velour is in this season, and you’ll find it at La Mere right now, with this velour halter. Wear it under a tank. And don’t miss the stackable rings to bling up your fingers.
SCHEDULE: Movie Theater Re-Opening! Retail Therapy Guide 11/6/2020
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Beacon's City Administrator Anthony J. Ruggiero Accepts Position With Dutchess County Department Of Behavioral & Community Health
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The City of Beacon has announced that City Administrator, Anthony J. Ruggiero, has accepted the position as Assistant Commissioner for Administration with the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health. His last day with the City of Beacon is scheduled for January 29, 2021, and will start up with Dutchess County on February 1, 2021, according to the City’s press release.
“As City of Beacon Administrator, Anthony has had a strong working relationship with the County, including DBCH, particularly as he helped guide the City of Beacon through the COVID-19 pandemic”
Anthony is an integral part to Beacon’s functioning, with his vast institutional memory of how funding and scheduling happened or is projected to happen for a number of projects. It is comforting to know that during this global health crisis, Anthony will still be in Beacon’s sphere as he stays in Dutchess County at the Department of Behavioral & Community Health. Cut from a similar cloth is the Mayor’s Assistant, Collin Milone, who continues to provide administrative assistance and coordination.
Ruggiero has served as City Administrator since 2015, joining Beacon after former City Administrator Meredith Robson became the Village Manager for the Village of Ardsley in Westchester County. With a Masters in Public Administration and over 24 years of experience, Ruggiero previously served as the City Manager for the City of Peekskill and Putnam County’s Commissioner of Planning, Development and Public Transportation.
Mayor Lee Kyriacou congratulated Ruggiero, saying, “While I am saddened to see Anthony go, and thank him for his steady and professional service especially in this most difficult year, I offer my congratulations and best wishes for his next chapter. I know that the county gains an asset, and also that Beacon will attract a professional and appropriate successor.”
City Administrator Ruggiero said “It has been my pleasure and honor to serve as Beacon’s City Administrator for over five years. The City has successfully navigated the most challenging environments, provided outstanding municipal services, implemented a number of major capital projects, and have developed one of the strongest management teams. I am excited for the opportunity to work for Dutchess County and the Department of Behavioral & Community Health”
Said Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro about Dutchess County’s new talent: “With decades of experience, Anthony Ruggiero will be a valuable asset to Dutchess County Behavioral & Community Health, providing administrative oversight to one of the County’s largest and most complex departments. His managerial and administrative experience will bolster the talented leadership team of public health professionals who guide DBCH. As City of Beacon Administrator, Anthony has had a strong working relationship with the County, including DBCH, particularly as he helped guide the City of Beacon through the COVID-19 pandemic. We look forward to Anthony joining our County team early next year as current Assistant DBCH Commissioner Cathi Tegtmeier steps down to enjoy a well-earned retirement.”
The City will initiate a recruitment process immediately to begin a search for a new City Administrator.
Beacon Superintendent Landahl remains Committed To Curriculum and Training For Undoing Racism - Prepares For Budget Cuts
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During last week’s Board of Education meeting, Beacon’s Superintendent Matt Landahl presented updates on the district’s strategic plan, which he said is a work in progress, but was slowed after February 2020 when the pandemic began to hit. Every day, he said, the district works on the challenges for coordinating the Reopening, but was making moves to implement and retain actions that move toward the district’s overall goals, especially on Equity.
In mid-October 2020, the Superintendent released the district’s Equity Report Card. The mission of following equity, according to the District, is to “celebrate diversity and provide an equitable education for all students by working to eliminate race, ethnicity, class, gender identity, sexuality, and disability as predictors of student success.”
In his reporting, Dr. Landahl stated: “As part of our work, we have created an Equity Report Card for the school district. We use data regularly as part of our work as educators including this report card. Due to the hard work of our teachers, our Beacon High School graduation rate has seen significant positive progress in the past two years.”
The graduation rate is 83%. Student enrollment had been decreasing since 2014, the first year on the Equity Report Card, at 3,060 total students. In 2018, the enrollment population started to increase, and is currently at 2,947. The number of Hispanic/Latinos students have been increasing percentage-wise within that overall decrease (839 in 2014, and 904 in 2019), while the number of Black/African American students has been decreasing year almost every year except for 2018 (595 in 2014, and 477 in 2019). The number of white students has also been decreasing year over year, with a slight bump in 2019 (1,421 in 2014, and 1,283 in 2019).
“Last year we made progress,” Dr. Landahl told the Board. “This year we are trying to figure out ways to do it in a different health and school model.” Equity Action Steps were presented, which include:
Further implementation of Restorative Practices through Talking Circles. Kids can talk about what is on their minds.
Work with Dr. Hunter (a professor at Buffalo State) to create Culturally Responsive Curriculum in Middle and High School ELA and Social Studies Departments to further social justice learning. That work began one month ago, Dr. Landahl stated. Dr. Hunter is working with other districts in Dutchess County as well.
Work with Dutchess BOCES to provide Undoing Racism Workshops across several districts and to plan for long term implementation. Trying to find ways to bring Anti-Racism training to Dutchess County. Dr. Landahl explained that this has been happening in Rockland County, and he wants to bring it to Beacon. Sharing services by partnering with other districts brings the costs down, he said, but if partnering is not available, the Beacon City School District will still go forward with the model.
Use of the Equity Report Card Data to guide future actions will continue.
Dr. Landahl next presented on the “Culture of Care” that frames a lot of programming. Planned steps include:
Continuation of Responsive Classroom Training at the Elementary Level. The district is partnering with with 2 other districts in Dutchess County, which gives Beacon state aid to make it more affordable. Three groups of elementary teachers have participated in training.
Continuation of Restorative Practice model at secondary level.
Create Student Bill of Rights to include Code of Conduct in all classrooms. “The rights of students are tucked into laws and codes of conducts all over all of the materials we use,” Dr. Landahl said. “We want to make something our students are involved in, and can use. For students at all levels within the district.” Dr. Landahl credited the Diversity Committee on having worked on this a few weeks ago, and they hope to have it done by February.
Trauma Informed Support Training for administrators and mental health professionals. “Training has started,” Dr. Landahl confirmed, “and that is looking to be expanded, especially for everything students are going through right now.”
Beacon City School District Budget - Preparing For “Beyond Drastic Cut"
As for the budget, Dr. Landahl pressed on the need to prepare now for a drastic budget cut if there is no federal stimulus aid to New York State, which would prompt the state to cut funding. “We are possibly looking at beyond drastic cut from the state. When Governor Cuomo talks about the state cut in aid, that's about $4 million for Beacon. The money's not there, or so he says. We do have a good amount of funds in our Unrestricted Funds balance, but that is not enough to carry us over the next several years. We for sure will be preparing for a budget that is tough next year. If there is federal stimulus that comes to help New York State and other states, that would really help our process as well, but we should really prepare for all contingencies with that. It will be a year where communication, transparency and involvement of people is even more important.”
Fiscal Action Steps Include:
Implement Audit Committee on a bi-monthly basis, which is an increase from years before.
Use surveys and Town Halls to gather input on budget. Increase ways to work directly with students to hear feedback from them. Currently, the administration is debating on if the surveys will be self-created, or if an outside firm will be used.
Develop process and timeline for 2021 Capital Project. Can do a Capital Project for $15 million that will not impact taxes.
Beacon Board Of Education Appoints John Galloway Jr. To 2nd Vacant Seat
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John Galloway Jr. is appointed to Beacon’s Board of Education to the 2nd vacant seat.
Photo Credit: Meredith Heuer published in the Highlands Current
John Galloway Jr., a recent graduate of the Beacon High School in 2015 who is Black and ran for a vacant seat on the Board of Education on a platform of his youth and connections to young people in the community, especially the Black community, was appointed onto Beacon’s Board of Education by a 7-1 vote at the regular public Board of Education meeting on 10-26-2020. Kristen Flynn moved to make the nomination to appoint him, and Elissa Betterbid and Craig Wolf seconded the motion.
John was an early applicant for the seat when the first Board Member, Michael Rutkoski, resigned in July 2020. Later in September, a second Board Member resigned, James Case-Leal, citing his preference for the 2 open seats to go to People of Color: Jasmine Johnson and John Galloway Jr.
After a dramatic appointment hearing in which many in the Black community showed up to voice support for both Jasmine and John, only one candidate was appointed at that meeting - Jasmine Johnson - who is a mother, has worked with children in different school settings, and has passion for compassionate education.
After hearing from the community, the Board opted to follow a process to open the seat up to more applicants, and rolling over current candidates. The other two candidates, Barbara Fisher and Travis Fisher, withdrew, John stayed on, and a new applicant, Joseph Puliafito, applied.
After the Board voted to appoint John to the second seat using his rolled over application, Board President Meredith Heuer welcomed John onto the board with this statement: "I want to thank John for applying and sticking with this process. I know it was longer than some people were happy with, but I think it a good process."
Anthony White, who gave the dissenting vote, told the Highlands Current: “He thought the seat should have remained open until the next district election, which is scheduled for May 18, 2021. ‘With the work that the Board has to do during these uncertain times, changing its makeup will impede us,’ White said. ‘Trying to teach board responsibilities to new members and catching them up on past information so they can make informed decisions will make the work the board has to do more difficult and will slow it down.’”
The Highlands Current reported that White noted that he respects the majority opinion and will work with the board to “do everything in its power to make sure students’ needs are being met.”
Currently in at least one of the elementary schools in Beacon, kids are being asked if they think they should have the right to vote, and if so, why or why not. While voting can be a daunting task with a lot of responsibility and need to research one’s decision, one young student observed that it is the fresh perspective of not knowing everything that can lend itself to new ideas and ways of moving forward.
A FEW ELECTION LEADERS: Serino, Maloney, Jacobson, Forman, and Others
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UPDATE: The link to the 2020 Election results at Dutchess County has been deleted and replaced with a new page, in the form of a PDF, which is not as comprehensive with the % of how much each number of votes totals. One difference has been the Democratic count has been increasing since the evening. President Trump still has the lead in Dutchess County, but the lead got slimmer as this day wore on with absentee ballots.
The old link is below, just for the record. The new link, as of 8pm on 11/4/2020 is here.
The numbers have been removed from this page so as to avoid inaccuracy. Please go to this current link to follow the latest results.
Old link (as of Election Day Morning) to results from the Dutchess County Board of Elections.
Self-Proclaimed "Silent Majority" Truck Train Yell "N-Word" and "White Power" At Beaconites
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Vehicles in the 2nd truck train passing through Beacon last Sunday. Vehicles also included an unmarked privately owned fire truck, truck hauling a dumpster, jeeps, and others.
At first blush, seeing Trump flags in a scrap metal dumpster being pulled by a large truck seemed like an artist statement for “Dump Trump.” Large, empty truck cabs with Trump flags pulling no rig seemed symbolic for carrying nothing - or lost cargo.
However, this truck train is a show of support for the 45th president, by people choosing to remain in their cars, windows up, largely unrecognizable, sometimes with license plates covered. The history of White Supremacy includes masked people making threats and using grand gestures to get their point across, like fire, fireworks, burning crosses, bonfires, and other loud events.
However the big truck caravan concept that is driving nationwide through small towns (including the one that attempted to corral a Biden campaign bus off the road, and the #MAGADrag event in NYC that resulted in reports of police pushing and arresting Black Lives Matter protesters, a truck running into a counter-protester, and halted traffic on the White Stone Bridge which moved up to the Mario Cuomo Bridge to stall traffic) rolled through Beacon two weekends in a row, past Fishkill, and up to Poughkeepsie, and drove within 20 feet of the early voting location at Fishkill Town Hall, as people waited in line along side the road on Rte. 52. This was days before the Town of Fishkill or the Board of Elections decided to move people away from the gravel in the road to in front of the Police Department.
A Little Backdrop Background To Day 1 Early Voting
While getting ready for Day 1 of Early Voting, this article came across the wires about a rally fiercely defending the 2nd Amendment that was originally scheduled and approved by its village’s board to be near an early voting location.
Prior to the first slow-motion truck drive-by the first weekend of early voting, a rally scheduled in Montgomery, NY that encouraged guns in its Eventbrite invitation (the online invitation was later taken down) was to be held quite close to Montgomery’s early voting location. Their Mayor Steve Bracia, who is running for Congress, didn’t see a problem with it, but after pushback, agreed to their Town Supervisor Brian Maher’s offer to have the rally at another location. Pictures from the event included the same kind of trucks that have been driving all around Beacon, Fishkill, and Poughkeepsie.
Instant Traffic Stop By Vehicle Demonstrations Vs Marching On Foot
The truck that caused a 1 hour disruption to Beacon’s Main Street last Sunday.
These truck trains can instantly cause backup or close a road or bridge. A march on foot would need a lot of permitting in order to achieve this effect. In Beacon, there were 27 protests over the summer that the Beacon Police Department accompanied, as stated by Acting Chief Frost in a recent City Council 10/26/2020 Workshop meeting explaining the Police Budget and overtime that is incurred from parades and demonstrations.
Turns out, Beacon has a number of parades requiring overtime by police to make moving street closures and barricading side streets. The usual community parades were canceled due to the pandemic. However, the protests accounted for the overtime estimated instead of the parades for the 2020 Police budget.
Most, if all of these protests in Beacon, were on foot, and moved relatively quickly, despite larger turnouts than others. While both demonstrations were loud and involved shouting, the vehicle version involved car honking throughout the drive-by, as well as sirens by retired unmarked fire trucks and possibly retired unmarked ambulances, as some locals have reported. The City of Beacon needed to answer to the public that a fire truck spotted was privately owned, and not representing a municipality. This display of an emergency vehicle caused confusion with the public. In business, this can be likened to trademark infringement.
It is not clear if any vehicle participants were volunteer fire fighters from other communities who used their sirens for audio effect. One Beacon resident observed that when Marchers marching for Black live mattering more past her house, she could turn up the TV if she did not want to hear the chanting. However, she stated that she could not drown out the sound when the truck train slowly drove by.
During the 2nd truck train last Sunday on the last early voting weekend, a truck broke down on Beacon’s Main Street for 1 hour, causing a part of Main Street to be closed while police and the truck operator waited for a tow truck company who could tow a truck that large, according to Beacon Detective Sargent Jason Johnson, who helped on the scene with several other police officers who safely diverted traffic.
While several large vehicles successfully drove around the truck, one van did collide with the truck while attempting to pass, but no one was injured, according to the Detective.
Fishkill Police Hold Up Traffic On I-84 For Truck Train And Allegedly Yell At A White Beaconite Needing To Get Home
A Fishkill Police Officer at 1-84 and Route 52 while traffic was held on the ramp during the first week of early voting while a truck caravan drove past the Fishkill Town Hall.
A Beaconite who was driving with his family after an an outing at an apple orchard shared his tale of being held on I-84 for over 20 minutes:
“We were coming back from Fishkill Farms and took the Route 52 exit on 84. Our timing put us right in the thick of the caravan. Doubtful they had a parade permit (right?) — but Fishkill PD were obviously in the loop.
Editor’s Note: Fishkill Police did confirm that they knew of the truck caravan in advance, but did not know that Town Hall was an early voting location.
The officer in the intersection kept waving the trucks through with no break for offramp traffic, even though it got hugely backed up, and there were multiple opportunities to pause the caravan and let folks through.
“When we tried to engage the officer, he barked ‘You go when *I* say so!’ Definitely a hostile vibe — except between the cop and the people passing in those trucks. He seemed pretty chummy with them.
“It felt like voter intimidation to me, coming as close as it did to the early voting site. And the whole police part of this felt pretty chilling. The caravan definitely drove for longer than 20 minutes. Felt like an eternity. I did shout “Impeached!” out the window a couple of times, which felt good (even if it’s not the most dignified lesson for my children).
“I think we may look into filing a complaint with the Mayor’s Office in Fishkill. Not sure where else. Anyway, icky vibes on a Sunday, but I managed not to get arrested, and we had a productive conversation with the kiddos, so I guess all’s well.”
Motorcyclists Frighten Black Mother And Kids; Fishkill Police Officer Allegedly Laughs
A mother who is Black was driving her children to early voting, and wrote into ALBB to share her story of being frightened by motorcyclists who drove past her car and yelled into it, scaring her children. Her name is Melanie Smalls and her story is below:
“Sunday morning I decided to get me and my two sons up and go vote early down at Fishkill Town Hall around 1:30pm-2:00pm. On my way, I got caught in the Trump/Pence motorcade on 52. Driving passed the old bowling spot which is now a storage unit and little passed the houses, the motorcade slowed down entirely! And I mean like a stand still.
“I realized that the Town Hall was just ahead and they was intimidating the voters there. Three old white men with long beards must of been way back; I looked in my rear view mirror of my SUV and saw them. Mind you, I was behind a Fishkill Police SUV. When it started moving, the 3 motorcycles from behind me, they rode by my SUV and started screaming and shouting in my car with my kids in the back ‘Trump 2020.’
“My kids started crying. I started to get scared because they are crazy. I honked my car for the police, but I could see the officer laughing in his left side mirror as he waved them to get in front of him to get with the rest.
“I’m a strong Black woman. Very tough. My parents ain’t raise no suckers and I damn sure was not about to let them intimidate me into not voting. I was not going to show my boys that. These people are very scary. Their scare tactics are horrible, atrocious. The Fishkill Police should be entirely ashamed of themselves. They stopped traffic for that.”
Truck Train Up In Poughkeepsie
A mother who is Black and lives in Poughkeepsie reported seeing the caravan there during the first weekend of early voting. She said:
“We saw them by Poughkeepsie Galleria (not sure of the time, but definitely the morning). My thoughts are that they are deep. I wasn’t up here during the 2016 election, but on Staten Island they weren’t as visible then. Felt like a sneak attack when the numbers revealed itself. I remember staying up all night well into 3am because it wasn’t very clear who actually, really won. Remember that? The announcement came at like 4am officially. My 3rd grader predicts Trump will be re-elected. He’s developed some strong political opinions since introducing him to Civics.”
Beacon’s Experience With The Truck Train
During the first weekend of early voting, the truck train came through, horns blazing. One person who is regularly out on the street reported in that eggs were thrown from a car to people on the sidewalk.
During the second week on Sunday November 1, 2020, more people wrote in to ALBB with their experiences. @janxchris said: “I witnessed A group of people in a truck, in that parade yelling the “n word” at people of color. That’s not a difference of opinion, that’s an act of racism. And no, that’s never okay, anywhere. You can have opinions, but the days of accepting racism as “opinions”are over.
Another person sent us video of motorcyclists yelling “White Power!” in front of Beacon’s Post Office. You can watch the video here and below.
As the caravan rolled down Main Street, many locals came out to watch it. Many of them said nothing, but had hair raised, cameras up. Some people shouted “Racists!” from the apartment windows above. Some people gave a thumbs down, as you can see in the video above as a caravan participant yells “white power.” According to @cezaleo__, some onlookers displayed their middle finger. One person, according to @cezaleo__, showed their breasts - or chest. It is unknown at this time why the person removed their shirt.
When people marched down the middle of Main Street for Black lives mattering more, the feeling was intense, but many visitors and locals showed signs of support. For the truck train, the feeling was more apprehension.
How Does Beacon’s Local Government Feel About The Caravan?
ALBB did reach out to every single City Council member as well as Mayor Lee Kyriacou and the City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero with different questions regarding this truck train. Council members were asked if they wanted to submit a comment of any kind regarding this caravan. It is unknown if they knew the details of the 2 caravans, which so far, have only floated in social media, unless it was seen in person.
Mayor Kyriacou was asked several questions, which included how he felt local Beaconites should respond to caravans like this, to receiving racial insults, and how calling Black people the “n-word” would be tolerated in a place of business. Mayor Kyriacou did not respond to ALBB’s questions, but he did speak generally to these tumultuous times during this week’s City Council meeting, which you can listen to here.
Terry Nelson, who is Black, was the only City Council member who responded to ALBB’s questions. He is also the only Black person who is a City Council member at moment, and was appointed by Mayor Kyriacou to lead the Police Reform Committee. Terry’s full quote in response to ALBB’s questions is below.
During that same City Council meeting in which the Mayor alluded to the issue, Terry made direct reference, and was so far the only City Council member who made mention of the truck train during his Report (all City Council members can give a “Report” on whatever they like during public City Council meetings). During his Report, Terry recalled the first time he was called the “n-word” when he was a child, and how it stung him.
Terry’s response to ALBB regarding this truck train was this:
“The participants in yesterday's caravan were exercising their freedom of speech, but those rights end when their words are used to instigate a negative reaction. Could you please ask any members of that caravan what does screaming the ‘n word’ at a mother and her children have to do with supporting the occupant of the White House? That display was not about supporting the president. It was about taking advantage of an opportunity to spew hate. I would love to hear some Trump supporters condemn that behavior, I won't hold my breath. They are complicit.”
Video of some of the truck caravan is below.
Truck Breaks Down For 1 Hour On Main Street During Sunday's Caravan
/Photos submitted by readers. Truck pictured on Main Street was this Sunday, and truck pictured in circle was last Sunday on Rte. 52 across from Fishkill Town Hall while early voters stood in line along the road’s edge.
A truck pulling a metal dumpster container that was part of the caravan of pickup trucks, jeeps, minivans and smaller cars that passed through Beacon last Sunday, broke down during the demonstration for one hour in front of the Post Office, which is in the middle of Main Street and near the Beacon Farmer’s Market. The truck was part of the train of cars that passed through Beacon and Fishkill last week during the first week of early voting.
Onlookers gathered around the vehicle while Beacon police responded to direct traffic around the stalled truck. According to one person who was driving by: “There was a woman screaming at anti-Trump passerby’s saying: ‘Don’t you touch my personal property (pointing at the truck) and don’t (pointing at the police) harass these men.” It is unknown at this time if onlookers were saying anything in exchange or initially. When a person is isolated in the middle of the road with a stationery vehicle, it is always nerve wracking, and can cause lashing out.
Detective Sergeant Jason Johnson confirmed with A Little Beacon Blog that an accident occurred after the truck broke down, and that a street closure was required to help route traffic around the vehicle: “Yes, there was a truck that broke down on Main Street between Veterans Place and Teller Avenue. It was what I would describe as a large roll off dumpster truck. Officers were able to route vehicles around the truck to clear traffic. Due to the size of the truck, several tow companies were contacted and the wait was approximately an hour for the tow truck. Eventually, that block was shut down as the operator was working on the truck. A van was permitted to pass and the operator misjudged and struck the disabled truck. Officers had already routed countless vehicles larger than the van through there with no issues. Luckily, no one was injured.”
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The City of Beacon entered into a contract with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley to provide increased access to Beacon tenants facing eviction. They may also be able to help with sources of rent arrears assistance. Call the paralegal, Steven Mihalik at 845-253-6953 to inquire.
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