Beacon City School District Presents Plans On How It Will Stay Open After A Successful First Half

The Administration Building of the Beacon City School District.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Superintendent Matthew Landahl addressed families in the district Wednesday evening via webinar call about how the district would be moving forward in the second half of the 2020/2021 school year. Beacon has been one of the only districts in the region to begin and remain on a Hybrid model, which means that kids can chose to either be Hybrid (attending school 2 days per week on a Monday/Tuesday or Thursday/Friday rotation), or be 100% Remote. Students with Special Needs are in school 4 days per week. All students are home on Wednesdays for Remote Learning.

The part-time in-person model for Hybrid was decided upon in order to comply with social distancing requirements set by the state. With the school’s population, as compared with other smaller, sometimes private schools, this needed to be done, Dr. Landahl has said consistently throughout the school year.

Dr. Landahl discussed the latest on staff vaccinations; Dutchess County guidance on changes in what is required to quarantine should a student or staff member test positive for COVID-19; decisions on when schools go remote temporarily; and the introduction of the voluntarily testing program intended to get a read on positivity rate in the district for asymptomatic students or staff.

Teacher & Staff Vaccinations

Dr. Landahl said that unlike another vaccination situation he worked through as the Principal of Greer Elementary School in Charlottesville, VA during the H1N1 period, vaccination are selective and not made possible through school roll-outs.

He told A Little Beacon Blog: “They did mass vaccinations by school at the time. The current vaccine is not set up for children. The vaccine right now is definitely being distributed on a very individual basis for 1B people, meaning every individual has to set up their own appointments. I dont have the ability to organize a vaccination event in the district for district staff and faculty. Vaccinations will be administered to staff in medical facilities when staff makes an appointment at such a facility.”

Governor Cuomo announced on Monday (1-11-2021) that teachers (along with other group types of people) are able to be vaccinated now, in accordance with Governor Cuomo’s prioritized roll-out he designed. However, according to the Governor, due to federal supply levels, New York State does not have that many vaccine doses, so the opportunity to get vaccinated may be slow. All people are instructed to call their health care provider to get their vaccine, or select pharmacies who offer it, like CVS, and appointments are required.

When A Required Quarantine Is Needed If Exposure To Student or Staff

When a student or staff tests positive, the district communicates directly with the person to find out if they were already isolating, or if they were in a school building. Dr. Landahl said that based on feedback from these contact tracing learnings, most students were already isolating at home, or were already 100% Remote. If the parents or caregivers were aware of someone else in the house who tested positive, families for a large part kept their children home.

Dr. Landahl indicated that based on feedback from families throughout the results of contact tracing the last half of the year, settings such as being in a gym class together, or other wide space, might be too broad and should not trigger a quarantine for people near the positive person. Dutchess County, it seems, has relaxed its guidance, which Dr. Landahl included during his presentation:

“Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health (DBCH) will work with schools to determine the specific exposures within the classroom and school settings by identifying only those individuals who must be considered ‘close contacts’ as subject to the mandatory precautionary quarantine. The definition of close contact includes spending 10 minutes or more with a confirmed COVID-19 case while standing within 6 feet of the individual. Wearing cloth masks does not impact exposure.”

Dr. Landahl clarified that simply wearing a mask while standing within 6 feet of someone did not excuse a person from needing to quarantine if they were within 6 feet of the individual for 10 minutes or more.

Dutchess County guidance continued: “DBCH may consider other factors including virus strain, as part of the case investigation to determine the risk of exposure on the particular circumstances of the exposure. DBCH and/or New York State Department Of Health (NYSDOH) reserve right to issue and enforce mandatory quarantine orders for classroom-based exposure incidents when necessary.”

BSCD’s Goal Is To Stay Open - Uses These Factors To Decide On Going Temporarily Remote

Feedback from parents and caregivers during the meeting via the chat session in Zoom was mixed between wanting the district to close and go Remote only; fearing that the district would close and go Remote only; liking and approving of the current system; and wanting the district to open for more days during the week.

Dr. Landahl emphasized that in New York State, the decision to close temporarily or full is up to each district. There is no formula for closure. While Governor Cuomo had been using color codes before, Dr. Landahl said, the Governor had not been referring to them lately. Dr. Landahl said that the state and the county do look at hospitalization rates to indicate a direction, and that Dutchess County may have other information that may trigger guidance to a particular district. Otherwise, there is no formula or requirement for closure.

From the presentation, factors that impact the decision to go remote include:

• Time needed to conduct contact tracing. If the knowledge of a positive case happens late and night, and there is indication that exposed people are involved, a temporary closure could happen, simply to give time the next day to reach out to individuals, and reduce risk of further unknown/known exposure.

• Number of people quarantining. If a large number of staff is quarantining, for instance, it would be impossible to keep a building open to function.

• "Most of the confirmed cases we get now, the individual has been out of school for a number of days,” Dr. Landahl stated in his (these) bullet points.

• Department of Health. If the county issues guidance based on information they have.

• State guidance or regulations. If New York State issues guidance.

Voluntary Testing

The Beacon City School District has voluntarily signed up to participate in the ability for staff and students to get tested for free at a location at one of the buildings, the first may be at the Beacon High School. This is a voluntary offering and not required by students to undergo. Parents will be able to be with their children during the test. The first students to be offered it will be Hybrid students, who go into school buildings, and then depending on usage of the tests, may be expanded to Remote, Dr. Landahl said.

The purpose of the testing is to get a better picture of if there is an asymptomatic positive cases in the buildings. These tests will be the “rapid” tests, which have been talked about as not being as accurate as the PCR lab tests. Dr. Landahl said that from his reading, the rapid tests are more prone to give false negatives, and that if it delivers a positive response, he said, the result will be taken into consideration.

This may start the week of January 25, 2021, targeting the days of Mondays and Wednesdays as testing opportunities, which would be open to all ages from the Hybrid in-person group. A testing center may be set up at Beacon High School, either inside or outside. A Virtual Consent form will be sent out next week, and FAQs and a video as well, said Dr. Landahl, to help people understand the offering.

Dr. Landahl mentioned how long the line was at Pulse MD when he got tested one day, which has been consistent with A Little Beacon Blog’s findings as well, since before Thanksgiving, which is when lines at several urgent cares filled up with people who wanted to merge households over the holidays. The closet location to get a free test for Beaconites is Bear Mountain, despite the marketing that that Governor Cuomo does that indicates getting a free test is easy.

A Little Beacon Blog doesn’t usually make recommendations, but in our experience, PM Pediatrics continues to be the best choice for testing kids (adults who accompany them can also get tested; walk-ins accepted), Caremount for adult testing, and patients of Sun River Health System (previously HRH Health Care on Henry Street in Beacon) offers testing to their patients only (no walk-ins, and appointments are needed).

Local District Response To Closures - Up To Districts, Not To State Standardized

Chatter amoung some parents in social media has been that the school will be forced to close for some reason. Dr. Landahl answered that as of now, and as of the whole time during the pandemic after the schools opened for the new 2020/2021 year, the decision to close has been at each district level, which indicates that local communities can know how things are working, and make safe decisions. He stated that he appreciated that local decision ability.

Most Cases Are Coming From Home, Not School

A question from a participant on the call was if the students were safer doing 100% Remote Only. Dr. Landahl stated that he believes the opposite to be true, that children are safer in the schools where social distancing is enforced, from their classroom to the cafeteria to gym to recess. At home, parents and caregivers can get lax.

This writer can attest - as a person who got COVID-19 - it walked through my front door at home - not from the school, but from us not recognizing the symptoms of an achy back - where it could have been picked up from a number of places (office building, gas station, who knows).

Fortunately. My husband is tested regularly for free by his job, and that is how we knew we had positive cases in the house. When we learned of his positive result, I kept my children home and out of school, even before they got tested. Once they got tested and one positive result came back for 1 of my 3 children, they had already been isolating, and our case did not warrant a closure of the school. It did trigger a robo-call from Dr. Landahl, however :) (no one’s names are ever mentioned, but we knew it was us - we made the robo-call!).

The school nurse called to check on us regularly, and did the math on our quarantine release date, if our symptoms had stopped, which they did.

A Virtual Town Hall for Hudson Valley on the New York Health Act Will Be Held January 28th

Guaranteed Comprehensive Healthcare for All New Yorkers is Closer Than You Think is a free, virtual event, open to the public, organized by Hudson Valley Demands New York Health, and hosted by the Newburgh Free Library and the Desmond-Fish Public Library, on Thursday, January 28th, 7pm. Attendees will learn about the bill, its legislative trajectory and why it is important for New Yorkers to demand its passage in 2021. The panel discussion will focus on how the bill would affect various aspects of the healthcare system, including patients and healthcare providers, as well as the cost to municipalities. The keynote speaker will be NYS Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, followed by a panel discussion including Dr. Reena Agarwal (MD, MPH, FACP), Darius Shahinfar (Albany City Treasurer), and Lynn Esteban (patient/healthcare activist), and moderated by Jess Robie (RN). The event will be facilitated by Jeff Mikkelson (Co-Founder, HVDNYH). Registration for the event is required to attend: bit.ly/NYHealthActJan28.

Affordable, accessible, healthcare is an important issue for many Americans. Although most New Yorkers have health insurance, many people have long struggled to afford premiums, co-pays, deductibles, and the high cost of prescription drugs. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exposed the dysfunction and inadequacy, as well as the racial and class inequality, of our current healthcare system.

If passed, the New York Health Act would guarantee comprehensive health coverage to every New Yorker while eliminating premiums, deductibles, and co-pays, and would help address the structural inequalities of our current system. It would also save money for individuals, local governments and New York State.

This public education event is organized by Hudson Valley Demands New York Health (HVDNYH), a coalition of grassroots groups and individuals working to guarantee comprehensive healthcare for all New Yorkers by passing the New York Health Act (NYHA).

WHAT: Guaranteed Comprehensive Healthcare for All New Yorkers is Closer Than You Think: A Virtual Town Hall on the New York Health Act
WHERE: Virtual Event, Register Here: bit.ly/NYHealthActJan28
WHEN: Thursday, January 28, 2021 7:00pm - 8:30pm

Speaker Bios

Jessica Gonźalez-Rojas, NYS Assembly Member
Jessica Gonźalez-Rojas was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020 to represent the 34th Assembly district, which encompasses several diverse communities in Queens. She has been an unapologetic leader for social justice on the national and local level for over two decades. For 13 years Jessica served in the leadership at the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice. She has fought for immigrant rights, racial justice, and gender equity. Prior to running for the Assembly, Jessica served as a community liaison for Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez. As a long time leader in community and electoral politics, Jessica has received numerous proclamations for her advocacy work.

Reena Agarwal, MD, MPH, FACP
Dr. Agarwal is a primary care physician trained in Internal Medicine. She completed her residency in Social Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center and a residency in Public Health/Preventive Medicine at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She also has an extensive background in quality improvement. She has spent her career working in New York Hospitals and Community Health Centers where her focus has been on providing care for the underserved as well as teaching resident physicians.

Darius Shahinfar, Albany City Treasurer
Darius Shahinfar is the elected Treasurer and Chief Fiscal Officer of the City of Albany.

His work as City Treasurer led him to research the effect of health care financing on municipal budgets and local property taxes. He has testified on this subject to the NYS Legislature and has spoken on these issues to numerous organizations. He believes strongly, not only in the moral imperative of universal health care coverage, but also that single payer will result in dramatic tax and cost savings. He is a graduate of Bates College, and Albany Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Albany Law Review.

Lynn Esteban, Patient/healthcare activist
Lynn Esteban is an artist and activist who lives in Poughkeepsie with her family. A bout of Mono (Epstein Barr virus) in 2011 triggered a chronic illness, the severity of which has left her unable to work. She has had a protracted and challenging battle with the healthcare system to reach a correct diagnosis and effective treatment. Lynn is a disability activist and volunteer with MEAction, an international advocacy organization that educates physicians and the public about managing post-viral conditions.

BCSD Superintendent To Host Zoom Town Hall Call On Latest Reopening Details 1/13/2021 7pm

Beacon City School District’s Superintendent Landahl will host a digital Town Hall on Tuesday, January 13, 2021 at 7pm on the latest strategies moving forward for the second half of the school year, as the district maintains its Open status via a Hybrid/Remote model.

For the entire school year so far, students have been able to elect if they want to attend school 2 days per week, or to remain at home remotely 100%. For everyone, Wednesday is an at-home day, where a longer day of programming delivered via Google Class Rooms is planned.

There have been several COVID-19 cases of students in the district, namely at the high school and middle school, with a few at the elementary schools. For the most part, students who test positive for COVID-19 had already been isolating, and some were already in the Remote program, so were never at the school. Buildings have rarely closed, but if the student or staff had been at school near other people, then a Remote model takes place for a select number of days, announced by the Superintendent.

Dr. Landahl has emailed the district families with, what seems to be, each case reported into the school, and the decision to keep that particular building open or closed. That call seems to come in within a day or two of when the district learns about the case, as per Dr. Landahl’s framing of the message.

During tonight’s Town Hall, Dr. Landahl will address the following interest areas, as well as attempt to take questions via Chat in the Zoom setup. The link to the Zoom call has been emailed to parents, and the latest correct link is on his email dated today, 1/13/2021.

• Latest on staff vaccinations

• County guidance on close contacts/contact tracing/quarantining

• Decisions on when schools go remote temporarily

• Outline of our surveillance testing program

New Grants For Shuttered Venues And PPP Money Available - Webinars On How To Apply Are This Week

UPDATE: The Replay of this has been posted, and can be viewed HERE.

The Dutchess Business Notification Network sent out an alert today (Wednesday) to a webinar happening tomorrow (Thursday) for venues who shuttered because of the pandemic, to possibly receive grant money. Details about how the grant works are sparse, and if it is anything like the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which started off as a “forgivable” loan, could change over time. Businesses currently need to apply to be forgiven the PPP loan that was granted to them, and details on how to apply and who can apply and when to apply for PPP loan forgiveness have been shifting. Reports are coming out that indicate small businesses have started to be forgiven the loan if they meet the criteria.

Webinar: Shuttered Venue Operators Grant Webinar

Details: An overview of the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program included in the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act signed into law by President Trump on Dec. 27, 2020. Eligible organizations with a reduction in revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic will have the opportunity to receive up to a $10 million grant under the program. In total, the Economic Aid Act allocates $15 billion for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grants. This webinar will provide introductory information about the grants, who can apply, how potential organizations can prepare, and other detail re: eligibility and applications. This webinar will be recorded.
Host: U.S. Small Business Administration
Date: January 14, 2021, at 3PM
Register: HERE

Webinar: The New Relief Package, PPP Loans, and More

Panelists: We will be joined by panelists from RBT and the Small Business Development Center, discussing topics including:

• Eligibility for increased funding

• Expanded forgiveness guidance

• New debt relief information

• Important tax advantages

There will be an opportunity for questions and answers, and the presentation will be recorded for viewing on demand.
Host: Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce
Date: January 15, 2021, at 9AM
Sponsor: RBT CPAs and KeyBank
Register: HERE

Beacon's Highway Department and Transfer Station Closed For COVID Exposure Until January 19, 2021

Beacon’s Highway Department’s Garage. If you lose something in the fields, the Highway Department combs the fields to clean them, and the item may end up inside of this building.

The City of Beacon issued a robo-call to announce that the Highway Department is in quarantine and the Transfer Station (aka “The Dump”) is closed until January 19, 2021. This is the second known quarantine for the Highway Department, and limits their ability to conduct otherwise day to day activities, like picking up Christmas trees.

City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero said during this week’s City Council Workshop that the Highway Department employees are dubbed Essential Workers, and should a snow storm or related event happen, that they could come out to work. He also indicated that the department is reviewing protocol to improve its chances of exposure.

There was no indication on where any individual was exposed to COVID, if it was on the job or during personal life.

Wishing everyone health as the virus passes through.

A Great Way To Spend Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day

The life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. will be observed on Monday, January 18. While the annual parade is unable to happen, there is still a deep way you can observe Martin Luther King Day: with a book. By Martin Luther King, Jr.

During this time while we are trying to come together - even if we were together before - we can be more deeply together now. Through perspectives. One way to share perspectives is to read who a community of people have been reading for decades: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. himself.

"I have attended the Martin Luther King Day Parade at the Springfield Baptist Church every year," says A Little Beacon Blog's publisher, Katie Hellmuth Martin. "But I never felt really connected. I always knew I was missing education. This year, I read my first book by Martin Luther King, Jr., 'Why We Can't Wait,' and it helped inform my perspective of what my Black and Brown neighbors have been saying. It has helped me have conversations with people I've always talked to and loved, but I started understanding what they were saying to me differently. Malcolm X is next on my list, but I'm in the middle of a work of fiction by Octavia E. Butler right now."

While there is never a bad time to read Dr. King’s books, now is an especially a good time to deeply reflect on Dr. King’s message and converse with those around us to emphasize the important values and messages he shared - racial equality.

Racism and colorism is a social disease that is affecting people all around the world - and is hard to pinpoint and define. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for racism - an invasive disease that can strike any one at any time.

Committing to social awareness can keep racism in check. This means becoming self aware - reading books, having those tough conversations (yes, with family members too), and standing up and supporting our local community organizers. Sometimes we will agree with leaders, sometimes we won't. It might depend on the specific cause, or way that cause is being carried out. You'll find out more about that in Dr. King's books!

Below is a list of books by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to help you start picking one you want to pick up for the first time, or again for a fresh read. We encourage you to shop from Binnacle Books, who is a local, independent bookstore in Beacon, and a sponsor and supporter of ALBB.

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I Have a Dream (Book & CD)

“From Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s daughter, Dr. Bernice A. King: “My father’s dream continues to live on from generation to generation, and this beautiful and powerful illustrated edition of his world-changing "I Have a Dream" speech brings his inspiring message of freedom, equality, and peace to the youngest among us—those who will one day carry his dream forward for everyone.”

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I Have a Dream/Letter from Birmingham Jail

“Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech on August 28, 1963, during the March on Washington, a major civil rights demonstration. King references the US Constitution and Declaration of Independence, which declared that America would be a land of freedom where all men are created equal.”

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Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? (King Legacy #2)

“In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., isolated himself from the demands of the civil rights movement, rented a house in Jamaica with no telephone, and labored over his final manuscript. In this prophetic work, which has been unavailable for more than ten years, he lays out his thoughts, plans, and dreams for America's future, including the need for better jobs, higher wages, decent housing, and quality education. With a universal message of hope that continues to resonate, King demanded an end to global suffering, asserting that humankind-for the first time-has the resources and technology to eradicate poverty.”

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Why We Can't Wait

“Martin Luther King’s classic exploration of the events and forces behind the Civil Rights Movement—including his Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963.

“There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair.”

In 1963, Birmingham, Alabama, was perhaps the most racially segregated city in the United States. The campaign launched by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Civil Rights movement on the segregated streets of Birmingham demonstrated to the world the power of nonviolent direct action.

In this remarkable book—winner of the Nobel Peace Prize—Dr. King recounts the story of Birmingham in vivid detail, tracing the history of the struggle for civil rights back to its beginnings three centuries ago and looking to the future, assessing the work to be done beyond Birmingham to bring about full equality for African Americans. Above all, Dr. King offers an eloquent and penetrating analysis of the events and pressures that propelled the Civil Rights movement from lunch counter sit-ins and prayer marches to the forefront of American consciousness.

Since its publication in the 1960s, Why We Can’t Wait has become an indisputable classic. Now, more than ever, it is an enduring testament to the wise and courageous vision of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Includes photographs and an Afterword by Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.”

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Strength to Love

"“If there is one book Martin Luther King, Jr. has written that people consistently tell me has changed their lives, it is Strength to Love."

So wrote Coretta Scott King. She continued: "I believe it is because this book best explains the central element of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s philosophy of nonviolence: His belief in a divine, loving presence that binds all life." That insight, luminously conveyed in this classic text, here presented in a new and attractive edition, hints at the personal transformation at the root of social justice: "By reaching into and beyond ourselves and tapping the transcendent moral ethic of love, we shall overcome these evils."

In these short meditative and sermonic pieces, some of them composed in jails and all of them crafted during the tumultuous years of the civil rights struggle, Dr. King articulated and espoused in a deeply personal compelling way his commitment to justice and to the intellectual, moral, and spiritual conversion that makes his work as much a blueprint today for Christian discipleship as it was then.

Individual readers, as well as church groups and students will find in this work a challenging yet energizing vision of God and redemptive love.”

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A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches 

"“We've got some difficult days ahead," civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., told a crowd gathered at Memphis's Clayborn Temple on April 3, 1968. "But it really doesn't matter to me now because I've been to the mountaintop. . . . And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land."

These prophetic words, uttered the day before his assassination, challenged those he left behind to see that his "promised land" of racial equality became a reality; a reality to which King devoted the last twelve years of his life.

These words and others are commemorated here in the only major one-volume collection of this seminal twentieth-century American prophet's writings, speeches, interviews, and autobiographical reflections. A Testament of Hope contains Martin Luther King, Jr.'s essential thoughts on nonviolence, social policy, integration, black nationalism, the ethics of love and hope, and more.”

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I Have a Dream - Special Anniversary Edition: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World 

"“His life informed us, his dreams sustain us yet."*

On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of the Lincoln Memorial looking out over thousands of troubled Americans who had gathered in the name of civil rights and uttered his now famous words, "I have a dream . . ." It was a speech that changed the course of history.

This fortieth-anniversary edition honors Martin Luther King Jr.'s courageous dream and his immeasurable contribution by presenting his most memorable words in a concise and convenient edition. As Coretta Scott King says in her foreword, "This collection includes many of what I consider to be my husband's most important writings and orations." In addition to the famed keynote address of the 1963 march on Washington, the renowned civil rights leader's most influential words included here are the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," the essay "Pilgrimage to Nonviolence," and his last sermon, "I See the Promised Land," preached the day before he was assassinated.

Editor James M. Washington arranged the selections chronologically, providing headnotes for each selection that give a running history of the civil rights movement and related events. In his introduction, Washington assesses King's times and significance.

*From the citation of the posthumous award of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., July 4, 1977”

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The Radical King (King Legacy #11)

“A revealing collection that restores Dr. King as being every bit as radical as Malcolm X”

“The radical King was a democratic socialist who sided with poor and working people in the class struggle taking place in capitalist societies. . . . The response of the radical King to our catastrophic moment can be put in one word: revolution—a revolution in our priorities, a reevaluation of our values, a reinvigoration of our public life, and a fundamental transformation of our way of thinking and living that promotes a transfer of power from oligarchs and plutocrats to everyday people and ordinary citizens. . . . Could it be that we know so little of the radical King because such courage defies our market-driven world?” —Cornel West, from the Introduction

Every year, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is celebrated as one of the greatest orators in US history, an ambassador for nonviolence who became perhaps the most recognizable leader of the civil rights movement. But after more than forty years, few people appreciate how truly radical he was.

Arranged thematically in four parts, The Radical King includes twenty-three selections, curated and introduced by Dr. Cornel West, that illustrate King’s revolutionary vision, underscoring his identification with the poor, his unapologetic opposition to the Vietnam War, and his crusade against global imperialism. As West writes, “Although much of America did not know the radical King—and too few know today—the FBI and US government did. They called him ‘the most dangerous man in America.’ . . . This book unearths a radical King that we can no longer sanitize.”

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Warm Up To Winter: An Energy Showcase - Free Online Event January 14

The New Paltz Climate Action Coalition is hosting their free online event, Warm Up To Winter: An Energy Showcase, on Thursday, January 14th, 6-7:30pm, on ways to efficiently heat your home this winter. The event is open to all homeowners and renters in the mid-Hudson region. It will include speakers from New Paltz Climate Action Coalition, Interfaith Earth Action, and Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess & Sullivan Counties.

This session will provide valuable resources to save money on your heating and utility bills this winter as well as the environment. Topics will include:

• free energy audits to help you find ways to save $ on heating bills & electricity

• grant programs/funding for renters, low & moderate income households

• low-interest financing & tax incentives for households looking to switch to renewable energy, do energy upgrades, & more

• renewable energy- community solar (great for renters), home solar power installations, heat pumps, geothermal & more!

• DIY weatherization, winterization & energy efficiency techniques, programs, and companies

Renters and landlords are especially encouraged to join us- there are specific programs we'd love to link you to that are vetted and will help you save both money on your bills AND will help the environment!

To receive the Zoom for the showcase, click here to register and join on Thursday, January 14, 2020 6-7:30pm!

Beacon Awarded $25K From CARES Act Funding via Dutchess County Through Block Grant (CDBG) For Food Purchasing - Spending It Is Next Step

Federal money was made available through the CARES Act for communities to apply for and be awarded money to spend on food security and/or ensuring safety for seniors at local senior centers. Dutchess County manages this money, and in a press release sent 12/22/2020, announced that all of the municipalities who applied for the money were awarded money, which was “based on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) income guidelines, for efforts to promote food security and safety at local senior centers to enable them to be open for seniors.”

Beacon applied for and was awarded $25,000 “for assistance to a local food bank to purchase food for distribution to low- and moderate-income households,” according to the press release. Beacon’s Director for Parks and Recreation, Mark Price, is the point person for the spending of this money, and says that spending the grant money is not so simple.

Because the money is federal, they require an “income survey” in order to prove the need a municipality says they have in their population. Says Mark: “The County was willing to fund a food purchase only, for moderate to low income families in Beacon. We have to give assurance to them that they are giving us money and we're using it for the population we say we are. Because we are using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money, there is usually a map that identifies the low to moderate areas (Editor’s Note: like with the small business Microenterprise Stabilization Grants currently available). When you use Block Grant monies, you are to use those to those areas. That map is slowly shrinking in Beacon. However, COVID funding doesn't use a map.”

How Does A Municipality Find The People To Prove The Need?

For this article, we asked Mark how he is going to find the people for the survey that identifies low to moderate income households. “We are hopeful that our Wednesday 9am free food distribution at Memorial Park, which serves 150-200 cars per week, in addition to our Wednesday 9:30am Beacon Recreation Center distribution to 75 families, will be a one-shot way to survey the need.”

The number of organizations who are offering food security services to people in need in Beacon has increased since the pandemic started in March 2020. “Of the groups in Beacon who work in food security, everyone would need to give assurance. They would each need to do an income survey. At this point, we are thinking that this one distribution location could be the most efficient way of getting a good sampling for the income survey. Some independent food security groups may need to do sampling for a month to get a good sampling.”

How Other Municipalities Proposed To Spend Money

Other municipalities made proposals for federal CARES Act funding based on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money guidlines, and were awarded. Ideas differed, and are included below:

City of Beacon: $25,000 for assistance to a local food bank to purchase food for distribution to low- and moderate-income households.

Town of Beekman: $20,000 for touchless bathroom fixtures for the Town’s senior program

Town of Dover: $17,200 award for substantive meals and home-keeping necessities for homebound seniors.

Town of East Fishkill: $20,000 award for HEPA sterilization units and UV air purifiers at the senior center.

Town of Hyde Park: $29,500 award for plexiglass partitions, air purifiers and UV-C lights, Wi-Fi network upgrades and 7 laptops at the senior center, as well as tent for outdoor programming.

Town of Poughkeepsie: $15,950 award for plexi-glass barriers, hand sanitizing stations, wall-mounted thermometers, HEPA filter, air purifiers, gloves/wipes/masks for the senior center.

Town of Pine Plains: $26,542 award for support to Willow Roots food pantry to purchase food for distribution to low- and moderate-income families.

The Hooded Chicken Debut To ALBB + Retail Therapy Guide 1/8/2021

Hello, It's the weekend in Beacon, which may make for the perfect timeline refresh in your social media. Get fresh air, let Beacon's restaurants do the cooking for you, treat yourself to some bling for your keychain. Now is the time when retail therapy  helps your neighbors stay in their homes and their storefronts more than ever before. So have fun! And fill up a food pantry when there are 2 for 1  sales on your favorite items. If you need to look at a very cute chicken right now, watch this clip of the Beacon Hooded Chicken graze while her best dog friend protects her. Regarding the insurrection on Wednesday at the Capitol Building, there have been several public statements made so far: Beacon City School District Superintendent Landahl Responds With Support To Student Community Regarding Imagery At The U.S. Capitol After The Insurrection The Beacon Democrat's Executive Committee "Condemns President Trump And The Insurrection He Incited On 1-6-2021" Beacon4Black Lives Community Responds To Attempted U.S. Election Certification Block At Capitol Building Attention Beacon Storefronts: ALBB is making a Gift Guide: "Favorite Things For $25" Not a penny more or less. Please email submissions to editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com   THE RETAIL THERAPY GUIDE Edited and Written By: Marilyn Perez and Katie Hellmuth Martin The Hudson: An Illustrated Guide to the Living River Webinar Series Dates: See below Time: 7:30pm Clearwater will be celebrating the publication of the 3rd edition of The Hudson: An Illustrated Guide to the Living River with a four-part webinar series. Please join us for a fun and illuminating exploration of this river we all love. Cost: FREE for Clearwater Members, $7 per night for non-members. The webinars will take place over the course of four consecutive Wednesdays at 7:30pm: 1/13/21: Steve Stanne 1/20/21: Roger Panetta 1/27/21: Brian Forist 2/3/21: Maija Niemisto Cooking For A Cause Dates: On Tuesdays from January 12 - mid February, 2012 Time: 9am HudsonValleyEats.com, the restaurant-focused food insecurity platform, has brought together 4 of the Hudson Valley's top chefs for a fundraising cooking event beginning January 12, 2021, called "Cooking For A Cause," to give 100% of the net profits to 4 local non-profits who specialize in getting food directly to locals in need. For those who love cooking shows and want to experience cooking with a chef on a screen in their home - while directly investing in local non-profits, this is the perfect multi-evening opportunity! Tickets & Information > SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO! Annual Great Newburgh To Beacon Swim Dates: July 24, 2021 Time: 9am Clearwater will be celebrating the publication of the 3rd edition of The Hudson: An Illustrated Guide to the Living River with a four-part webinar series. Please join us for a fun and illuminating exploration Information > Check our Calendar and Events Guide regularly for upcoming events throughout the week!       EAT CHURCH 3091 U.S. 9, Cold Spring, NY Now available for a limited time, Eat Church has collaborated with local artist @mkinneyny and @weartogether_community to come up with this cool t-shirt design.  Get your Orders in!  This Shirt is only available to order between January 4th and January 18th and will print and ship around January 29th.  You can place your order on their website www.eatchurch.com. Information > Eat Church is an ALBB Sponsor!       MEYERS OLDE DUTCH 184 Main Street, Beacon, NY While Meyers Olde Dutch is undergoing construction to build an outdoor patio at their 184 Main Street location, you can still order from their menu for take out and delivery only at their sister location, @kitchensinkny across the street at 157 Main Street. You can order online by clicking here or call them at 845.440.6900. Ordering delivery is the easiest thing you could do for yourself! Meyers Olde Dutch is an ALBB Sponsor! HOMESPUN 232 Main Street, Beacon, NY and the Cafe at the Dia : Beacon Food Food Food! Now on the website for Homespun Foods, you can find daily specials that are updated. Simply go to homespunfoods.com to see what's going on in their kitchen and the cellar. View Menu > Homespun is an ALBB Sponsor!    HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL 288 Main Street, Beacon, NY The Hudson Valley Food Hall is one of the most spacious restaurants in town, as it's designed like a food court! You'll find: Loaded French Fries, Specialty Salads, Dumplings, Himalayan Bowls, Homemade Soups, Southern BBQ, Fried Shrimp, Fish & Chips, Mac & Cheese, Custom Cocktails & Wine!! (High Ceilings, Socially Distanced Indoor/Outdoor Seating & To-Go Options Galore) Information > Hudson Valley Food Hall is an ALBB Sponsor! BAJA 328 328 Main Street, Beacon, NY New year, new look for Baja 328!  Come check out the newly remodeled Baja328. With the same Great food and Drinks as always! Celebrating 5 years in Beacon we’d like to thank the great customers for your continued patronage. Baja 328 is an ALBB Sponsor!   LEWIS & PINE 133 Main Street, Beacon The Fjellvant fragrance will remind you of taking a winter hike at Minnewaska, surrounded by evergreen trees and rough granite, stopping to breathe the cool, fresh air as you look out over the valley. Grab this natural wax candle or scented diffuser at Lewis & Pine today! Shop Now > Lewis & Pine is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you! Live Light Travel Often (LLTO) 464 Main Street, Beacon Have you been getting into a Project Zone? Time to treat yourself to upgrading your game! This toolbox is a surprising find at LLTO, but not too surprising, since owner Tamara is quite resourceful and only settles for very perfect things. This metal toolbox has a smooth open where levels of the drawers are revealed. Dividers come with this box, which you can arrange in a way you need to. See it in person, or Shop Now > LLTO is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you! PTACEK Home 464 Main Street, Beacon Need some shelving for those special finds you've been collecting from LLTO and other boutiques in Beacon? Take these home! PTACEK Home designed these shelves from reclaimed wood, and can do the same for your space. Perfect for opening up a room. Shop Now > PTACEK Home is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you! BRETT'S HARDWARE 18 West Main Street, Beacon For when you get a new toy, and you can't find the hardware that came with it, you go to Brett's! Plus, the helpful staff at Brett's can decipher directions illustrations and coded numbers of screws and bolts, to get you just what you need. Information > Brett's Hardware is a Sponsor, thank you! LUXE OPTIQUE 181-183 Main Street, Beacon Kick off 2021 in style with these frames from Leisure Society available at Luxe Optique.  Leisure Society is dedicated to heirloom design by creating an object once with the intention of having it last forever.  Collections are made with only the most luxurious components like titanium frame, 12/18/24K gold plating, diamonds and buffalo horn. If you're needing an eye exam, make a booking with one of their Optometrists via this link. ⁠ Shop Online > Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you! BINNACLE BOOKS 321 Main Street, Beacon We'd like to share this message recently posted by our friends at @binnaclebooks :  Despite the celebrations and the optimistic aphorisms and memes, these are not easy days. The needs we are trying to meet for each other, the responsibilities we have to ourselves, the fears and the struggles, are as present today as they were six months ago, two weeks ago, yesterday. We don’t intend to tell you how to do what you need to do, but don’t forget that our problems, however dire, are not new. And so the solutions don’t come quick. And the solutions are often anything but direct. You might find reassurance in the slowness of a book, the delicate complexity of a narrative, the oblique suggestion of a poem. You might find resolve in these things. We simply have to keep working and taking care of ourselves in each other. Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you! LA MÉRE CLOTHING AND GOODS 436 Main Street, Beacon We all know about work-from-home outfits at A Little Beacon Blog.  This outfit put together by La Mére is calling our name with a washed jogger pant, cami top, and cozy Taylor cardigan. Also with what we can imagine is something hot and yummy in the mug too!   Reminder: La Mere is in a new location on Main Street, just a few blocks down in the former Echo storefront. Shop Online > La Mere is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!               NEW BEAUTY DESTINATION! My Zen Den 1 East Main Street My Zen Den’s amenities include an infrared sauna, full-body red light therapy and a meditation nook. Information > Mother Nature & Me - Enrichment Program Grades: Pre-K to 8 Homeschool Groups Day/Time: To be determined after kids sign up, and will be coordinated by Brigette Wlash (click below for flier) Information > Clarkson University's Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries is now offering enrichment programs for Pre-K through 8th-grade homeschool groups at our Dennings Point Water Ecology Center. Each group will explore Dennings Point State Park through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) and nature-based learning activities. Spanish Lessons For Children (10 lessons) Grades: K-2 Days: Wednesdays & Fridays, January 8 - February 5, 2021 Time: 2pm For more info contact Ileana Cardona at ileanacrdn@gmail.com Information > Gyms and boutique studios safely remain open with new guidelines, settings, and more digital offerings for at home wellness:  Zoned Fitness launched their virtual studio December 1st.  beBhakti Yoga Center is offering more virtual options. Firefly Power Yoga will launching a new virtual studio & membership offerings in the new year. Beacon Pilates has On-Demand classes as well as in person sessions in both studio locations. ANTALEK & MOORE INSURANCE AGENCY 340 Main Street, Beacon January is Mentor Month and Antalek & Moore is celebrating it! Several members of the Antalek & Moore family serve as mentors throughout the community. This week, they featured partner Vince Lemma, who is a lacrosse champ. Vince has been a coach for various youth lacrosse teams over the years, and is grateful that he is able to work with kids who share the same passion as he does being on the field. Vince is pictured here with his 2019 Champion Team. Read ALBB's feature article with Vince, where he talks about coaching and how it helps him lead in business. Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!   TIN SHINGLE Tin Shingle is an education and empowerment platform for businesses and creators who are getting the word out about their business. Tin Shingle is the sister company of A Little Beacon Blog, and teaches people how to pitch the media. You are in control of what can get published about your company, and the support system at Tin Shingle can guide you. Every Wednesday at 1pm EST, there is a connection opportunity. Connect during the live, members-only Office Hours, or during a pre-recorded webinar TuneUp. Read All About It >   KATIE JAMES, INC. Eggberts Farm Fresh Eggs is preparing for the winter with a new website. Owner Carrie Sabins wants to reach her customers in case there is another shutdown or if her customers need delivery because they need to isolate. Katie James, Inc. a long-time customer of Eggberts Farm Fresh Eggs via the Beacon Farmer's Market. The branding agency is building Eggberts a website in Shopify, for easy pre-orders of eggs and meat, as well as pickup and select delivery options. Do You Need A Website Too? >

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Foodie Fundraiser Brings A Food Show Concept Into Homes Of Donors Via Devices - Going On January - February 2021

Hudson Valley Eats (www.hudsonvalleyeats.com), the restaurant-focused food insecurity platform, has brought together 4 of the Hudson Valley's top chefs for a fundraising cooking event beginning January 12, 2021, called "Cooking For A Cause," to give 100% of the net profits to 4 local non-profits who specialize in getting food directly to locals in need,

For those who love cooking shows and want to experience cooking with a chef on a screen in their home - while directly investing in local non-profits, this is the perfect multi-evening opportunity! "Cooking For A Cause" pairs 4 chefs with 4 non-profits to broadcast online cooking classes every Tuesday from January 12 to February 2nd, 2021 from 6pm-7:30pm. Tickets are $50, and for each class ticket sold, 100% of the net profits go to the dedicated non-profit paired with that class.

The founder of this give-back cooking series and of HudsonValleyEats.com, Janet Irizarry, leads by her mother's motto: "If you are going to be part of the community, you need to find something you can do that will make a difference." Janet's specialty is in restaurant and food management, having consulted with numerous successful restaurants, and teaches at the Culinary Institute of America. She brings together local talent in the culinary world for everyone to experience and benefit from.

How Cooking For A Cause Works

Participants will be sent a shopping list for ingredients in advance, and a Zoom link for the live cooking show. People can start cooking along with the chef, or just watch and drink wine, thinking about cooking! Anyone can ask the chef questions along the way.

Tickets are $50/class, start on January 12th, 2021, and run from 6pm-7:30pm on Tuesdays. People can buy a ticket to each class, which directly benefits the non-profit associated with the chef.

Tickets an be purchased online here:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/cooking-for-a-cause-tickets-132578954221

Non-Profits And Classes From Chefs Include:

- Dutchess Outreach (1/12/2021): Chef Rebecca Carucci, cooking plant-based recipes with Frances Gonzalez, a specialist in vegan wines. Chef Carucci is going to demonstrate how to cook Mexican Style Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. It is chockfull of omega 3, protein, iron, B12s and is guaranteed to satisfy your hunger for winter comfort food.

- People's Place (1/19/2021): Chef Agnes Devereaux, owner of The Village Tea Room Restaurant & Bake Shop in New Paltz, will teach how to make Pan Seared Hudson Valley Steelhead Trout with escargot butter and butternut squash with onions, sage and grapes.

- Feeding Westchester (1/26/2021): Chef Leslie Lampert is converting your fridge rejects (wilted, shriveled veggies, bruised fruits, gently expired yogurt, cottage cheese, tomato paste, forgotten frozen meats), to pantry pariahs (a leftover handful of rice, a half-cup pasta, that almond flour you bought for one recipe), Leslie, The Scrappy Chef, will teach you how to transform your neglected leftovers to create healthful, delicious meals that prevent food waste!

- Meals on Wheels (2/2/2021): Chef Chef Whitton is the owner of Pier 701 in Piermont and recently opened Autumn, a fine fining French cuisine restaurant in Sparkill, New York. Enjoy an evening in Paris with Chef Whitton as he shows how to prepare a classic Coq a Vin with mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes.

About The Founder

Janet Irizarry is an Adjunct Professor at the Culinary Institute of America, and a Managing Partner of the Hospitality Alliance which brings to gather business professionals who directly service the regions' restaurants, hotels, B&Bs and hospitals, with large-scale food and beverage operations in the Hudson Valley. She is the Editor of HudsonValley Eats.com, a website and Facebook Group that connects everyone in the Hudson Valley with food, not just those who can afford it. Janet was a Contributing Columnist for Hudson Valley News Network for the Food, Wine & Spirits beat, and is the owner of JI Restaurant Consulting.

About Each Non-Profit

Dutchess Outreach: Dutchess Outreach acts as a catalyst for community revitalization and exists in Dutchess County as an advocate and provider of hunger and relief services in order to ensure that everyone, regardless of income, has access to fresh, healthy food, and the support they need.

People's Place: People's Place is a not-for-profit organization feeding, clothing and responding to the needs of the people in Ulster County with kindness, compassion and the preservation of human dignity since 1972. People's Place operates a high quality Thrift Store as their primary economic engine, which is closed during the pandemic. They rely on donations and volunteers from the community, and conduct fundraisers, which were also impacted due to the pandemic.

Feeding Westchester: Their mission is to end hunger in Westchester County. As the heart of a network of nearly 300 community partners, they source and distribute food and other resources to towns across Westchester County, helping to ensure that none of their neighbors are hungry.

Meals on Wheels: Since being founded in 1974 Meals on Wheels has delivered more than eight million meals, often making the difference between a recipient being able to remain at home, and living independently, or being placed in a health care of nursing home. In 2011 volunteers will deliver more than 122,000 meals to homebound Rockland residents who are unable to shop or prepare their own food due to advancing age, illness or physical disability. Over 900 meals are prepared in the central commissary daily to support the programs and contracts of the agency.

The Beacon Democrat's Executive Committee "Condemns President Trump And The Insurrection He Incited On 1-6-2021"

The Executive Committee of the Beacon Democratic Committee issued a statement to the media, announcing their position on Wednesday’s insurrection and attempted blocking of the electoral college certification. As a group, they have not had the opportunity yet to meet to get the vote of all of their committee members on this statement.

The Beacon Democrats are representatives of the Democratic party in Dutchess County. Their local Beacon meetings are open to the public on the second Saturday of the month at 9:30 a.m., previously at Beahive and now via Zoom.

Their statement is below:

The Executive Committee of the Beacon Democratic Committee condemns President Trump and the insurrection he incited on January 6, 2021. Mob violence has no place in our democracy. We support the Constitution and the rule of law.

We also condemn the unequal, unfair, and un-American practices of law enforcement agencies, who allowed acts of violence and destruction to unfold in our nation's capital. This was white supremacy taken to its logical conclusion and was particularly shameful in light of the extreme tactics regularly used against protesters in support of Black lives.

We call on elected officials of all parties to also condemn the President and his accomplices, and we urge all appointed officials to uphold the rule of law and defend against any attempt to subvert peaceful self-governance.

Beacon Democrat’s Executive Committee:
Chair: Lisa Jessup
First Vice Chair: Pam Wetherbee
Second Vice Chair: Peggy Ross
Treasurer: James Cotter
Corresponding Secretary: Amber Grant (current City Councilmember At Large)
Recording Secretary: Adam McKible

Beacon City School District Superintendent Landahl Responds With Support To Student Community Regarding Imagery At The U.S. Capitol After The Insurrection

During the Remote Learning life of the pandemic, many kids of all ages are at home with parents or a caregiver, and were home during Wednesday’s storming of the U.S. Capitol Building, and watched the events happen in real time. Videos from inside of the Capitol from people participating in the swarming were also circulated.

Parents needed to speak with their children about events and meanings of symbols as they happened. Beacon City School’s Superintendent Matt Landahl sent an email to the community the following day, offering encouragement to parents and caregivers that the district community was there to give support.

His email statement is below:

Dear Beacon Community:

The events yesterday in our nation’s capital were disturbing, to say the least. We are open and ready today for students in-person and online. Knowing that many of our youngest students may not even be aware of the events that took place, we will emphasize safety and community today and always. Thanks again to our educators and staff for doing this every day.

Images have been widely circulated on social media and television of the confederate flag and clothing celebrating the Holocaust being brandished in our Capitol building yesterday. It has always been our practice to not allow these images in school and it was put officially into our Code of Conduct by the Board of Education last year. We want to reassure a sense of safety on that level as well because of how disturbing these images were to us all.

If you have any specific concerns for your child, please contact your child’s teacher, principal or guidance counselor. We are prepared to offer support to everyone who needs it.

I wish I could be more eloquent in times like this and words often fail me. I know our school community will continue to offer strong support for our students during what has been an incredibly challenging year. As I often say, I am inspired on a daily basis by the resilience and strength of our staff, families, and students this year. Thanks as always for your support.

Sincerely,

Matt Landahl

Beacon4Black Lives Community Responds To Attempted U.S. Election Certification Block At Capitol Building

After the sun went down on the blocked Election Certification attempt at the nation’s Capitol, Beacon4Black Lives organized an impromptu and peaceful vigil at Pohill Park, Beacon’s destination for public gatherings. They brought a projector and screen to project the news onto a screen. Stefon Seward, one of the original members of Beacon4Black Lives and current committee member on Beacon’s Police Chief Search, was one of the first to speak about the difference between the white people storming the Capitol who seemed to do it with ease and no punishment, versus Black people who get shot in the back sometimes in front of their children.

A handful of speakers spoke, including Xavier Mayo, a founding member of Beacon4Black Lives, sharing a story of him getting pulled over yesterday twice for a tail light being out, and of the two different emotional experiences he went through when pulled over by two different police officers. The experience with the first officer was normal and helpful as to how to fix a tail light, yet the second experience invoked fear as the officer smirked and laughed at Xavier when the he said he felt afraid.

Justice McCray, who is also a founding member of Beacon4Black Lives, spoke about how Black people are treated differently and how basic needs for some Beaconites are not being met, and how the Black community in Beacon does not feel safe with police. Justice is connected to several food insecurity initiatives like the Community Fridge, and is an advocate for community safety in new ways. “We’re here to build something better. What’s happening now is not OK, and is a slap in the face of democracy.”

Paloma Wake also spoke, who is a member of Beacon4Black Lives and has been involved in several Beacon based organizations including the Beacon Farmers Market when she was its manager. She currently holds a seat and is the Vice Chair on Beacon’s Human Relations Commission.

Other speakers included former regular participants of past protest marches down Main Street over the summer in favor of Black lives mattering more, as well as the protest of the Beacon 2021 budget.

One speaker was new to the group, after moving to Beacon recently. He said that having been down in the dumps earlier, he turned to his wife and they agreed to come down to the vigil. He expressed happiness that he came, and sadness at the new life navigations he needed to make with his family who are Trump supporters and he is not. He expressed dismay at not being able to communicate with them because of their political differences, which was a choice he made, after not being able to tolerate tolerance any longer.

Beacon Councilperson for Ward 4, Dan Aymar-Blair, spoke about his experience during the day with his child at home who was asking questions about democracy. Dan has a BA in Political Science and Government and stated that while watching the events unfold, he expressed desire to explore his own relationship with democracy, as he tried to answer his son’s question.

The day seemed to have launched a deep dive for many as events developed. Listen to all of the stories and speeches at the vigil here at Beacon4Black Lives Instagram.

Racist Zoom Bombing Targets Desmond-Fish Library Bake-Off Awards Ceremony While Black Employee Hosts

During the holiday season of December, 2020, the Desmond-Fish Public Library in Garrison held a month-long bake off contest for kids, who could bake at home and submit their entries. The submissions would be presented in a video montage Awards Ceremony on January 2nd, 2021, where participants could gather on a Zoom call, hosted by Justice McCray, a well known lover of books and creative programming, having worked at Beacon’s Howland Public Library, and currently works at the Desmond-Fish Public Library, as well as Split Rock Books in Cold Spring. Justice is also an emerging local activist in the social revolution to make Black lives matter more, and has been a leader in most of the protest marches down Beacon’s Main Street and educational story circles held at Memorial Park and Pete & Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park.

The bake-off program was well marketed in advance across social media channels and in the local press. As the program got started, with eager children, parents and caregivers on the call to look at delightful attempts at baking, the The Great Desmond-Fish Public Library Bake Off award ceremony was interrupted by people or a person masquerading as participants on the call - using participants’ names like a wolf in sheep’s clothing - typing words such as the N-word dozens of times in all caps across the screen. The Desmond-Fish Public Library Director Jen McCreery confirmed to A Little Beacon Blog: “The interloper appropriated the identities of several program participants, which is how they were able to access the program through the waiting room.”

The program had been “hacked by one or more interlopers who used the platform to spread racist and sexist messages” the library director explained in an email press release sent soon after the incident, and on the library’s Facebook page, in a message from the library’s Board of Directors, posted 2 days after the event, and after the authorities had been notified, and participants began to process what had happened. As to if the library or Justice himself were targeted, Jen emphasized: “I do want to clarify that we have no way of knowing whether this was a targeted or random attack on the library and Justice specifically.”

The program’s host, Justice McCray, expressed in his social media that he wasn’t sure what to do after the targeted incident. He has since co-hosted an evening vigil at Pohil Park in Beacon, in honor of finishing the Election Certification that was derailed at the Capitol yesterday (1/6/2021) by people, some of whom were armed, climbing the building and breaking windows to get inside to sit in offices and put their feet up on the desks of people who had evacuated.

This was the first time that the Desmond-Fish Public Library had ever been Zoom Bombed, Jen confirmed. Library staff was able to handle the breach “as quickly as possible in the moment, but, sadly, the Zoom participants were exposed to this hateful and illegal behavior,” Jen told A Little Beacon Blog. In their message to the public, the library Board expressed: “The Library Staff and our Board of Trustees are horrified that a program created as a positive and joyful celebration of our community was derailed by one hateful individual, We are especially sorry that this attack was witnessed by children. No family should have to encounter such hate speech.”

According to Jen in response to A Little Beacon Blog’s questions, the library notified Putnam County Sheriff's Department. “They have taken our full report and it's my understanding they are looking into what charges might be brought against the perpetrators.”

In terms of moving forward, “we are looking into alternate online platforms as well as additional security measures we can take for future online events,” Jen told A Little Beacon Blog.

Jen also expressed: “Everyone at the library is grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support we've received from local organizations and families and we hope that, going forward, we can channel that support into creating programs and educational resources to help our community members come together in addressing the larger systemic issues that contributed to this incident.”

Justice McCray told A Little Beacon Blog in response to an email asking him if he had comments he wanted to share regarding his and this experience: “This was a traumatic incident for me. There’s no way for me to not take this personal. To be the first Black staff member at my job to host an event and to have this happen cuts deeper than I can explain. I’m glad the library and community aren’t sweeping this incident under the rug. It’s necessary to center to voices and needs of those most impacted by this event. It’s also equally necessary not to center them in a way that amplifies the trauma.

“The work ahead is as vital as it is difficult and painful. Now is a necessary time for or communities, especially Philipstown, to reflect on the impact its history of racism has on its dreamed future of inclusivity. The next questions that need to be asked are not “how can we improve security on our events to prevent this from happening?“ but rather, “How is this something that can happen in our communitiy? What behaviors have we dismissed or ignored that led to this escalation? How can we create a community where harm like this doesn’t continue?”

Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro Re "Mayhem" At U.S. Capitol: "Every leader, in every office, from every corner of this country must call for this to end and disperse immediately"

On Wednesday, January 6, while the Capitol Building of the United States of America was being stormed by supporters of President Trump, where 5 people died including one police officer, and other police officers were wounded, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro, a Republican, issued a statement via press release at 4:48pm. It reads:

Statement from Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro
Following the events occurring in Washington, D.C.

“This mayhem must stop, and it must stop now. America doesn’t resort to chaos or violence, and we don’t encourage or invite it. Every leader, in every office, from every corner of this country must call for this to end and disperse immediately.

“The events unfolding at the U.S. Capitol this afternoon do not represent who we are as an American people. While we would never suppress vigorous debate and the right to protest – our country, after all, was founded on the right of its citizens to voice their opinions – the violence witnessed today is wrong and unacceptable, and it must come to an end.”