A Warm, Cozy Feeling... :: Retail Therapy 11/5/2021
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HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL
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The New Pub Food At Two Way Brewing Co. From The Flying Jib Is Melty Dreamy
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Editor’s Note: We heard rumors of the new food partnership between Two Way Brewing Co. and The Flying Jib in the summer of 2021 - that great pub food had arrived to the local brewery near the train station with a patio near you. When Two Way Brewing Co. came on as a sponsor of ALBB’s Restaurant Guide, that of course pushed us over the edge to send in long-time readers Matt McKimmey and Brianne McDowell to enjoy a sampling on a date night, and write about it. Matt wrote up the report, with Brianne on photos.
Some background: Matt and Brianne are both foodies who live in Beacon, hailing from the service and hospitality industries. During the pandemic-induced shutdown, both were hunkered down in Beacon with their young and extended family. Matt worked as a favorite bartender at Minetta Tavern, an iconic old school New York City West Village haunt. We say “worked” because he was out of the game for a while during the shutdown. Only recently, he just returned to tend bar again. While his train commuting hours are brutal, his regulars at Minetta Tavern are thrilled to have him back. For the record, as people stereotype NYC employees living in Beacon, both Matt and Brianne have cars in Beacon as being car-less, even though Matt commutes by train. Brianne used to commute by train, and recently found a job in Beacon to replace her demanding hotel job.
By Matt McKimmey
Attention Beaconites and foodies everywhere! Two Way Brewery Co. has yet again expanded on their very cool experience to include an awesome food menu. The Flying Jib at Two Way is not to be missed. Chef Trace Martinez really isn’t messing around featuring a delicious spin on Snacks, Sandwiches, and Wings.
We were definitely in the mood for wings but that didn’t stop us from starting with the Korean Fried Broccoli and Patatas Bravas, AMAZING! I was ready for another pint of the Work A Day IPA, sessionable and straight delicious.
A departure from my norm, I usually just get the flight because all of Two Way’s beers are awesome and it’s hard to choose just one.
We picked up our wings from the kitchen’s window, an informal aspect of Two Way that I really like, straight from the chef to your table. Just head back towards the game room when your beeper goes off (I miss the 90’s).
I made the right choice with the “You’re a Jerk” style wings. Caribbean flavors explode with a scotch-bonnet jerk seasoning topped with a tamarind sweet chutney. It was the kind of delicious, sloppy wing experience that just slaps a huge, saucy smile on your face. Wet Naps are provided, a pro move considering you’ll want to get your hands dirty with this incredible selection of wings.
We couldn’t stop there.
The “Los Diablos” style ARE. INCREDIBLE. Like a spicy wing challenge for those brave souls that crave the heat, ghost pepper and Carolina reaper bring you right to the edge and you will LOVE it. Honestly, these were the best, super spicy wings I’ve had in years and I will be back to try all the other flavors (edit: I came back 2 days later and ordered the Los Diablos AGAIN, to go).
Hold on we had sandwiches too!
Editor’s Note: This is where the article ends. We pursued Brianne for more details on the sandwiches: “I remember lots of cheese and it was delicious. There was cheese fig and arugula, and the Patatas Bravas and Broccoli were FIRE. I’m going to stop typing and order them now.”
Follow Two Way Brewing Co. and Flying Jib on Instagram for more food photos and event dates for live music and game nights.
School Buses Allowed To Pass Through Fishkill Correctional Facility - Thanks To Assemblyman Jacobson's Negotiations
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When the Fishkill Correctional Facility first told the Beacon City School District that it would be partially closing their portion of Matteawan Road to the public, that included school buses of the Beacon City School District (BCSD). There are 6 schools in the district, where kids as young as Pre-K can go to Glenham elementary but live in the South Avenue Elementary district, as well as middle schoolers and high schoolers living in the far corners of Beacon when it bleeds into Fishkill or Glenham. That road was a pass-through, and without it, major re-routes would need to take place, which could lead to delays in afternoon drop-offs and morning pickups.
Assemblyman Jonathan Jacobson, whose district includes Dutchess County (Beacon, Fishkill, etc.) and Orange County (Newburgh) was in contact with Department Of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) immediately after Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White and BCSD’s Superintendent Matt Landahl were notified by DOCCS of the closure in two weeks time.
Said Assemblyman Jacobson’s office to A Little Beacon Blog: “We facilitated an agreement to allow school buses to continue using the DOCCS-owned stretch of Matteawan. We believe that the exemption is permanent.”
As to to the reason for the closure, Assemblyman Jacobson’s office elaborated: “Our understanding is that there have been numerous trespasses, which triggered the Fishkill Correctional Superintendent to order the closure. The land has technically always been closed off to public access, but DOCCS did not have the budget to post someone there to guard the road. We don't have any documented info on when the guard was pulled from that duty, but think it was at least 5 years ago. Traffic being what it is in Beacon, folks just started using that road more and more. We understand that new signage was posted 1-1/2 years ago saying that it's private property, but folks just ignored it.”
Main Street Not Getting Paved Despite Early Pulling Of Parklets From Restaurants
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Last year in the Fall, diners at restaurants were eating in the newfangled “parklets,” which were the borders of bright orange Jersey barriers outside of restaurants. These barriers created a safe-ish space for people to eat outside of restaurants in parking spaces, thereby adding seating to a restaurant and an opportunity for restaurants to earn more money during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a virus passed primarily through the air, making outside spaces the safest. Last year, restaurants were getting crafty with what kind of heating units they were going to provide their patrons.
This year, Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White pulled the parklets in late September, citing scheduled milling and paving that was to be done on Main Street. Indeed, Beacon has been investing in infrastructure such as paved roads and seeking grants for new sidewalks for a number of years. Restaurant owners were already fearful of when the parklets were going to disappear, while some members of the community were bothered by the parklets for beauty reasons, and fear of car accidents, due to Beacon’s increasing reputation for speeding down Main Street, and any street around town.
Announced at the 11/1/2021 City Council Meeting, Main Street will indeed not get paved this year after all. City Administrator Chris stated: “The planned milling and paving of Main Street has been moved to next Spring. Because of all of the rain we have had recently, the contractors who are lined up to do the the milling and paving can't give us dates until late November, and then we run into the problem of getting into cold weather, in which the new striping won't set. Rather than rush it and not have the best job done, we will do April or early May.”
While the City Administrator said that the bump out project will be completed at South Avenue and Wolcott, it seems as though new cross-walk painting will not happen for the new location of bump-outs, which are the new side-walk extensions presumably for more accessible wheelchair use and pedestrian crossing. Currently, some of the new bump-out extensions do not match up with old cross-walks.
Some side-streets, such as South Chestnut Street, have been newly paved, with new bump-outs added. Several new bright yellow cross-walk signs have been added along Main Street as well, aiding in visual signals drivers get when zooming down the road.
Election News: How To Get Local Election Results From The Dutchess County Elections Website
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Election results used to be like Christmas morning - you go to sleep after an exciting night of hoping, and then you wake up to the results reported on TV or published in a newspaper. Trouble is, some published projections were wrong, if they were printed prior to election results being finalized.
Results for local elections that took place during the 2020 presidential race were not as clear cut as one thought as results were being uploaded to the Dutchess County Board Of Elections Website. For instance, in the race for Dutchess County Court Judge, longtime Judge Peter Forman had a wide lead the night before, only to be surpassed by his challenger, Jessica Segal the next day. A legal battle initiated by Forman followed, and Jessica Segal emerged the winner and second woman elected to that bench.
Forman now works as a mediation and arbitration attorney for Cuddy and Feder, a law firm whose real estate attorneys do a lot of business in Beacon with different development projects.
Where To Find Your Own Local Election Results
The Dutchess County Board Of Elections posts results slowly throughout the evening and next day after the election. While it’s gratifying to find unofficial results right away, it could lead to disappointment as absentee ballots get counted and uploaded to the website’s Unofficial Results. Best to have patience and read analytical results in news media once the results are finalized.
To see the results for yourself as they are uploaded, visit the Dutchess County Board Of Election website. All of the races for Dutchess County are listed there, including Beacon, Poughkeepsie, Fishkill, and others.
The totals for the candidates are listed on their line. The breakdown is listed under their name. For instance:
Rachel Saunders (DEM, WOR) had votes from two parties: Democrat and Working Family. At the time of this screenshot (12:55pm on 11/3/2021), she had 27,855 votes. Of those, 24,872 were from the Democrat party, and 2,983 were from the Working Family party.
Denise W. Watson had votes from two parties: Republican and Conservative. At the time of this screenshot, she had 31,372 votes. Of those, 24,904 were from Republicans, and 6,468 were from the Conservative party.
The Write-In total doesn’t seem to be indicated for either candidate here.
On Election Night at 10:30pm, Rachel held the lead. By Wednesday morning, the lead shifted to Denise. For Beacon’s City Court Judge, challenger Gregory Johnston held the lead by a wide margin over current incumbent Timothy G. Pagones. By Wednesday morning, the lead remained, but shrunk. As of this publishing, these results are Unofficial.
Refresh your screen at the 2021 General Election Unofficial Results page here.
Video Of The Drive On Matteawan Road Past Fishkill Correctional Facility That Is Partially Closed Now - The Experience
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As of November 1, 2021, the Fishkill Correctional Facility partially closed their part of Matteawan Road between the Beacon High School and Business Route 52, seemingly without defining their reason to either the City of Beacon or the Beacon City School District (BCSD), as indicated by Beacon’s City Administrator, Chris White, during the 10/25/2021 City Council Workshop Meeting when he stated that the City was not informed of the partial closure until October 18, 2021, and in the City of Beacon’s Resolution urging reconsideration of the partial closure until solutions are found. The story was first reported on here.
He also stated during the 11/1/2021 City Council Meeting that the City was not informed that the Beacon City School District buses succeeded in becoming exempt from the closure, and could continue their routes. Some in the community who are district families learned that news from the school district’s Superintendent Matt Landahl, as he robo-emailed/texted families to remind them of the new change in the partial road closure.
Over the course of this developing story, Beaconites of various ages have chimed in in social media to say that they remember the road being partially closed in years past by guards, who either restricted access, or asked for identifying information of drivers.
Pedestrians who walk, hike or jog through these grounds note the beauty - despite the fact that it is a correctional facility with personal struggles and achievements going on behind the tall walls and barbed wire. Pedestrians have usually been told to leave the property, sometimes much to their chagrin (or odd excitement…again…despite that the property is a correctional facility).
So that everyone can know or remember what the route looks and drives like, A Little Beacon Blog took a drive down the pass-through before it closed to the public. As Beacon’s City Administrator stated during a City Council Meeting and in Beacon’s Resolution, Matteawan Road is owned by 3 entities: DOCCS (New York State Department Of Corrections and Community Supervision), the City of Beacon, and the Town of Fishkill (where Matteawan Road intersects with Business Route 52 and is called Prospect Street.
The speed limit on this section of the road is 30 mph. The vehicle in this video is driving 20 mph, because anything higher felt too fast. Certainly a civilian car was tailing the vehicle for going under the speed limit, as people who drive in Beacon tend to be impatient.
The intersection where Matteawan Road becomes Prospect Street at Business Route 52 is a very tight turn right, and a Hope-I-Don’t-Die turn when turning left. Just a few weeks ago, there was an accident near that intersection. With so many parents and buses picking up and dropping off, in addition to a shift change for the Correctional Facility at around 3pm, chances for an accident increase no matter if public traffic is decreased on Prospect Street or not. The regular driving on Business Route 52 is too fast and consistent for that angle of a turn, as it is a business route. Turning in either direction is a risk, as it is not often that there is a break in traffic.
A red/green traffic light may help that intersection no matter if the road remains partially closed or not.
City of Beacon Urges Reconsideration of Partial Matteawan Road Closure By Fishkill Correctional Facility
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The week that the Beacon City School District announced to families that the part of Matteawan Road that passes through the Fishkill Correctional Facility after the Beacon High School, and intersects with Business Route 52 (at which point, it is called Prospect Street), would be closed to the public on November 1, 2021, the The City of Beacon’s Administrator Chris White announced at a public City Council Workshop Meeting (at 1:19:00) that the City strongly urged the Fishkill Correctional Facility to reconsider the partial road closure, to start a dialogue to form a better plan, and to support Assemblyman Jacobson’s efforts to allow school bus routes at the very least until solutions could be found.
According to Administrator Chris, the City of Beacon was first informed on October 18, 2021 by the Superintendent of the Fishkill Correctional Facility that the part of Matteawan Road passing the facility would be closed to the public on November 1, 2021. In response, Administrator Chris prepared a resolution of the City’s urging of a reconsideration.
The proposed resolution to be signed during tonight’s public City Council Meeting can be found here. Today, November 1, 2021, which is the start of the partial road closure to the public, Beacon City School’s Superintendent Landahl sent a notice to district families that buses will continue running through Mattweawan Road near the Fishkill Correctional Facility, but reminded families that that part of the road is closed to the public. There has been no announcement to Beacon residents of the road block via robo-call, text, or website posting, other than the mention of it during last week’s City Council Meeting.
In providing context for Beacon’s position on the closure, Administrator Chris stated:
“Mattawean Road runs through the City of Beacon and the Town of Fishkill. It goes past the Fishkill Correctional Facility. The Town owns a piece of the road near Prospect Street that feeds in. Then the prison owns a large part of it, and then the City owns the rest of it.
“We had heard rumors from the School District that the Fishkill Correctional Facility was going to close that road as of November 1st. We only received a call on October 18th, which was the first official notification that the City was given, that the road was going to be closed permanently in less than 2 weeks.
“We have been in touch with Superintendent and our state representatives. I know that Assemblyman Jacobson's office is working diligently to try to exempt buses which would be severely disrupted if that closed. We thought we would support - I put this together because I thought it important to support our state delegation's effort to delay the implementation of this so we can do some planning, to exempt buses at the very least, and to begin a real dialogue between the Town of Fishkill, Beacon City School District, and the City of Beacon.
“There has been no planning or traffic modeling to look at what the impacts were. I would say this strongly recognizes their right and their necessity to secure their facility. Nobody is questing that. The way that we do it, though, is important. We think we can thread that needle so that it's not as disruptive to the traffic going into Rombout and the High School.”
Covered In The Proposed Resolution
Included in the City of Beacon’s Resolution, spearheaded by Administrator Chris, is the point that, for years, “Matteawan Road serves as a connection between the Town of Fishkill and the City of Beacon and is an important street access from Fishkill Avenue to the Beacon High School and Rombout Middle School.” In response ALBB’s article announcing this partial road closure last week, former City Councilperson Ali T. Muhammad, who grew up walking to Beacon school in that area, recalled when that part of the road was temporarily closed: “Grew up there, sounds awful. Last time it was shut down was due to 9/11. Good luck.”
The resolution points out that the closure to the public is “during the daytime.” The resolution makes sure to state the City of Beacon’s dissatisfaction with not being consulted by the Fishkill Correctional Facility prior to their decision: “City of Beacon recognizes the necessity and right of DOCCS and the Fishkill Correctional Facility to secure their grounds, including this section of road, the City is concerned that it and other major stakeholders, including the Beacon City School District, were not consulted on the closure and received insufficient notice to allow for traffic safety modifications and adjustment that might need to be implemented as a result of the change to traffic patterns in and around Matteawan Road.”
The City of Beacon cited concern for where traffic would increase due to the partial closure of Mattawean Road, stating that it “would create traffic and pedestrian safety issues at key intersections in the City of Beacon, including Verplanck Avenue and Matteawan Road, Wilkes Street and Matteawan Road, and at access roads through Memorial Park, which now may be used as a cut-through for motorists.”
The resolution pointed out the effort required to properly answer the partial road closure: “Any adjustments to the traffic control signage in the area will take the City a period of at least several months to assess needed modification and adopt revisions to the City Code for such modifications, which require a public hearing and adoption of a local law amending the City Code, and the City received less than two weeks’ notice of the impending partial road closure without any prior traffic safety planning by the Facility or coordination with the City.”
The City of Beacon is asking for a pausing of the partial road closure, and a commitment to work together on solutions moving forward “with a immediate establishment of a working committee to coordinate with Fishkill Correctional Facility on this matter, including the following key stakeholders: the City of Beacon, Town Town of Fishkill, and Beacon City School District in order to consider potential alternatives, and if necessary, properly plan for the impact that a partial closure of Matteawan Road would create.
Beacon’s resolution would then be sent to Governor Kathy Hochul, State Senator Sue Serino, Assemblymember Jonathan Jacobson, DOCCS Acting Commissioner Anthony Annucci, and Fishkill Correctional Facility Superintendent Edward Burnett.
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Do Good With Chipotle - Fundraiser For Sargent Elementary School 
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL
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City Of Beacon Seeks Input On Protecting Green and Open Spaces - Public Survey Open Until October 30th
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Beacon’s Conservation Advisory Committee is a busy committee whose mission is “advising the Planning Board and the City Council on matters affecting the preservation, development and use of the natural and man-made features in the City.” Currently, they are looking for public input on open green spaces, and the online survey ends on October 30, 2021.
Early on, they were reviewing Beacon’s 2007 Comprehensive Plan and formed recommendations for the 2017 version. They spearheaded Beacon’s opposition to the proposed Danskammker Energy plant in 2019 under Mayor Randy Casale.
As of June, 2019, was appointed Beacon’s Climate Smart Task Force by the City Council. This task force is headed by the City of Beacon’s Climate Smart Coordinator, Faye Leone. Initially, Eleanor Peck held the position. The task force keeps tabs on what Beacon is doing climate-wise, and from that data, goes to apply for grants that Beacon works to qualify for.
Public Input Wanted About Open Spaces And Usage Of Those Spaces
The committee is seeking the public’s input about current open spaces in Beacon, and how they are used. They are also seeking help to identify where those spaces area. In addition to well-known ones, like Memorial Park, you may be aware of a smaller space that is off the radar, but needs protection.
Among other things, the survey asks,
When you want to be outside, where do you go? What do you like to do?
What are the barriers keeping you from visiting Beacon’s parks and open spaces?
What might make Beacon’s open space more accessible, inclusive, or equitable?
How Is An Green And Open Space Defined For This Survey?
According to the survey: “Green and open space is land that is not developed for residential, commercial, industrial or institutional use. Green and open space may be publicly or privately-owned, can serve many purposes, and can range in size. Some examples of green and open spaces are parks, playgrounds, ball courts, community gardens, mountains, and forests.”
Who Is On The Conservation Advisory Committee?
As of now, the following people are on the Conservation Advisory Committee, with vacancy:
Nicole Wooten, 2022
Antony Tseng, 2022
Phillip Stamatis, 2022
Eleanor Peck, 2022
Vacancy, 2022
Sam Adels, 2021
Carinda Swann, 2021
Sergei Krasikov, 2022 *Chair
Vacancy, 2022
You can take the online survey here, which ends on October 30, 2021.
Beacon City Schools Propose Ventilation, Windows, Outdoor Learning Spaces In Proposed $26M Capital Project
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The Beacon City School District Superintendent Matt Landahl will present the Capital Improvement Project this evening (Tuesday, October 5, 2021) during a public meeting via Zoom at 7pm, where he will describe the physical improvements slated for each of Beacon’s 6 schools (4 elementary, 1 middle and 1 high school). Also at the meeting will be Deputy Superintendent Ann Marie Quartironi, BOE and Facilities Committee Chair Kristan Flynn, and Bill Wisbauer, architect.
Slides outlining the improvements for each school can be seen here. People who want to watch the meeting live can do so by clicking this link. The meeting will be published to the school’s YouTube channel later this week. The date to vote is Tuesday, October 26, 2021 from 6am - 9pm. Locations are the Beacon High School, and for those in certain addresses, Glenham Elementary.
The project is budgeted to cost $26 million, and will not result in a tax increase, Dr. Landahl has said. Building aid from New York State will reimburse 67% of the costs, while $600,000 will come from the General Fund Balance and $1 million will come from the district’s Capital Reserve.
Highlights From The Proposed Capital Project
Each school is slated to receive ventilation upgrades; outdoor learning spaces are planned; some cuts for new windows; and an upgrade to a TV studio are planned. See below for all of the plans. Many of the driveways and drop-offs are in poor condition, like at Glenham Elementary and Rombout Middle School, and are scheduled for paving. All elementary schools are getting new boilers to improve efficiency.
Glenham Elementary School
CONTINUED INSTALLATION OF CUBBIES IN CLASSROOMS
REPAVE FRONT ENTRANCE DROP-OFF AND EXPAND PARKING
REPLACEMENT OF THE AGING SEPTIC SYSTEM
ADA UPGRADES TO TOILET ROOMS
INSTALL ENERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTING IN CORRIDORS
REPLACE OUTDATED EMERGENCY LIGHTING
REPLACE BOILERS THAT HAVE EXCEEDED USEFUL LIFE WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT UNITS
REPLACE CLASSROOM UNIT VENTILATORS IN 1956 AND 1987 THAT HAVE
EXCEED USEFUL LIFE TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY
UPGRADE VENTILATION TO LIBRARY AND SMALL INSTRUCTIONAL AREAS
PROVIDE AN ENTRANCE VESTIBULE AT MAIN ENTRANCE TO IMPROVE SECURITY
TOTAL PROJECT COST:
$4,895,000
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMERS/FALL IN 2022 & 2023
JV Forrestal Elementary
REPLACE CORRIDOR CEILINGS
INSTALL ENERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTING IN CORRIDORS
INSTALL WINDOWS IN LOWER FLOOR HALLWAYREPLACE EXTERIOR RAMP WITH ADA COMPLIANT DESIGN
REPLACE CONCRETE WALKS AT DROP OFF
REPLACE OUTDATED EMERGENCY LIGHTING
REPLACE BOILERS THAT HAVE EXCEEDED USEFUL LIFE WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT UNITS
REPLACE CLASSROOM UNIT VENTILATORS IN 1975 THAT HAVE EXCEED USEFUL LIFE TO
IMPROVE AIR QUALITY AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY
UPGRADE VENTILATION TO NURSES AREA / SMALL INSTRUCTIONAL AREAS
INSTALL EXTERIOR PLAY STRUCTURE REPLACE ASPHALT PAVING AT FRONT ENTRANCE DROP-OFF LOOP
TOTAL PROJECT COST:
$2,733,000
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2022 & 2023
Sergeant Elementary
REPLACE CORRIDOR CEILINGS
INSTALL ENERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTING IN CORRIDORS
REPAVE WEST ACCESS DRIVE/LOOP
REPLACE EXTERIOR RAMP WITH ADA COMPLIANT DESIGN
REPLACE CONCRETE WALKS AT NORTHWEST ENTRANCE/BUS LOOP
REPLACE OUTDATED EMERGENCY LIGHTING
REPLACE BOILERS THAT HAVE EXCEEDED USEFUL LIFE WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT UNITS
UPGRADE VENTILATION TO NURSES AREA
RELOCATE LIBRARY TO MAIN FLOOR
TOTAL PROJECT COST
$2,611,000
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2022 & 2023
South Avenue Elementary
INSTALL ENERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTING IN CORRIDORS
REPAVE FRONT DRIVE/LOOP
REPLACE EXTERIOR RAMP WITH ADA COMPLIANT DESIGN
REPLACE OUTDATED EMERGENCY LIGHTING
REPLACE BOILERS THAT HAVE EXCEEDED USEFUL LIFE WITH ENERGY EFFICIENT UNITS
UPGRADE VENTILATION IN INTERIOR SPACES
UPGRADE EXTERIOR PLAY AREA
CREATE OUTDOOR LEARNING AREA IN FRONT
TOTAL PROJECT COST:
$1,560,000
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2023
Proposed Science Room upgrade for collaborative and outdoor learning.
Photo Credit: BCSD Presentation Slides
Rombout Middles School
REPLACE ROOFS ON VARIOUS LEVELS
REPLACE CORRIDOR CEILING
INSTALL ENERGY EFFICIENT LED LIGHTING IN CORRIDORS
REPAVE PARENT AND BUS DROP OFF/LOOP
REPLACE EXTERIOR RAMP WITH ADA COMPLIANT DESIGN
REPLACE PRIMARY ELECTRIC SERVICE AND SWITCH GEAR THAT HAVE REACHED END OF USEFUL LIFE
REPLACE OUTDATED EMERGENCY LIGHTING
UPGRADE VENTILATION FIRST FLOOR CLASSROOMS IN A,B,C,D AND F WING
UPGRADE RENOVATION OF (2) SCIENCE LABS & WITH OUTDOOR LEARNING
UPGRADE RENOVATION OF (2) ART ROOMS & WITH OUTDOOR LEARNING
TOTAL PROJECT COST:
$8,489,000
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2022 & 2023
Beacon High School
REPLACE ROOFS ON VARIOUS LEVELS
UPGRADES TO EXTERIOR RAMP FOR ADA
REPLACE OUTDATED EMERGENCY LIGHTING
REPLACE THE FINISH IN THE POOL.REPLACE HOT WATER STORAGE TANK
REPLACE KITCHEN GREASE INTERCEPTOR
UPGRADES TO THE FITNESS CENTER
UPGRADES TO THE TV STUDIO
RENOVATIONS/ UPGRADES FOR 2 ADDITIONAL SCIENCE ROOMS
TOTAL PROJECT COST
$3,961,500
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2022 & 2023
Bus Maintenance Facility
REPLACE THE BUS WASH SYSTEM WHICH HAS REACHED THE END OF USEFUL LIFE
TOTAL PROJECT COST:
$683,500
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2023
Rosenmeier Field
REPLACE DELAMINATING RUNNING TRACK SURFACE
REPLACE ALL FIELD EVENTS SURFACE
REPLACE DISCUSS AND SHOTPUT EVENT
REHABILITION OF THE NATURAL TURF FIELD
TOTAL PROJECT COST
$1,067,000
CONSTRUCTION WORK TO BE PHASED OVER SUMMER/FALL IN 2023
The date to vote is Tuesday, October 26, 2021 from 6am - 9pm. Locations are the Beacon High School, and for those in certain addresses, Glenham Elementary.
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HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL
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Immersive Climate Theater Experience Comes To Long Dock Park: "Climate Change Theatre Action 2021"
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SOON IS NOW is an immersive climate theater experience paired with activism presented in Scenic Hudson's Long Dock Park Beacon, NY on Saturday afternoon October 23rd, as part of the Climate Solutions Week (October 17-24) sponsored by Sustainable Hudson Valley. Theatrical performers showing their activism through spoken word and movement, and many of your favorite climate justice and education groups have come together to present solutions in a theatrical way called Climate Change Theatre Action 2021.
Hudson Valley and NYC based artists will read a selection of plays commissioned by Climate Change Theatre Action, a worldwide series of performances of short climate change plays presented biennially to coincide with the United Nations COP meetings. In addition, actors will read a portion of full length play and eco-parable, Escapegoat, by May Treuhaft-Ali. There will be poetry readings by Edwin Torres and Tom King, music by Elizabeth Clark (Seeds Under Nuclear Winter: An Earth Opera) and visual art and activism. Additional participants include: Hudson River Playback Theatre, Katiana Rangel, Twinkle Burke, Andrew Brehm, Chloé Hayat, abigail jean baptiste, Eric Magnus, Jean Brennan. Beacon Conservation Advisory Committee, Sustainable Hudson Valley, Fareground, Clearwater, Climate Reality Hudson Valley & Catskills chapter and others will be present to provide ways for the community to take action.
Schedule:
1pm Activism & Art: Environmental groups present to provide actions & Beacon based artist Jean Brennan will share FRUIT&ROT, an imprint centered around art and ecology.
2:00pm Performance Walking Loops: Sign ups begin at 1:30pm for the 3 walking tours of micro-performances that will take you along the wooded paths, tall grasses, and beach areas of the park. Tours start at 2pm, 2:15pm, and 2:30pm and last approximately one hour. 20 ppl max each tour and first-come, first-served. These tours are not catered towards young children. We can provide masks. Wear comfortable shoes!
2:15pm Sitting/Standing Performances: performances by Hudson River Playback Theatre, Edwin Torres, and Twinkle Burke will take place around the perimeter of the green field next to the Long Dock. These 3 performances are open to all including young children! They will take place in a loop and last until approximately 3:30pm. Bring your folding chair!
Parking Recommendations
Parking in Long Dock is limited. Walking, carpooling and the Free Beacon Loop Bus are encouraged. The Loop Bus drops you at the train station, and you can walk over to Long Dock. The best place to park is in the train station on the side closest to the Hudson River, where all spots are free on the weekends!
About The Producers
This event is part of Hudson Valley Climate Solutions Week organized by Sustainable Hudson Valley. Produced by Eve Morgenstern, Brian Mendes and Connie Hall. Contact: Eve Morgenstern for more information, evemorgenstern@gmail.com.
Use of Long Dock Park for this event has been provided by Scenic Hudson (scenichudson.org). The leading environmental organization focused on the Hudson River Valley, it is dedicated to creating environmentally healthy communities, championing smart economic growth, protecting working farms, opening up riverfronts to the public and preserving the valley’s beauty and natural resources. Since its founding in 1963, Scenic Hudson has permanently protected 25,000 acres of irreplaceable landscapes and created or enhanced more than 40 parks.
Look For Signs
Several graphic designs have been created to represent this initiative. You may see crossovers of them in social media and in other news outlets. Keep your eyes out, and read the messages to learn more.
Permanent Road Closure Of Matteawan Road At Fishkill Correctional Facility - Will Impact School Bus Routes
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Matteawan Road at the end of Beacon High School near the entrance of the Fishkill Correctional Facility.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
Further impacting an already strained busing system, Beacon City School District Superintendent Matthew Landahl announced to district families yesterday that the Fishkill Correctional Facility will close to the public the part of Matteawan Road that runs through their facility. After Matteawan loops through the Fishkill Correctional Facility, it turns into Prospect Street Md (according to Google Map), which runs through a residential area. Prospect Street Md intersects with Route 52 (aka Business 52 aka Fishkill Avenue depending on what map you look at) diagonally across from Old Glenham Road. According to Dr. Landahl, the closure possibly starts with the guard stations on both ends of the Fishkill Correctional Facility.
It is unknown at this time if this closure is related to the car accident that happened on Route 52 near Old Glenham Road last week at around 3:30pm, which is a high traffic time for school and a shift change at the Fishkill Correctional Facility.
In an email dated 10/19/2021, Dr. Landahl stated:
The Fishkill Correctional Sign on Matteawan Road.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
“I am writing to inform you about the permanent closure of Matteawan Road by Fishkill Correctional Facility. We were informed yesterday that officials at the Fishkill Correctional Facility are permanently closing the part of Matteawan Road that runs past their facility. This closure will take effect on Monday, November 1, 2021.
“Many of our school busses use this road as well as parents and students driving to Beacon High School and Rombout Middle School. The closure will cause increased traffic congestion at arrival and dismissal time at Beacon High School and Rombout Middle School and will cause delays for many of our bus routes.
“We are currently analyzing all of our bus routes and we will update the community with revised pick-up and drop-off times for the impacted routes. The bridge construction on 84 has already caused delays this year for many of our routes, so I apologize for this in advance. We will also work with the City of Beacon to see if anything can be done to help alleviate traffic congestion on Matteawan Road heading to Verplank Avenue.
“We will update the community next week with more information about bus routes and this situation.”
On Matteawan Road: Rombout Middle School on the left, and Beacon High School on the right.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
Pedestrian and bike activity picks up significantly in Beacon at 3pm, which is when all 6 public schools dismiss. According to the police officer on the Traffic Commity during a May 2020 public meeting, the Fishkill Correctional Facility also has a shift change at 3pm, contributing to increased traffic on Matteawan, running past the Beacon High School, and in the other direction toward Route 52, which is across from Old Glenham Road, which leads to Glenham Elementary.
Both the Beacon High School and Rombout Middle School are located on Matteawan Road. Picking up kids Rombout Middle School is an already congested situation, both within the Rombout pickup loop, and at the intersection to exit in either direction out of Rombout.
An alternative to driving into Rombout, is to meet a child behind Rombout by their outdoor school basketball court, on Robert Cahill Drive (inside of Memorial Park), which is already a traffic area for after-school sports. Speed bumps used to exist on Robert Cahill Drive for safety, but have not been placed down for years.
Biking Home Is An Alternative To Driving, But Biking In Beacon Is Unsafe
Map of Matteawan Road and Robert Cahill Drive.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
An alternative to car pickups is having kids walk or bike home. However, several drivers in Beacon are so impatient when driving, they often recklessly and illegally pass cars on the left, crossing a double yellow line, with no regard for why a car in front of them stopped. Twice, I personally have stopped for a pedestrian crossing the street, and a car, driven by a local Beaconite, has tried to drive around me, crossing the double yellow line, and would thereby hit the crossing walker or biker. I have also almost been hit when I was crossing the street when an impatient car crossed the double yellow line to pass the stopped car in front of it on the left.
Biking in Beacon is quite unsafe, with no sidewalks dedicated to bikers (it is illegal to ride a bike on the sidewalk), and only a small section of Main Street is indicated with biking encouragement painted lines. Yet biking on Main Street for children is not recommended and is unsafe. Kids bike on neighborhood roads mainly, so this focus is beyond Main Street. Bike safety and enforcement of crossing yellow lines and doing U-Turns should be enforced.
Years ago, Beacon’s Park and Recreation Department proposed a continuous bike loop through the public parks. It is unknown at this time what became of that drawing or proposal. Should anyone remember the date at which it was presented, please contact us.
Map that shows Rte 52 labeled as such, as well as Business 52, as well as Fishkill Avenue. Also along I-84, 52 runs.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
Map that shows where Matteawan Road turns into Prospect Street Md after looping through the Fishkill Corrections Facility.
Photo Credit: Google Maps
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HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL
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All Beacon City School Students Receiving Free Meals At School - Why That's Major
/The pandemic has kicked social economics into gear, such as removing income and demographic requirements from qualifying for food assistance. For example: while Beacon once qualified for a free Summer Meals Program, a meal prep service many children in Beacon relied upon when school was out for summer, Beacon lost qualification for that in 2019 due to the changing demographics with new people moving in who have higher incomes.
Statistics were not provided on if the same number of children still needed the food, but were outnumbered by higher income earners also calling Beacon home. Back then, a Beacon business owner, Wendy Savastano, who previously owned Beacon Bagel, wanted to continue feeding children over the summer, and reached out to this blog, as well as to the Beacon Superintendent, Dr. Matt Landahl, to figure out how to make that happen. Dr. Landahl organized a meeting with several leaders in Beacon’s food access community who were boots-on-the-ground feeding people, to try to coordinate efforts.
Consensus was: the same amount of children are still here, but Beacon lost qualification. Attendees included Captain Leilani Rodríguez-Alarcón, Corps Commanding Officer / Pastor for The Salvation Army Beacon Citadel Corps (located on Main Street). She had been cooking and delivering food to children in housing communities like Tompkins Terrace. She often ran low on food to prepare. Meanwhile, she was sitting next to a representative from Dutchess Outreach who had access to a food pantry right down the street, and had food to provide.
Other attendees included Beacon’s Parks and Recreation Director Mark Price, who had direct experience with receiving the free meals and setting up distribution of them at the Beacon Recreation Center, located near the Beacon Housing Authority, where many kids could walk to pick up the meals. Losing that location when the Free Meal qualification was lost was detrimental to how the kids would access the food.
Delivery Of Free Meals During Pandemic
When the pandemic hit - or was declared - and all students had to stay home, the federal government made free meals available to everyone, regardless of income. No one needed to apply, or fill out forms, or prove how much money they earned or lost.
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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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