Beacon Braces For Winter Storm Again - Dutchess County Prepares & Closes Offices

As winter storm predictions mounted this week, the final call came at the end of the day Thursday from the Beacon City School District announcing that school and district offices would be closed Friday in anticipation of the snow and ice event that is scheduled for Friday.

The Dutchess County Executive issued a press release outlining preparedness steps, including the closure of county offices. Buses are so far scheduled to run. Riders can check for delays or schedule changes at www.dutchessny.gov/publictransit, on the DCPT mobile app, or call (845) 473-8424.

From Dutchess County’s Press Release:

The National Weather Service (Albany) has issued a Winter Storm Warning for Dutchess County beginning at 10pm tonight until 7pm Friday, Feb. 25th. Snow is expected to start falling after midnight tonight with snowfall rates reaching or exceeding 1” inch per hour overnight. Due to the uncertainty of the storm’s track, the rapid accumulation and variety of precipitation anticipated and the expected prolonged duration of the storm, County Executive Marc Molinaro announced County offices will be closed Friday, February 25th.

Snow is anticipated to mix with freezing rain Friday morning, impacting the commute and making travel hazardous. Snowfall is expected to accumulate quickly on untreated surfaces due to low temperatures overnight, with accumulations between 4”-6” inches throughout much of Dutchess County and up to 8”-12” inches in the northern parts of the county. This afternoon, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro hosted a conference call with local and state elected officials, as well as representatives from utility companies and County officials from Emergency Response, Public Works and others to discuss potential storm impacts and proactive measures being taken.

Dutchess County Executive Molinaro said, “We are monitoring this storm closely as it evolves. We want all residents to be safe and avoid travel if possible. If you must travel, recognize that you'll need to allocate extra time for safety purposes, as crews work to clear roadways. We are grateful to the first responders, highway crews, and utility workers who put their lives on the line to provide for our safety and security during emergencies.”

The Dutchess County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) will be activated as necessary to respond to storm conditions and Dutchess County’s 9-1-1 Communication Center is fully staffed, with additional staffing scheduled for the overnight and tomorrow.

Dutchess County Public Works highway crews have loaded trucks with materials, salt will be applied to County roadways as the storm begins, and crews will be out through the duration of the storm to clear roadways.

Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office will have additional road patrol deputies deployed in four-wheel-drive vehicles, as well as other all-terrain vehicles prepared, and will work collaboratively with the Department of Emergency Response to respond as needed.

Dutchess County Public Transit (DCPT) will operate on a normal fixed-route schedule, but passengers should anticipate possible delays due to road conditions. Riders can check for delays or schedule changes at www.dutchessny.gov/publictransit, on the DCPT mobile app, or call (845) 473-8424.

The Office for the Aging’s 8 Senior Friendship Centers will be closed Feb. 25th, and there will be no Home Delivered Meals deliveries. Shelf-stable meals have been delivered to seniors enrolled in the program.

Dutchess County Government offices will be closed Friday, February 25, including Dutchess County Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) offices. Confirmed DMV appointments on Friday will be honored at the same time and office on Monday, February 28th.

Ice Storm Pelts Dutchess County - Covers Beacon In Sheet Of Ice

Those who have school-age children and enjoy making predictions on when there will be a snow day closure may have taken particular satisfaction in this Friday Snow Day (two weeks ago Thursday was a snow day as well). Yesterday (Thursday) was predicted to rain all day, with temperatures dropping overnight, leading to pelting freezing rain for the entire Friday. The Beacon City School District (BCSD) called the snow day Thursday evening, with a reminder Friday morning.

Horrors! Ice froze trash cans shut. Parked cars were sealed in a shell of ice.

Beacon was covered in ice. No school bus would be out in it. Dutchess County public transportation was running, and Beacon’s Post Office workers were once again out in their snow gear delivering the mail by hand. All Sport in Fishkill announced a delayed opening, and then an early closure. The Family Justice Center in Newburgh announced a delayed opening for 11am, and then gave up and told employees to work remote.

Anyone who didn’t get their piles of snow from the street or corners saw it frozen back into place as the sleet covered it in freeze mode. Central Hudson kept customers informed by email, Twitter and Instagram, showing footage of iced-over trees completely falling over under the weight of the ice, snapping power lines as they went.

Central Hudson posted photos of fallen trees. Here is a video of trees falling.
Photo Credit: Central Hudson

According to Central Hudson: “Locally, as of 8:30 a.m. on Friday, approximately 31,000 Central Hudson customers were without power with the majority of outages located in Ulster County. With sleet, freezing rain and wintry weather are expected to continue into the afternoon, additional outages are expected to occur during the day. Restoration activities are expected to extend into Saturday and possibly Sunday.”

This number rose to 50,550 homes without power by the afternoon. ALBB’s own Program Manager, Teslie Andrade, was without power in Newburgh until 4:30pm. Mutual aid was requested from Indiana, northern Pennsylvania and upstate New York to arrive to assist, with more possibly on the way. In total, Central Hudson expects to have a field force of more than 400 line and tree professionals.

With freezing conditions, pipes in homes are bound to freeze and then could burst, causing a big, expensive mess. People are encouraged to drip their faucets if they lose power, run out of oil to heat their homes, or generally risk an area being too cold to insulate the pipes.

Central Hudson tweeted tips today on how to prevent freezing pipes.

Public Input Wanted For Federally Funded Transportation Investments By Dutchess County Transportation Council

Press Release From the Dutchess County Transportation Council
ALBB Editor’s Note: Formatting has been added for ease of reading.

Mr. Mark Debald
Transportation Program Administrator
845.486.3600

The Dutchess County Transportation Council (DCTC) is pleased to announce it has opened a 30-day public comment period for its Draft Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP): the DCTC’s annual work plan that identifies the federally funded planning activities it will undertake for the upcoming State Fiscal Year.

The Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) includes:

• descriptions of planning tasks and resulting products

• a schedule for completing tasks

• the cost of the work

• funding sources and the organizations working on each task.

For the new program, the Dutchess County Transportation Council (DCTC) will start several new studies to include a vulnerability (resiliency) assessment of the transportation system and local pedestrian planning studies in Dover, Poughkeepsie and Rhinebeck.

The Dutchess County Transportation Council (DCTC) will also work on a new capital program (Transportation Improvement Program-TIP) to allocate federal highway and transit funding for state, county and local projects throughout the county. The majority of funding for these tasks will come from federal sources.

How To Comment And Participate

Comments are welcome through February 28, 2022 and can be submitted by email to dctc@dutchessny.gov, by phone at (845) 486-3600 or by mail to DCTC, 85 Civic Center Plaza, Suite 107, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. Please visit the DCTC website for more information: www.dutchessny.gov/dctc.

About The DCTC

Established in 1982, the DCTC serves as the designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for Dutchess County. Federal regulations require that Urbanized Areas (U.S. Census defined metropolitan areas with over 50,000 people) be represented by a MPO, which is responsible for ensuring that Federal highway and transit funds are committed through a locally driven, comprehensive planning process. The DCTC includes representatives from local municipalities, the New York State Department of Transportation, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Beacon Paid $50,452 To Willing and Able Highway Department Employee To Not Work

In 2021, the City of Beacon paid $50,452 of admin leave to Reuben Simmons, an employee with the Highway Department who is of mixed race and identifies as Black. ALBB has confirmed this amount with Reuben when we asked if he would make public his payments from the city for 2021. This is as per union rules as Reuben understands them, when an employee is presented with a discipline, the City can give up to 30 days suspension without pay, after which the employee is placed back on payroll while the process continues. Reuben has been served with 2 disciplines totaling 60 days over a course of at least 8 hearings with the City and their attorneys.

Reuben has worked for the City of Beacon in the Highway Department since 2002, where he started in the Summer Help position. He worked his way up to Laborer, then Maintenance Worker. During that time, he was appointed Union President for the City of Beacon CSEA Local 814 Unit 6662.

In 2017, Reuben was appointed Highway Superintendent, the lead position in that department, by then Mayor Randy Casale, with the support of then City Administrator, Anthony Ruggiero. In 2018, Dutchess County reached out to the City of Beacon to let the City know that the job title was incorrect, and that Superintendent of Streets was the proper title, but required a different Civil Service exam to qualify for the position. Fellow employee Michael “Micki” Manzi qualified for the test, and replaced Reuben as Superintendent of Streets. All of the people mentioned here except Reuben are white. To this day, the job title is stated on the City of Beacon’s website as Highway Superintendent.

During this transition under the management of then City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero, Reuben was not given the opportunity to take the required Civil Service exam in order to accept or maintain his job position of Highway Superintendent. Extending this opportunity to someone in an existing role is not unheard of in the City of Beacon. Listen to Reuben tell it in his own words on the “Wait, What Is That?” podcast.

For example: at the 5/17/2021 City Council Meeting, current City Administrator Chris White announced that longtime Water Department employee Ed Balicki, who is white, would become Superintendent of Water and Sewers. “We are moving Ed to the proper title,” explained City Administrator White to the City Council at that meeting. “Ed will have to take a Civil Service Exam…We don't think there will be any issue.” Ed passed the exam, and was re-titled.

In Reuben’s case, he was stripped of his title, and demoted back down to Maintenance Worker, then promoted to Working Supervisor, and demoted to Maintenance Worker within a 2 year period. During the first week of January 2021, he was placed on his first round of unpaid leave, and the order of City Administrator Chris, accompanied by a stack of charges against him signed by City Administrator Chris, which ALBB did see documentation of. These charges amounted to lists of generalities of what intersections Reuben was accused of not doing work, returning late from lunch, and an auto accident that Reuben reported to his supervisor Michael Manzi by way of announcing it on the Highway Department radio, and again in a later discussion, according to Reuben.

Auto accidents are not uncommon in the Highway Department, or other departments within the City of Beacon where vehicles are driving by city employees. What is not disclosed by the City of Beacon is when these auto accidents happen, and if they are reported. For example, the public is not informed of when the new Highway Garage gets a dent in a garage door,, for instance, or if an employee did get into a fender bender, and if that incident got reported or not. Additionally, the public is not regularly informed when an employee resigns or is fired, but the public is informed of each new hire when that employee is presented to the City Council the night of a vote to hire them.

Recently, two employees of the administration resigned, which were announced during City Council Meetings: Beacon’s first HR Director, Gina Basile, who left after a year and seven months on the job, according to her LinkedIn, and the Mayor’s Assistant, Collin Milone.

Gina was tasked with reviewing the Highway Department’s work atmosphere, and found it to be troubled: “Beacon’s New HR Director Hears From City Employees About Discrimination, Inequality, Growing Tensions; Suggests Solutions; Begins With Highway Department.”

Shortly thereafter, a Diversity and Inclusions Statement was presented and passed in the City of Beacon, when then City Councilmember Air Nonken Rhodes stated: “This isn’t lip service.”

The City of Beacon has hosted at least 8 hearings against Reuben in 2021, which involve the city’s labor attorney and an arbitrator. During the 8th meeting, the City of Beacon actively closed the meeting to the media, by requesting that ALBB leave the call (ALBB was sent an invite to the hearing via Zoom by the arbitrator at Reuben’s request). The city attorney stated that the meeting was closed, and that Reuben had wanted it closed. Reuben denied that, stating that he wanted the hearings open to the public from the beginning, and then stated it again in an article on ALBB.

During this time, In 2021 alone, the City of Beacon under the direction of City Administrator Chris has made two transfers to cover unplanned costs from unrelated areas of the budget to another area of the budget called “Employee Discipline,” bringing that unbudgeted total to over $110,000.

Reuben was put on unpaid leave in January 2021 for a 30 day period, followed by a second 30 day unpaid leave period for disciplinary reasons. The City of Beacon has not made public what those disciplinary reasons are (though ALBB has seen the first stack of the vague charges), or why they have spent so much money for a willing and able Highway Department employee to not work for over a year, during a national labor shortage. During the summer of 2021, the City of Beacon could not completely fill the 6 Summer Jobs it seasonally fills to fill its department.

Family Looks For Missing Sister - Fishkill/Beacon Local - Frequented Mount Beacon (Updated)

On Christmas day, a young adult named Rachel Caprari was seen for the last time by her family. “Hey, my sister Rachel has been missing since Monday (December 27, 2021). The last my family and I saw her was on Christmas day. Please feel free to call/text (914-482-4624) or email (caprariiris@gmail.com) if you have any information," Iris Caprari wrote on Facebook, according to a Hudson Valley Post article. The article also includes other young people who have recently gone missing in New York.

Since then, Brian Caprari has posted the flyer the family printed out to help find Rachel: “We’re printing this out and putting it up everywhere, but please share if you can. Thanks again for everyone’s help,” the flyer reads.

On lampposts in Beacon, the flyer is taped, just after the Fishkill Police have put out a Missing Person flyer labeling Rachel and “Endangered Missing Person.”

According to her LinkedIn profile: “I'm a Geriatric Social Worker looking for part-time or full-time employment. I graduated from Marist College, where I earned my Bachelor's in Social Work. I live in Beacon, NY.”

According to LinkedIn, Rachel had worked as a counselor at Camp Herrlich, a recreation aid at Wingate Healthcare, and as as social worker for the Pines at Poughkeepsie.

At the Pines at Poughkeepsie, she completed responsibilities including taking intakes, assessments, one-to-one counseling, care conferences, care planning, interdisciplinary coordination, progress notes, discharge, advanced care directives, and auditing for the state survey.

As a Recreation Aide at Wingate at Dutchess, she facilitated activities for seniors, in groups and on a one-to-one basis. She ran cognitive games, art programs (crafts, watercolor painting, holiday projects, etc.), music therapy, light exercise, discussion and reminiscence, coffee socials, spa days, and special events. Other duties included escorting residents, cleaning, moving furniture, and doing paperwork, according to her LinkedIn.

According to the fliers, Rachel was last seen at her apartment complex at Olde Post Mall. She is 30 years old, and 5’4” weighing 140lbs. Her hair is red and she wears glasses. She is believed to still be in the Mid Hudson Valley, especially the counties of Dutchess, Putnam, Orange and Ulster. She is known to frequent the Mount Beacon area and may be in wooded areas near Fishkill/Beacon, or on trails in Parks.

Any information, please contact the Fishkill Police Department at 845-831-1110.

UPDATE 12/31/2021: The Fishkill Police confirmed to Mid Hudson News: “The body found in the woods at the end of Greenwood Drive in the Beacon Hills section of Fishkill on Friday morning has been positively identified as that of 30-year-old Rachel Caprari. Fishkill Police Lieutenant confirmed the identity to Mid-Hudson News on Friday afternoon.”

“The Fishkill police worked tirelessly to locate Ms. Caprari since she went missing from her home on December 27. Unfortunately, we were unable to locate her until this morning,” Lieutenant Schettino said, adding “While our investigation is continuing, there is no evidence of foul play at this time.”

Beacon Farmers Market To Stay Open Outside All Year - Bring Your Mittens, Kittens!

Featured here: Happy Belly, at the Beacon Farmers Market.

The Beacon Farmers Market was one of the first to pivot hard when the business shutdown happened when COVID-19 was first discovered and declared a global pandemic. They quickly built a extremely robust but temporary well-serving website to connect devoted customers to vendors, and opened outside, withstanding the deep snowfall Beacon experienced last year.

This year, vendors agreed that they prefer to stick it out outside in the DMV parking lot, where there is more space, possibly better internet, and that small-scale live music that helps keep the market moving.

Managed by Common Ground Farm, the organization approached the City of Beacon to seek permission to operate outside year round. The parking lot is owned by Dutchess County, and leased by the City of Beacon. The City Council approved the extended occupation of the DMV parking lot in early November. Expect to shop the market outdoors all year!

The Shred Foundation, a skateboarding organization serving under-served youth which is Black founded, at the Beacon Farmers Market.

Diana Mae Flowers, a Beacon Farmers Market staple for creative bouquets.

Cooperstown Cheese Company at the Beacon Farmers Market.

Trax, a Beacon local coffee roasters with 3 locations in Beacon, also likes to serve it up at the Beacon Farmers Market.

Eggberts Free Range Farm, another Beacon Farmers Market staple and wonderful source for eggs, beef, lamb and pork.

Advocates for free New York Health Insurance, which would in theory be funded by a payroll tax on New Yorkers. Anna Brady Nuse started a Change.org petition for the cause, and has been pursuing Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou to show support for free New York Health Insurance by putting it on Beacon’s City Council Agenda, where the council can create and vote on a Resolution supporting it. So far the Mayor has not put it on the agenda.

Downstate Correctional Facility Scheduled To Close - Governor Kathy Hochul Is Downsizing Prisons

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has decided to close the Downstate Correctional Facility at 121 Red Schoolhouse Road, along with five other prisons, citing low capacity and the desire to re-imagine helping incarcerated people with mental health and drug treatments services. While this maximum security prison is located in the Town of Fishkill, it is not the Fishkill Correctional Facility that is near Beacon’s high school and middle school that has been in the news lately.

The Times Union reported that Governor Hochul had indicated her desire to close more prisons two or so weeks ago during one of her COVID-19 briefings, stating: “I want to get creative with this,” Hochul said at the end of October. “I don't know if something can be used as a substance abuse treatment center. We don't need as many prisons. The number of people incarcerated has gone down dramatically in our state.”

According to the New York Times, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo “shut 18 prisons during his nearly 11 years in office amid a series of criminal justice reforms that reduced New York’s prison population to its lowest level since 1984.” Although employees apparently found out this week, the Times Union reported that the president of the New York State Correctional Officer Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA), Michael Powers, said in a statement that the news “shouldn’t come as a shock to anyone,” who opposes the closing, reported the New York Times.

The closure will take place in March 2022, and moves to transfer employees to other employment positions begin now. The Downstate Correctional Facility is a major employer in the region, employing 644 people, according to the Times Union. The facility has the capacity to imprison 1,221 incarcerated people, and currently imprisons slightly over half of that, at 688 incarcerated people.

According to reporting in the Times Union, who cited a press release from DOCCS, DOCCS does not anticipate layoffs due to the closure, and will focus on “providing staff with opportunities for priority placement via voluntary transfers, as well as priority employment at other facilities or other state agencies,” and will be working with bargaining units to stay within union rules.

Said Chris Moreau, Vice President of the Mid-Hudson Region for New York State Correctional Officers & Police Benevolent Association (NYSCOPBA) to the Times Union: “They will have to put their name in a hat and hope they can be transferred to adjacent facilities in the region. There’s no guarantee that officers who live and work and set up their families around the Downstate area aren’t going to be shipped up north, out west, hours away from their family right before the holiday season.”

Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro issued a statement via press release on November 8th, the day of the announced closure: “Today’s announcement about the closure of the Downstate Correctional Facility has taken Dutchess County by surprise. There has been no coordination between the Governor’s Office and Dutchess County on the closure of this large facility, nor a coordinated plan for the future use of the parcel and the hundreds of workers who will be affected. Make no mistake: Inmates at Downstate are not being released; they will simply be transferred to remaining State prisons or to county jails throughout New York. Today's announcement only leaves Dutchess County with more questions than answers.”

According to the Times Union, DOCCS has been evaluating this, and debating about which facilities to choose. As reported in the article: “DOCCS reviewed the operations at its 50 facilities and looked at physical infrastructure, program offerings, facility security level, medical and mental health services, proximity to other facilities, and potential re-use options.”

Governor Hochul’s office has indicated new uses for the buildings that that help this population, and has been quoted as to saying she is open to new ways of benefiting people. Perhaps this re-imagining will include job training for new positions to work with incarcerated people, or people who are not sent into jail, but are heavily guided into programs.

According to a press release from DOCCS, the total number of incarcerated people in New York State is 31,469. The DOCCS press release states that this is over 50% less than what it was in 1999.

Beacon Gets A Forever "Thank You Veterans" Mural on Dutchess County DMV Building From Libby

Beaconites and visitors now have a daily reminder to thank and be kind to a veteran of any age and means with the completion of a new mural on Dutchess County’s DMV Building toward the west end of town. That building is where the Beacon Farmers Market now lives - in the DMV parking lot.

The mural was conceptualized by Joe Schuka of Libby Funeral & Cremation Services, based in Beacon. When asked what inspired him to pursue the mural, Joe remarked on a deep sense of patriotism. “This is another way of showing our appreciation to the veterans.” Libby commissioned the muralist Sabrina Crowley, an artist based in White Plains, that Libby had worked with before at their sister location in White Plains.

As for design direction, Joe gave Sabrina an initial image, and “she made it her own,” Joe told A Little Beacon Blog. “Sabrina saw what I gave her, and added the silhouette of the soldier and other elements.” Permission to paint onto the building had to come from Dutchess County, who was very receptive to the idea, Joe said. “Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro was completely in favor of it.”

During the Veterans of Foreign Wars Pvt William B. Wilson Post 666 ceremony honoring veterans today, VFW Commander Harold Delamater made reference to the new mural.

Hurricane Ida In-Person FEMA Registration Opportunity For Financial Relief In Beacon and Fishkill - Deadline To Apply December 6, 2021

FEMA is in Beacon on Tuesday and Wednesday (November 9th-10th) to help those impacted by Hurricane Ida register for financial relief as part of a “Mobile Disaster Recovery Center” (MDRC) effort organized by Dutchess County, the Small Business Association (SBA) and other State and Federal Agencies, according to a press release from Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro’s office. FEMA representatives will be in Fishkill’s Town Hall next (November 11th-12th). The first one was in Wappinger Falls days ago.

This is not the only time a person can register for financial assistance due to Hurricane Ida. It is designed to provide another point of access for people to register, who may benefit from doing it with someone. Anyone is encouraged to use this Mobile Disaster Recovery Center for assistance in getting registered. Any Dutchess County resident can use this in-person registration opportunity. Anyone can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362.

Additional MDRCs are being planned for the towns of East Fishkill, Pawling, Dover, Amenia, and North East and the City of Poughkeepsie. The schedule will be updated on DutchessNY.gov as well as the County’s social media.

The deadline to apply for funding is December 6, 2021.

Who Or What Is Eligible For FEMA Financial Assistance?

In late September, 2021, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro applied for and was granted Major Disaster Declaration, which means that the county is “eligible to receive Public Assistance (PA), which is aid available to local governments – the county, towns, villages, and cities – as well as other public entities such as water and sewer authorities and fire districts. Emergency work, such as overtime and debris removal, as well as the repair of damaged public facilities are all considered to be eligible expenses for aid from the federal government. Certain private, non-profits which provide governmental services are also eligible. Under PA, FEMA funds up to 75 percent of the eligible costs,” according to a press release from Dutchess County.

After remnants of Hurricane Ida whipped through Dutchess County, the county made a large effort to collect information about who was impacted and how much it would cost to repair. This helped make Dutchess County eligible for federal FEMA funding.

Said County Executive Marcus Molinaro: “This disaster declaration is good news for our local municipalities who sustained significant damage as it provides much needed support and assistance to repair the more than $2.5 million worth of damage to public facilities throughout Dutchess County following Hurricane Ida. We will continue to press FEMA and the State for ‘Individual Assistance’ to aid the families and businesses who have also sustained significant damage and are struggling to recover. We are grateful to the Governor’s office for their support throughout this weeks-long review process to get the Public Assistance for municipalities and hope we can be equally successful in ensuring Individual Assistance for residents and businesses.”

What You’ll Need For The In-Person FEMA Registration In Beacon, Fishkill, Or Other Pop-Ups

According to the FEMA representatives in Beacon, a person who had damage need only to come down to the FEMA Mobile pop-up and explain damages. Pictures are not needed at this time. Those will be collected when an inspection is conducted. A Social Security number is required.

For Beacon, the door to enter is behind the Memorial Building.

This in-person registration opportunity is not the only way to apply for FEMA aid due to Hurricane Ida. Any Dutchess County resident can register online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362.

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Election News: How To Get Local Election Results From The Dutchess County Elections Website

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.

Quraan Smith Remembered In Poughkeepsie :: 16 Year Old "Gave A Beautiful Energy"

Quraan Smith, holding a basketball at Arlington High School.
Photo Credit: Screenshot of his family’s Go Fund Me Page created by a friend after his death.

My kids and I were at a Beacon Bears flag football game on Saturday, September 18, 2021 in the boiling hot 4pm sun at Memorial Park in Beacon. A press release from the Dutchess County Executive’s Office popped into my inbox, titled “Dutchess County Trauma Team Assisting Arlington Community Following Student Death.”

I didn’t know what they were talking about. I hadn’t read the Poughkeepsie Journal yet about how 16 year old Quraan Smith had been stabbed at around 9pm during a big fight after a big-kid football game on Friday, September 17, 2021, at Arlington High School the night before. As I Googled to find out what was going on, parents around me were talking about it as our boys threw the football, fighting for a successful pass.

Parents were shocked and so sad. “They have made an arrest,” someone said. “How do they know who it was?” another asked. “There were several eye-witnesses. People saw it. They watched it happen.”

And the articles came. Explaining what has been made public so far. Quraan had moved with his family from Poughkeepsie to attend Arlington High School. He wanted to go to the Arlington High School football game that night against Scarsdale High School. Her and Quraan’s mother, Na'tara Smith, re-arranged her schedule so that she could make that happen, according to his family’s Go Fund Me page created by a friend in response to the loss. At some point on Friday evening, a fight broke out, and at 9pm, Quraan was fatally stabbed.

Arlington High School on a map. Poughkeepsie is west, and Beacon is south west.
Photo Credit: Google Maps

An 18 year old named Nestor A. Ortiz-Ocampo of the City of Poughkeepsie has been charged with stabbing Quraan in the chest, according to the felony complaint as reported by the Poughkeepsie Journal. Nestor has so far been charged with first-degree manslaughter, a felony. He was arrested on Saturday and held on $400,000 bail. His court date is October 5, 2021 in LaGrange Town Court.

Nestor was a former student of Arlington High School, according to Arlington Superintendent David Moyer, but did not graduate, and has not been a student this year, according to reporting by the Poughkeepsie Journal. The Superintendent could not confirm why Nestor left the district.

Also according to the newspaper’s reporting, the police said that the two boys knew each other, and that it was an isolated incident. Events for Saturday and Sunday were canceled, said Arlington’s Superintendent.

In a statement, the Superintendent said "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim’s family and friends." Later, he is quoted to have said: "For the people that are associated with the family, the family and the people on the scene and all of that — it was very, very, very traumatic, difficult and painful," Moyer said. 'It is the type of thing that will never go away. It will be here forever. Nobody that was in any way associated with it will every forget it. It is just a tragedy."

Quraan Remembered In Vigil In Poughkeepsie At Waryas Park

Quraan Smith’s Grandmother, during his vigil in Poughkeepsie in Waryas Park.
Photo Credit: Seth Harrison. Screenshot of Poughkeepsie Journal.

Mi-Rose Smith, the 7 year old sister of Quaaran, was one of hundreds of people who attended the vigil held on Poughkeepsie’s waterfront at Waryas Park later that week on September 26, 2021. His mother, Na’tara Smith cried into the microphone while speaking during the vigil, while being supported physically and emotionally by friends.

Said Na’tara as reported in the Poughkeepsie Journal: "The youth, the children, the young adulthood ... you all have given me the strength each and every day," she said to crowd. "I've been feeling good despite what happened to my son. These young children are reaching out on their own ... these children have done an awesome job with supporting me and my family ... I tell you, they give me strength."

Quraan was not only remembered for being an athlete, but for his many traits. According to the education reporter for the Poughkeepsie Journal, Katelyn Cordero, Quraan was known by his friends as Ronny James, a comedian who loved to dance and play sports. He was working on a clothing line after conversations with his father who discussed business with him during the Remote Learning season last year during school. His father found videos and the beginnings of the clothing line after his son’s death.

According to his father, Everton Smith, in the Poughkeepsie Journal: "Coming from an urban community and a poverty-stricken community, he was a legend. He was one year away, he almost made it." Everton said, noting that his son had dreams to play Division I basketball or football on a full scholarship.

Everton continued: “I truly can't believe how many people from the community came. It wasn't even just his athleticism, it was just the person that he was. He was kind, respectful, sentimental. It was the energy that he reflected, when he walked in the room, he gave a beautiful energy."

Everton hoped that the kids would get the emotional support they needed, by saying: "This impacted the children's lives, it's not just that one person that's affected, it impacted the hundreds of children that are going to that school," he said. "Unfortunately, it doesn't just end with a burial. After that, the kids are going to need mental health (support). It's two victims, but all those kids, it's a pain you can't imagine."

Read more reflections from Quraan’s family and friends here.

Poof :: Beacon's Parklets Are Gone To Prepare For Repaving And Painting Of Main Street

Just as swiftly as they went up, the parklets that enabled additional outdoor dining opportunities for restaurants and patrons due to the COVID-19 pandemic have come down by September's end. The parklets are the orange barricades out front participating restaurants. The barricades were filled with water, making them very heavy for increased safety for those sitting on the other side of them. Restaurants often decorated them with flowers and in some cases built patios below them with coverings above them. They first appeared in Beacon in June 2020, but the concept has been in other cities for much longer.

The early take-down is a result of anticipated milling and paving of Main Street, as first announced by Beacon's City Administrator Chris White during the City Council's Meeting on 8/2/2021. He explained that a new surface coat will be going down, with epoxying using a high quality paint that will hold up for many years. He stated that all parking spaces, cross walks, and more will all be repainted. "We are in a state of flux right now," he expressed, "but hoping that by end of October, Main Street is tightened up."

Screenshot of the City of Beacon’s Schedule of Autumn Road Closure Schedule For Milling And Paving as of 9/29/2021.

City Administrator Chris announced again during the City Council Workshop Meeting on 9/27/2021 that the parklets would be pulled to begin milling and paving. On 9/29/2021, the City posted a brief Road Closure schedule through October 5, 2021, which includes some Main Street intersections, but are a fraction of the mile long Main Street that offers dining experiences from restaurants using parklets. It is unclear at this time if this is an incomplete list, or the full list of milling and paving. Additionally, it is unclear if milling and paving on Main Street will be conducted while Main Street is open, but traffic routed around into the other lane in order to avoid too many Main Street closures.

Throughout the summer, Beacon experienced the installation of "bump-outs," which are circular extensions of the sidewalk at corners. In theory, these are easier for people in wheelchairs (but if you're in a wheelchair, let us know in the Comments below if Beacon's installation is helpful to you!), and getting pedestrians more into the street at crosswalks to be seen by passing cars (deep breaths as you step out).

Construction of these bump-outs lasted throughout the summer, causing moving drive-arounds as different intersections on Main Street were worked on. Completed work to the bump-outs will happen once the street is milled and paved, to match the street paving to the end of the sidewalk for a smooth transition. Currently, there is an unfinished drop-off between the bump-out and the street.

The Barns Art Center to Host Harvest Festival

Hopewell Junction, New York – The newly opened Barns Art Center is pleased to announce Harvest Festival. Held from October 9-10, the convening will feature the premiere of LOST ARTS, a three-screen film experience, the groundbreaking ceremony for a large-scale installation with artist collective Futurefarmers, and a local market.

LOST ARTS Film Premiere – screening times 11:00am-3:00pm
The Barns Art Center will premiere LOST ARTS, a three screen, immersive film experience that explores the art and culture of agriculture in the Hudson Valley. Beyond being a tool for education and a response to our current social and ecological climate, the film is a sensory celebration of the bounty of the Hudson Valley and the profound wisdom that has been unearthed and cultivated here for thousands of years. By looking to the past for forgotten methods, techniques, and philosophies, today’s farmers have found more innovative, sustainable, and equitable ways forward.

The ten featured farmers include: Jack Algiere, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture; Ben and Melany Dobson, Hudson Hemp; Ken Greene, Hudson Valley Seed Company; Anne Hall, Crespell; Don Lewis, Wild Hive Farm; John Michelotti, Catskill Fungi; Rick Osofsky, Ronnybrook Farm Dairy; David Rowe, Rowe’s Apiaries Jalal Sabur, Sweet Freedom Farm; Karen Washington, Garden of Happiness/La Familia Verde/Rise & Root. The film is produced with Kingston-based company Northguild.

In conjunction with the LOST ARTS premiere is a roster of farmer-led, daytime activities:

11:30am Sculpting with Flowers

Flower Arranging Workshop with Anne Hall, Crespell

12:30pm Looking Back – How did we get here?

A conversation with Don Lewis, Ken Greene, David Rowe, Rick Osofsky

1:30pm Spore Printing

Mushroom Walk and Printmaking Workshop with John Michelotti, Catskill Fungi

2:30pm Looking Forward – Farming for the Future – Where can we go?

A conversation with Jack Algiere, Ben and Melany Dobson, Jalal Sabur

BARNS ART CENTER | 736 SOUTH DRIVE, HOPEWELL JUNCTION, NY 12533 | BARNSARTCENTER.ORG

Futurefarmers Of Furrows & Lands in Harps Installation

Futurefarmers breaks ground on their first large-scale public artwork in the United

States. Drawing on the success of their 10-year project Flatbread Society for the city of

Oslo, Of Furrows & Lands in Harps will manifest as an extraordinary architectural

structure and a public program that unfolds over three-years time. The architectural

structure, designed by Belgian architect Lode Vranken, will feature three spaces: a

bakehouse, a meeting space and an extraordinary experimental instrument at the heart

of the work and building called Hum Stone. Hum Stone is made from a millstone and is

able to play other millstones. Drawing from the historical context of the site, once a farm,

then a microchip factory, now The Barns Art Center, this unique instrument points to the

past while invoking the future. Participating composers include Walter Kitundu,

Guillermo Galindo, Annea Lockwood.

A groundbreaking ceremony for Futurefarmers will be held from 3:00-6:00pm:

3:00 Place Stones with artist/choreographer, Elaine Buckholtz

A participatory action involving sound, movement, and the placing of three millstones.

4:00 Impressions from the Stone

A series of limited-edition prints made from rubbings of custom carved millstone by

Walter Kitundu.

Harvest Festival Market 11:00-3:00

The Festival Market will include River Valley Guild Artist and Artisan Market and a Cider

Week New York Tasting, including local food and beverage vendors such as Ronnybrook

Farm Dairy, Sloop Brewing Co., More Good, Fishkill Farms and Treasury Cider, and

more.

More about the The Barns Art Center

The Barns Art Center is a contemporary art initiative located up the Hudson River, 60 miles north of NYC, in East Fishkill at iPark 84. The Barns occupies a 3,200-square-foot museum quality gallery built adjacent a former IBM microchip plant. Aligning with the region’s rich agricultural tradition and history of environmental stewardship, The Barns champions art at the nexus of food, farming, ecology, and sustainability. Stimulating essential dialogue around innovation, conservation, and equity, we hope to cultivate new ways of thinking about the earth, the history we inherit, and the legacy we leave behind. Through its exhibition, education, and empowerment programs, The Barns Art Center strives to create community and catalyze creative expression. We are free, open to the public, and committed to fostering an accessible, interactive, and inclusive environment.

For additional information or materials regarding any of the above programs or events, contact: Tara Anne Dalbow, Gallery Director and Curator, tdalbow@barnsartcenter.org, c.970-376-8668

www.barnsartcenter.org / @barnsartcenter

Adrian "Butch" Anderson, Dutchess County Sheriff, Dies :: Kirk Imperati Named As Acting Sheriff

Well known leader, Dutchess County Sheriff Adrian "Butch" Anderson, has died, as reported by several local media outlets today. He was 73, and died at his home in the village of Pawling, the Sheriff's office said in a statement. He had served in that post for more than 20 years and spent more than 50 years with the Sheriff's Office, the Poughkeepsie Journal reported. He also served as Mayor of his hometown of Pawling in the late 1980s to early 1990s.

“Today we have lost an extraordinary public servant with the passing of Dutchess County Sheriff Adrian “Butch” Anderson,” said Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro in a press release. “Butch devoted his entire life to protecting and serving the community he loved so dearly. Throughout his life, he was true leader - in law enforcement in elected office, and in service to community organizations.”

Anderson began his first term as Sheriff in January 2000 after being elected, and went on to win re-election every four years, running unopposed, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal. His last re-election was in 2019.

His acting replacement will be Undersheriff Kirk Imperati, who sated: "We are all deeply saddened by the passing of Sheriff Anderson," who described Anderson as "a second father to me," reported the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Molinaro continued: "His call to serve ensured the safety of our community for more than 50 years and made a measurable difference in the lives of countless children, families and residents. Our hearts are broken today and we send our deepest condolences to Sheriff Anderson’s family, including his wife Danielle and his four children – you are in our prayers and in our hearts."

Anderson's wife, Danielle, said in a statement that "it has been an honor" to be married to him. "He was a tremendous husband, father, and friend to all," she said. "Our family appreciates the outpouring of support from everyone as we grieve our loss."

Since first publishing the article at 10:30am, the Poughkeepsie Journal updated their article at 3:30pm to include quotes and photos from Lisa Reda.

Numerous regional leaders noted their condolences, including Poughkeepsie Mayor Rob Rolison, who started working with Anderson in 1980. Mayor Rolison told the Poughkeepsie Journal: "Butch in all capacities, was a dedicated and brave member of that department, but what always impressed me was his love of this county, the people who live here and his overwhelming commitment to the Hudson Valley."

The Poughkeepsie Journal reported that Anderson was a friend of former President Donald Trump and the Trump family. The paper reported that he was a member of Trump's reelection team, after serving in other roles when Trump first ran for president.

The chairman of the New York Republican State Committee, Nick Langworthy, said that he and Anderson bonded as Trump supporters, reported the Poughkeepsie Journal. Anderson "proudly had a direct line to the White House for four years," Langworthy said in a Facebook post.

State Senetor Sue Serino said in a statement: "Our community has lost a true hero."

9/11 Remembrance Services In Beacon, Fishkill, Wappingers

As reported in the Beacon Free Press by Kristine Coulter, different Remembrance Services are happening on Saturday, September 11, 2021. Those are listed below. In 2016, WPDH reported on 19 places in the Hudson Valley that have steel beams from the World Trade Center.

BEACON

Elks Lodge 1493 in Conjunction With The City of Beacon
Location: 900 Wolcott Avenue
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
Time: 11am
A remembrance service will take place at the lodge. A portion of a steel beam from the World Trade Center is outside of the Elks Lodge 1493, on Wolcott Avenue headed toward Mount Beacon. The dedication of a memorial took place in 2018.

There is a portion of steel beam from the World Trade Center at the small park bench area on the corner of Mattaewan and Verplank (near the High School Track).

WAPPINGERS FALLS

Sergeant Mark C. Palmateer 9/11 Memorial Park
Location: Corner of Route 9, Old Hopewell Road and Sgt. Palmateer Way.
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
Time: 8:30am
The Sgt. Mark C. Palmateer 9/11 Memorial Park services as a memorial for Sgt. Mark C. Palmateer, from the Town of Wappinger, who was the first Dutchess County soldier killed in Afghanistan on June 26, 2008, according to the Beacon Free Press. The park is also a memorial for all of the service members and first responders who lost their lives on and since September 11, 2001.

Mesier Park, by the Village of Wappingers Falls
Location: The Village of Wappingers
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
Time: 7-8pm

The American Legion, American Legion Reserved, 7 Spring Street
Location: Unclear
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
Time: 7:30pm-9pm

New Hackensack Fire District/Company Memorial
Location: 217 Myers Corners Road
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
Time: 6pm

FISHKILL

Village of Fishkill
Location: The steps of Van Wyck Hall, 1095 Main Street, Fishkill, NY
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
Time: 8:30am
Village of Fishkill Mayor Kathleen Martin and the Trustees of Village of Fishkill are hosting a public Memorial Service

Town of Fishkill
Location: 9/11 Memorial outside of the Police Station, 801 Route 52
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
Time: 10am

Town of East Fishkill
Location: East Fishkill Recreation near Davis House
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
Time: 5pm with a Prelude at 5:45pm
Attendees should bring chairs and blankets.

First Reformed Church of Fishkill
Location: 1153 Main Street in the Village of Fishkill
Date: Saturday, September 11, 2021
Time: 3pm
As reported in the Beacon Free Press: ”It will be time to memorialize those who died and remember those who are still living with the pain of the day,”