During Monday’s combined Workshop/City Council Meeting, where the Council blends two meetings into one night during the summer months (first the brainstorming Workshop meeting, followed by the voting in of some of those items discussed), the Council was presented with recommendations from the City of Beacon’s Parks and Recreation Committee on who to award $20,000 of the City’s Community Investment Program to, a program in its third year.
According to the City Administrator Chris White, half of the Recreation Committee was disinterested in this vetting and voting process, yet did award one of their own committee members 37% of the available funds. To announce the recommendations of which organizations should be awarded during Monday’s July 1st City Council Meeting, the Park and Recreation Director Mark Price, who led the process, was not in attendance. When Mayor Lee Kyriacou mentioned Mark, City Administrator Chris responded: “I think Mark forgot.” Mayor Lee asked if Chris wanted to delay the presentation, to which Chris answered: “No. We were going to award these in April or May, so we are well beyond that. I don't think this is that hard.” Chris then presented the recommendations.
The three recommended organizations were awarded just shy of the total available ($17,550):
Beacon Repair Cafe, which shares an office with the Recreation Department, received $1,000.
Green Teen, which shares an office with the Recreation Department at 23 West Center Street, received $9,000.
Sports Bra Project, run by Recreation Committee Member Sarah Dwyer-Shick, received $7,550.
The Recreation Department’s memo from Recreation Director Mark Price to City Administrator Chris states that it is up to City Council to make the final decision: “Ultimately, we know the decision to which applicants are funded lies in the hands of the Beacon City Council. In a review of all of the applications, we have selected three applicants that we would recommend awarding funding to in 2024. This recommendation, I believe, allows for a diversity of funding across several initiatives.”
City Administrator Chris told the Council that half of the Recreation Committee was disinterested in this vetting and voting process. He stated: “The Council asked that the Recreation Committee vet these applications and come back with recommendations. They did that this year. We did have trouble getting them engaged in this. About half the Committee really was not interested in this task. I do want to let the Council know. People who signed up for Recreation were probably more thinking about how to direct the future of Recreation, rather than a grant program.”
Those who did vote, voted for Committee Member Sarah Dwyer-Shick’s organization, the Sports Bra Project, which received 37% of the grant, totaling $7,550. Sarah herself did not seem to vote, according to the Applicant Log. The Sports Bra Project aims to help girls all over the world receive sports bras.
Listed on the Sport Bra Project’s website is an address of 369 Main Street #1082, Beacon NY 12508, which is the Beacon Post Office. The organization’s summary for what the money would be used for was “storage bins, bras, support and outreach materials.” City Administrator Chris stressed: “Their goal is to facilitate participation for females in sports and physical actives by making accessible sports bras. This [grant] would be for storage containers and the actual bras themselves.”
It was not clear if the organization makes sports bras, or accepts donated sports bras and ships them all over the world. Sarah’s name is also not on the Sports Bra Organization’s website.
Sarah Dwyer-Shick of The Sports Bra featured in the Highlands Current.
Councilperson Paloma Wake asked: “Can you just describe the sports bra project a little bit more? It's not totally clear to me what the program does. Probably helpful for the community to hear how they can access this if it applies to them.”
City Administrator Chris answered: “Their goal is to facilitate participation by females in sports and activities for accessibility.” On the Sports Bra Organization’s website, girls from all over the world are holding bras in pictures.
Councilperson Amber Grant stated: “I will also say that this program was featured in the Highland Currents for their work in Beacon. I just looked them up. I was like: ‘Is this a Beacon based organization?’ And they are. If anyone wants to see the article in the Highland Currents, I'm sure you can Google it.”
The article, which was published in December 2023 and the grant application process opened 2 months later in February 2024, shows Sarah in a photo with storage bins in what the newspaper says is her one-room office in Beacon in a building on Henry Street. There is one office building on Henry Street. The Beacon Post Office, which is listed as the Sports Bra Project’s address, also abuts Henry Street. Mayor Lee Kyriacou also weighed in on the Beaon-ness of the organization, by saying: "I know it's a Beacon-specific organization." Neither Councilperson Amber, nor City Administrator Chris, nor Mayor Lee mentioned at this point, or at any point during the meeting, that the organization they were asking about was founded by Beacon Recreation Committee member Sarah.
City Administrator Chris was eager to end the discussion and move on to vote on it. “We have a proposal that we have a Resolution lined up for you to vote on this. We have $20,000. We didn't quite award the whole thing. I think at this point, our Rec Department needs to move on.”
Who Serves On The Recreation Committee These Days?
Serving on the Recreation Committee are Benjamin Swanson (Executive Assistant for the City of Beacon), Larry Clark, Justin Lynch, Christina Ricottilli, Heidi Kitlas (Executive Director of Soul Ryeders, married to Highlands Current reporter Jeff Simms and hiking buddy of Sarah’s over at Soul Ryeders ), Jim Eve, Hayley Richardson, Sarah Dwyer-Shick (Founder of The Sports Bra Project and DOC of East Fishkill Soccer Club (recreation).
Of this Committee, it was not mentioned who may not have voted at all, which seems to be half of the Committee not voting. From the Recreation Committee’s Applicant Log, not voting were Sarah Dwyer-Shick, Hayley Richardson, Justin Lynch, and Jim Eve. The Applicant Log was included in the Council’s packets, but not read aloud to the public.
How Many Organizations Applied?
City Administrator Chris did not mention how many applicants applied, nor did he name them. Even though they were in the Council’s packet and on the City’s website. Only people who were digging for this information would have to find this on the City’s website and click to download it. Normally, when the Council wants to make sure something is heard, they read it to the public.
City Administrator Chris stated: “We did get enough responses, that Mark Price is recommending that we fund 3 projects.” Eight applications came in total.
Which Organizations Were Denied?
Applicants who were not awarded were organizations heavily invested in Beacon, especially the youth, and included Bannerman Castle Trust, Common Ground Farm, Compass Arts, Land to Learn, and Roll Out Of FBS.
Common Ground was voted for by those in the Committee who voted, but City Administrator Chris said that Beacon’s attorneys deemed Common Ground ineligible because it “benefits people outside of Beacon.” However, Common Ground manages the Beacon Farmer’s Market, which sets up in the heart of Beacon on Main Street each Sunday.
Common Ground’s application stated that the funding would double the food benefits that people with low income use at the Beacon Farmer’s Market. They stated: “Greens4Greens coupons to be redeemed across our markets, doubling the purchasing power of many people who use benefits.”
But, City Administrator Chris added another reason for why Common Ground was denied: “Also, this was just a gift to people.” It is not clear what a “gift” is and why a gift of farm fresh food at the Farmer’s Market landing in the hands of many people wouldn’t count, since storage bins to one person are certainly a gift to anyone, especially ones that can be purchased for $7,550.
Initially, City Administrator Chris did not mention that it was Common Ground which was denied. Councilperson Dan Aymar-Blair asked which one it was. At that point, City Administrator Chris moved to wrap up the discussion.
The Council voted unanimously to award the three organizations that the Recreation Committee recommended.
We would like to warmly invite you to a community potluck in support of Palestine this Tuesday July 2nd at the picnic tables at Long Dock Park. We will share food, conversation, and convene in solidarity with our siblings in Palestine. Come and meet your neighbors, contribute funds for mutual aid in Gaza, and learn other ways to get involved. Please bring your loved ones too - whether they are brand new to this work or have been at it for years, all are welcome!
What: Community Potluck & Picnic for Palestine When: Tuesday, July 2nd at 6PM Where: Pavilion (covered area with picnic tables) at Long Dock Park, Beacon Access: The event will be fully outdoors. Masks are welcome but not required, and people will be eating unmasked. Free parking with accessible spaces available at the Long Dock parking lot, and the Beacon Free Loop bus or the Metro North services the nearby Beacon Train Station. Our gathering area is accessible from the paved parking lot via a wide, paved pathway. Seating available at picnic tables, or BYO chair. The pavilion area is covered. Family friendly. Porta potties are available at Long Dock.
We also wanted to share a statement below from the Beacon Ceasefire Coalition about who we are and our experiences organizing for Palestinian liberation in Beacon this year, as well as some pictures! Thank you for all the ways in which you’ve shown up for Palestine thus far, and we look forward to being in community together on the 2nd.
Statement From The Beacon Ceasefire Coalition Regarding A Permanent Ceasefire and Land Back In Gaza
A few Regulars of the Beacon Ceasefire Coalition.
We are the Beacon Ceasefire Coalition, a diverse group of local individuals who are united in our support of an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. We celebrate that on March 4th, 2024, the Beacon City Council voted to pass a resolution calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. As our work for a safe and free Palestine continues, we would like to introduce ourselves, and to share more about why this resolution is important to us.
The Beacon Ceasefire Coalition is a diverse, multicultural, and multi-ethnic group of individuals from Beacon and the greater Hudson Valley. We are Palestinian, Arab, Indigenous, Black, Asian, and white. We are Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Sikh, spiritual, non-religious, and atheist. We are 3rd generation Beaconites and recent transplants. We are LGBTQIA+. We are disabled. We are parents and grandparents, mentors and caregivers. We are students and professionals, business owners and day laborers.
Our beliefs are as varied and complex as our different identities, yet what unites us is the shared conviction that Israel’s war on Gaza since the Oct 7th attacks is unjust, inhumane, and must stop immediately. Our coalition’s common goal is to do everything in our power to end the death and destruction currently happening in Gaza.
Since the October 7th attacks, Israel has bombed, shelled, sniped and otherwise attacked Palestinian civilians and their way of life in Gaza. Israel has destroyed Palestinian homes, religious buildings and institutions, schools and universities, roads, bridges, desalination plants, bakeries and all other infrastructure. In addition, since Israel controls the borders of Gaza by land, sea and air, it has stopped food, water, fuel, medicine, humanitarian supplies and other aid from entering Gaza.
Currently every person in Gaza suffers from food insecurity, and people in the north of Gaza are already experiencing famine. The number of Palestinians who have been killed (over 37,000), injured (estimated over 100,000), and displaced (1.9 million) as of June 2024 horrifies us, and our work is in their honor.
We condemn the carpet bombing of Gaza, the forced displacement of its people, their forced starvation and blockade of food, water, medicine, electricity, and humanitarian aid, the constant shelling and targeting of civilians, and the humiliation and abuse of their abandoned homes by IOF. Most importantly, we believe there must be an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the establishment of safety and security of all Palestinians in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and the right of Palestinians to return to their homes in Gaza. It will take action on the world stage, including the cessation of military and financial support from Israel’s many allies, to stop and sanction Israel’s war on Gaza.
We see our coalition’s work as twofold: to send a local message to our national leaders that they have a moral and professional imperative to act, and to build a community and solidarity with those locally impacted by the violence in Gaza.
In January, our coalition began working with the community in Beacon and our City Council members to draft a concise resolution that would send a strong message to our electeds that the people of Beacon want the United States to stop funding Israel’s war on Gaza. We are appalled that Beacon alone contributes an estimated $200,000+ in taxpayer revenue to arming Israel. In working towards this resolution, many of us testified at City Council meetings, sharing how our personal experiences led us to the shared goal of an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
While this process built solidarity and community, we also endured injustice as a result. During public comment at City Hall many citizens who spoke against the resolution were permitted to use dangerously racist, violent, Islamophobic and xenophobic rhetoric. In contrast, several times, the Mayor called out our group’s impassioned speeches as violent or inappropriate even though our group was following the Council’s guidelines. The unfair treatment was jarring, and through this process, we were given a window into the Palestinian experience of invisibility and degradation.
Our goal since the beginning of this effort has been to work towards an immediate and permanent ceasefire, with the right of Palestinians to return to their homes in Gaza. We do not value one people over another, nor are we advocating for a particular solution to the Israel/Palestine issue. We utilized the democratic process towards passing a resolution with the Beacon City Council – and together we made it happen. We are grateful that the majority of the Council met the moment and voted for the resolution. We see Beacon’s ceasefire resolution as an expression of our community’s conviction that people everywhere from the Levant to the Hudson Valley have the right to live in peace, safety, and security. Together, we will continue our work for Palestinian liberation.
“You know……in this life. What can I say,” says Katie Hellmuth, publisher and creator of A Little Beacon Blog, about the change in direction A Little Beacon Blog is taking, again.
When A Little Beacon Blog started covering global news, some in Beacon weren’t having it. “Weren’t” is the key word here, because while some protested at their keyboards, clicked their Unsubscribe buttons, and returned to vomit in Comments, they have largely settled down and stayed at A Little Beacon Blog, refreshing their Browsers, Instagrams and Facebooks to check for the latest post. Some do so in secret, under new online aliases. They are there.
So let’s talk about it. ALBB interviews Katie Hellmuth about her decision to incorporate global news into A Little Beacon Blog, beginning with Palestine.
ALBB: How did people react when you first started covering Palestine?
That depends on which “people” you are referring to. I’ve learned, or, I’ve really felt for the second time, that there are different communities within one community. As a white lady, when I tend to say “we,” I suppose I mean “we, this group of white people.” And with my coverage of Palestine, I’ve entered into this different community from where I came. I love it. So embracing and warm.
But to your question, the original “we” from whence I came generally was/is upset. I remember when I changed my logo for ALBB, and my mother was upset. The logo started off as something like a patchwork quilt of letters. Inspired by those blocks of cement that were down at the entrance of the train station. Those cement blocks were all painted/crafted by different artists.
Eventually, I wanted something more uniform, and I loved the sidewalk chalk signs of businesses on Main Street. So I changed my logo to be mainly black. My mom was a little sad about it. She missed the “cute” look. But she eventually came around. I even tried begging the local firm Rabe & Co. do design my logo. I did a “mockup” of the direction I wanted it, showed it to them, and Ken Rabe, the lead designer, looked at it, and said: “It’s done. This is your logo. You don’t need us.”
BTW: Those cement blocks are gone now. They were on private property of a friend of then Councilperson George Mansfield, who donated the empty lot to the art project. The property owner was finally ready to develop it. You can imagine how upset people were when the blocks disappeared, and the land under them dug up. Some people. Other people were really looking forward to living there! So close to the train station in brand new townhouses.
ALBB: But isn’t it called “A Little Beacon Blog?” Why would you go outside the boarders of Beacon?
“When I wrote the post on Target, this one lady unsubscribed right away. Saying she couldn’t believe A Little Beacon Blog would write about such a damning thing as a big box store like Target. Meanwhile, she probably had several receipts from Target swimming around in her purse.”
— Katie Hellmuth
Fair. You know…when I experimented stretching the limits here at this tiny blog, I started with All Sport. I knew I needed to get advertisers outside of Beacon or I would never survive (got to earn the money from the publication! even though I came to learn that All Sport notoriously doesn’t pay for advertising, they do “trade” with editors and give them a free gym membership and maybe a few free weeks of camp if you negotiate hard, which I agreed to for about a year, and then I pulled out because banks don’t look at free gym memberships and free summer camp when you try to get a mortgage). So I did a positive blog post about All Sport, and this one guy commented something negative about it being outside of Beacon. That the blog dare to blog about anything outside the borders.
That’s when I realized that some people really do live in this Beacon bubble. And while they do drive outside of the borders, and that guy probably was a member of a gym somewhere outside of Beacon and probably did not pay for classes or membership at the local boutique fitness brands here in Beacon, he still felt like slinging a punch at me/the blog.
As for Big Box stores, some people couldn’t handle that either. One time Target dropped a bunch of new organizational bins. You’re just not going to find that many organizing bins on Main Street. So I did a round-up of them. Oooooh! This one lady unsubscribed right away. Saying she couldn’t believe A Little Beacon Blog would write about such a damning thing as a big box store like Target. Meanwhile, she probably had several receipts from Target swimming around in her purse.
ALBB: But why go global? Why bring politics into this?
Right. So that’s another thing that I learned, in the…14 years I’ve been producing this blog. ALBB is as old as my first child. I started it because I couldn’t keep track of all of these fliers telling me what was going on. Somebody asked me: “Are you going to the Easter Egg Hunt?” and I was like “What Easter Egg Hunt?” Not that I really wanted to go. But that I didn’t know about it bothered me.
Years later, I got a reader request to do a shopping guide on where else to buy Easter Egg stuff on Main Street other than Target (see!! the readers really do go to Target!). This other lady had gone to Target, and then basically ODed on everything she bought and threw away her plastic Easter Eggs. I mean…I don’t know why Easter is celebrated with plastic eggs and candy anyway. I did a shopping guide for that year, but no other years because I had other things to blog about.
ALBB: But why global. Why politics. Answer the question.
“My pro-genocide stalker also strongly wants Beacon! I have 1 or 2 stalkers now. Both of them - or they are the same person - want me to remove Beacon from this blog title, I think because being pro-Palestine is branding they don’t want for Beacon.
But why wouldn’t Beacon want to be Pro-Palestine! That’s like…why would you want to be Pro-Psychopathic Killer? Which has made me very frightened, to be honest with you. ”
— Katie Hellmuth
Sorry. Global. Another thing I’ve learned is that people are very selective with their “politics.” If you write about something they don’t like, they say: “Don’t write about politics. Keep this free of politics.” But they really only say that when I write about racial things. Otherwise, they say “thank you for the election coverage.”
Speaking of racism in Beacon. When I identify a skin color in a story, some people also write in and say “Why does skin color matter? You are creating hostility!”
So you can imagine how they felt when I began blogging about Palestine, Islamaphobia, Islamaracism, anti-Arab behavior, revelations of how often Arabs are called “terrorists” in the world and in Beacon, etc. Some people in Beacon were/are beside themselves. It’s like the secret is being revealed that Arabs are not terrorists and they don’t know what to do with themselves. This isolated, mean narrative that they have let shape their lives and justify their behavior is being shattered.
Global. So, as we know, things that happen in the world shape and touch our little lives here in our communities. If things are going to happen here locally - like a School Board debate, or a vote by a Congressman, or a protest - we need to know why and where it’s coming from.
ALBB: But “Politics”…That’s So Boring
I know. And I’m very selective about it. And I also don’t have a lot of time. So ALBB is (probably) not going to become the source for the roundup of interviews of everyone running during an election. I just don’t have the time to produce an interview series like that. Plus, I get allergic to speeches of talking points. I don’t like ALBB to be a place of press releases where very long, puffy quotes of sugar plum fairies get published to make a politician look good. Sugar coats. Glossy, hardened, sugar glaze. Tastes good. But causes cavities.
ALBB: Isn’t this CNN’s job? To report on these global issues?
Yes. Yes it is. And one of ALBB’s hawkish readers asked that very question. I told him that if CNN was doing their job, ALBB wouldn’t have to take up the slack. CNN and the rest of them are feeding us mis-information, and I’ve had enough. I was a teenager during the Iraq war, and it never felt right to me. Now I know why. I’m upset about that. I’m in the media business. So I’m going to use the skills I have to not let that happen again. Even though it is happening again.
ALBB: How have your readers felt about this?
They are not all the same readers. I’d say that some of the traditional, hard core readers who tend to lean white, have not been so happy. They want Beacon coverage only. They are a little jealous of all of the attention ALBB has been giving Palestine.
My pro-genocide stalker also strongly wants Beacon! I have 1 or 2 stalkers now. Both of them - or they are the same person - want me to remove Beacon from this blog title, I think because being pro-Palestine is branding they don’t want for Beacon.
But why wouldn’t Beacon want to be Pro-Palestine! That’s like…why would you want to be Pro-Psychopathic Killer? Which has made me very frightened, to be honest with you. These readers have also shown their true colors. Correction. Their true colors have always been on view. I have simply accepted their true colors, and become completely OK with rejecting them.
For the readers who are Pro-Palestine, which means anti-oppression, anti-occupation, anti-our-USA-federal-and-state-governments-being-a-bank-for-funding-murder (um…isn’t that traditionally called terrorism?) these readers are “refreshed” with the global, Palestinian content. They are happy to see and read it. They feel relief and a sense of hope.
“We are saddened by the hit to our business, but grateful to a local resident whose swift action to call to the police helped to mitigate further loss and damage to our store. We appreciate the support from our community during this challenging time.”
— Sky Diamond Jewelry
On Thursday, June 13, 2024 at 4:30am, City of Beacon Police were called about a burglary in progress at Sky Diamond Jewelry at 226 Main Street, as reported by the Daily Voice. According to the article, the front door glass was broken, which is how investigators thought they got in. Sky Diamond has written in to thank the Beacon community: “We are saddened by the hit to our business, but grateful to a local resident whose swift action to call to the police helped to mitigate further loss and damage to our store. We appreciate the support from our community during this challenging time.”
According to the Highlands Current, the vehicle of the burglars was already speeding away when they approached. According to the articles, Beacon Police pursued the vehicle through town to the Newburgh/Beacon Bridge, and then stopped because they were going at high speeds.
That same morning, burglaries were also reported in at Jaymark Jewelers in Cold Spring, and at Jewelry Designs in Danbury. “According to police, two suspects were arrested in Newark, New Jersey in connection with the break-ins. Officers also recovered several pieces of stolen jewelry,” reported the Daily Voice.
On a spring Saturday evening on May 14, 2022 at 6:50pm, shots rang out from the parking lot at Forrestal Heights, next to the Beacon Recreation Center on West Center Street. Lionell Pittman age 32, who reportedly had a brother who lived at Forrestal Heights, was outside and was fatally shot, as reported by ALBB at the time.
Lionell’s murder was one of at least 3 in Beacon that have remained unsolved: Rene “Scout” Vivo, who was stabbed while walking down Main Street to get to his home at Forrestal Heights on Christmas Day in 2021, and a murder at South Davies Terrace apartment complex, where a 25 year old man was visiting from New York and was shot and killed.
According to a press release from the police, a suspect named Naije Perrette, 24, of Beacon was arrested at a traffic stop on Fishkill Avenue. He was charged with second-degree murder, arraigned in City Court and taken to the Dutchess County Jail.
The police credited the Dutchess County Drug Task Force with assistance on the arrest, and for the investigation conducted by Dutchess County District Attorney’s office. Because of the ongoing investigation, police said they would not release further information.
A Google search shows that a person named Naije Perrette of the same age has been arrested other times in Beacon:
“Beacon teen charged for allegedly fleeing police in stolen vehicle” In 2015, this Naije was allegedly “driving erratically at high speeds with headlights off on Matteawan Road in Beacon. As the Beacon police officer initiated the traffic stop, the vehicle sped up and attempted to flee toward Matteawan Road and Prospect Street. The vehicle crashed about a half-mile from where it was originally spotted, and the driver fled towards the woods behind the Fishkill Correctional Facility, police said. Police apprehended Perrette later at Red Schoolhouse Road in Fishkill.” Reportedly the vehicle had been stolen from a Beacon address days before the incident.
“Three men accused of robbing, pushing woman out moving vehicle: police” In 2019, this Naije and Julian Rivera were arrested after a reported robbery in the area of Liberty Street and Bridge Street. Police said they canvased the area after “three men robbed and pushed a woman out a moving vehicle on Friday morning around 4:45 a.m.,” according to the City of Beacon Police Department. Police say officers responded to the area of Liberty Street and Bridge Street for a reported robbery. After canvassing the area, police brought Naije Perette and Julian Rivera into custody.
Toward the end of the school year, Beacon City School kids could be seen at school’s dismissal running from the areas of the Beacon High School and Rombout Middle School through Memorial Park with water guns, shooting at each other. Variations of the game have extended to elementary school students at the Skate Park who gather there during parent baseball games, and shoot plastic pellets that resemble Orbeez (which never decompose) all over the blacktop.
The Beacon Police have issued a warning, or advice, or a manual, on how not to have the police called on them. ALBB has not confirmed who runs the police department’s Facebook page, but Chief Tom Figlia (formerly Lieutenant until this month’s promotion), is well known for his verbose writing skills.
As published by the Beacon Police
“The Beacon Police Department recently became aware of a High School Senior game which involves finding other players and shooting them with water guns in order to eliminate them from the game. We’re not kidding ourselves into thinking that many high school seniors are spending a lot of time on our Facebook Page, but on the off chance that some might see this, we would like to offer a couple of suggestions for avoiding police contact while playing the game, because everyone knows that most of the time, the fun ends when the cops show up. This list isn’t all inclusive, so use your head but…”
1. Keep the game out of the road. ”Creating dangerous situations by running into the road or, worse yet, involving moving cars may create a situation where people get injured or where officers have no choice but to issue tickets or make arrests.”
2. Use water guns that don’t look anything like real guns. ”When people see someone running around with what might be a real gun, they usually call the police and tell us someone is running around with a gun. When that happens, we have to respond as if someone is running around with a gun until we know otherwise. We’re sure you can see why that’s a problem.”
ALBB Editor’s Note: The Beacon Police have recently proven themselves to take down people with threats of guns, as in the case of the Sunday Morning “He’s Got A Gun” Police call, when a person relaxing with his dog near a doughnut shop didn’t like when another man went to pet his dog, told the man such, and then the man threatened to shoot him. The Police later identified the threat-making man, who is a known person in Beacon to make such aggressive comments, and indeed, was taken down with two Use Of Force techniques: a rifle and a hand to the neck. Participating Officer Sirrine, however, said he had never seen the man before.
Additionally, you’ll remember Tamir Rice, the child who was playing with a toy gun and was shot and killed by a police officer in Cleveland, OH. “On November 22, 2014, Tamir Rice was throwing snowballs and playing with a toy pellet gun in a Cleveland park when a police car rolled into the snowy field. Within two seconds of getting out of his squad car, officer Timothy Loehmann shot and killed the 12-year-old.” That officer was fired 2.5 years later, with no criminal charges, as reported by Vox.
3. Stay off of the property of non-participants. ”When people see someone, they don’t know lurking around their property, they tend to get concerned and call the police.”
4. Again, use your head. ”If you’re doing something that makes it look more like you’re a murderer than a high school kid playing a prank, someone is probably going to call the police.”
A reader wrote into A Little Beacon Blog to say they were one of the victims of theft in Friday evening’s (6/28/2024) reported string of burglaries in the area of S. Chestnut, Vine Street and Teller Avenue (the area west of Libby’s Funeral Home and The Beacon Daily). The reader suggested that people turn their cameras on. On the Beacon NY Facebook page, one group member advised people to load their guns (ALBB does not advise this…cameras turning on, yes).
The ALBB reader said that they had gone to their car to drive to a friends house to deliver tickets for the School of Rock show at City Winery. “I saw that I left my windows open, but then saw that my center console was open and the tickets were gone - nothing else was taken.” The resident then drove to the police station to report it. “Police at the station took my info and confirmed that between S. Chestnut and Teller Avenue, several people reported something stolen…Police suspect 2-3 juveniles and have a video but not very clear.”
When asked if the envelope was marked, the reader responded: “The tickets were in an envelope with my name on it, resting on my center console. I gather they figured the envelope had SOMETHING good in it, and just grabbed it and ran.”
Maybe the people enjoyed the show?
Days before, on Sunday, June 23, 2024, a reader wrote into ALBB warning that they had seen two people rummaging through their neighbor’s car. “They were young, maybe teenagers. Wearing all black and hoodies,” the reader said.
Reports of bikes stolen from driveways and yards persist.
And just like that, it's the last weekend of June! We're officially in Summer!
The Beacon Pool at the Settlement Camp is opening July 1st. The first week will be free (free of money, and free to walk in without making an online reservation).
The Howland’s Open Mix Night Fourth Fridays Music Series Day: Friday, June 28, 2024 (and every fourth Friday!) Time: 7pm-9pm (sign-up at 6:15pm) Location: Howland Cultural Center, Beacon, NY
All are welcome to perform and/or sit back and listen to Open Mic Nighters from Beacon and the Hudson Valley. $5 cover at the door to help the historic 1872 Howland Cultural Center keep the lights on and the doors open. Information >
Pride Open Mic Day: Saturday, June 29, 2024 Time: 8pm-10pm Location: Stanza Books, 508 Main St, Beacon, NY
Bring a piece of writing that inspires your pride. Your own writing, someone else's. Pride, refreshments, community. Information >
Cómo Converstirse en Ciudadano Dstadounidense
How To Become A US Citizen Day: Saturday, June 29, 2024 Time: 11am Location: Howland Public Library 313 Main Street, Beacon NY
Únase a nosotros en la Howland Public Library en Beacon para una sesión informativa gratuita sobre cómo convertirse en ciudadano estadounidense este sábado 29 de junio a las 11 a.m.
Conozca el camino hacia la ciudadanía, cómo obtener una Tarjeta Verde, cómo solicitar asilo, la solicitud de ciudadanía y la entrevista. Consultas individuales gratuitas de 10 minutos disponibles después de la presentación. Regístrese en beaconlibrary.org. Enlace en biografía.
Join us at the Howland Public Library in Beacon for a free information session on becoming a U.S. citizen this Saturday, June 29 at 11 a.m.
Learn about the path to citizenship, how to obtain a Green Card, how to apply for asylum, the citizenship application and the interview. Free 10-minute individual consultations available after the presentation. Register at beaconlibrary.org. Information >
Carter's Restaurant Catch & Craft Bash Day: Sunday, June 30, 2024, Time: 12-5pm Location: Carters Restaurant, Beacon, NY
It's Here! The Catch and Craft Bash. Find all of the details below for this can't miss event!
Spring Music Festival Day: Sunday, June 30, 2024 Time: 12pm-10pm Location: City Winery, 23 Factor St, Montgomery, NY
A full day of musical entertainment performed by the talented students from School of Rock Beacon NY Information >
Raquel & The Wildflowers Day: Sunday, June 30, 2024 Time: 12:30-4:30pm Location: Hudson Valley Renegades, 1500 NY-9D, Wappingers Falls, NY
Acoustic performance pre-show performance. Raquel will be throwing the 1st pitch. Information >
Raquel & The Wildflowers Day: Sunday, June 30, 2024 Time: 12:30-4:30pm Location: Behind the guardrails at the intersection of Route 211 & Dunning Road From the Organizers:
🗣️ We MUST keep the momentum up and increase our presence to bolster our collective message for a permanent ceasefire. It is through our community effort that we escalate pressure to divest from systems of oppression and colonialism!
This Sunday, June 30th, from 12:00-1:30pm, join me behind the guardrails at the intersection of Route 211 & Dunning Road, closest to Orange Plaza (for GPS, you can use Red Lobster, 450 NY-211, Middletown, NY 10940). Information >
Cold Spring Farmer's Market Saturdays @ Boscobell from 8:30am - 2pm
Beacon Farmer's Market! Sundays from 10am-3pm at 223 Main Street
Beacon Flea Market! Every Fair Weather Sunday from 8am-3pm at Henry Street (behind the Post Office).
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL 288 Main Street, Beacon, NY Website >
It's Taco Tuesday every day at the Hudson Valley Food Hall! Dulce Cielo Mx is serving up delicious tacos & other authentic Mexican food with a 'street' concept. Vegetarian options available! Follow HV Food Hall's foodies:
CARTERS RESTAURANT & LOUNGE 424 Main St.
This weekend! Carter's Catch & Craft Bash! This seafood dilled event will be happening on Sunday, June 30th from 12-5pm featuring live music, many different oyster choices, little neck clams, lobster sliders, and colossal shrimp! PS: Happy Hour is from Monday-Friday PPS: You can book the Carters Restaurant space for a private party and enjoy delicious spreads made by the Carters Crew! Book ahead. Follow Carter's on Instagram > Carters Restaurant & Lounge is a Sponsor, thank you!
BEACON BREAD COMPANY
193-195 Main Street, Beacon, NY
You must remember to always save room for one of Beacon Bread's famous salted chocolate chip cookies! They're the perfect addition to any brunch or lunch option and of course, by itself too! We sure love to dunk it into our cappuccino ;) PS! OPEN MIC IS BACK! Every Tuesday weather permitting. In the back patio! PPS: BBC is open everyday 7 days/week! PPPS: Wholesale, special orders, and events/catering available. Follow BBC on Instagram > Beacon Bread Company is a Sponsor, thank you!
ZIATUN 244 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Just incase you missed it... The Watermelon Feta Mint salad is BACK at Ziatun and is available all summer long... A super refreshing and delicious salad to enjoy during this time of the year! Keep cool and nourished. Support your local Palestinian Restaurant PS: Ziatun is open everyday.
Monday-Saturday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Follow Ziatun on Instagram > Ziatun is a Sponsor, thank you!
Feature your business each week in A Little Beacon Blog's Newsletter, Blog pages, and Instagram. People often use this newsletter to tell their friends where to go, and get ideas for themselves on what to order. This is a very hungry guide to put together each week. Learn More & Start Now >
Eggbert’s Free Range Farm @ Cold Spring Farmer's Market Saturday's Website > Instagram >
You can always count on Eggberts... rain or shine! And if you don't want to leave the house to hit the Farmers Market for your free range goods, you can always order for free delivery! FARMERS MARKETS: Saturdays: Cold Spring Farmer's Market 8:30am-1pm Sundays:Beacon Farmer's Market 8:30am - 2pm DELIVERY: Delivering to Cold Spring, Cornwall, New Windsor, Newburgh, Beacon, Fishkill, and Wappingers Falls. Eggbert's Free Range Farm is a Sponsor, thank you!
BINNACLE BOOKS
321 Main Street, Beacon
Queer Palestine and the Empire of Critique - Sa’ed Atshan... “Sa’ed Atshan’s sophisticated work captures the nexus of a scholar-activist, offering an authoritative account of the challenges and trajectory of the Palestinian LGBTQ movement. A tour de force and a remarkable book.” - Amaney A. Jamal. Available at Binnacle Books along with many other fantastic reads! PS have you heard about the Beacon Prison Books Project? See more here > Follow Binnacle on Instagram to keep up with their new reads and to get them right away! Learn More about Binnacle Books >
THE STATION
463 Main Street, Beacon
The Station is a local cannabis shop situated in a renovated police station in Beacon, NY. Stay tuned to what they will offer with their updates in the shop and for events/opening date by following The Station on Instagram. Follow The Station on Instagram > The Station is a Sponsor, thank you!
Feature your business each week in A Little Beacon Blog's Newsletter, Blog pages, and Instagram. Readers love seen the magazine-like spread of what to buy inside of your shops, or if you have special classes or events going on. Learn More & Start Now >
JUST ADDED! Beginner Skateboarding with Andrew Singh- The Summer Session Days: 1 week evening session from July 15 to July 19 Time: 6pm – 7pm Location: RAMPS @ Memorial Park
Ages 6-12 Information >
Summer Basketball League 2024
Developmental and Instructional Summer Youth Basketball League for youth ages 6 to 18. Information >
Summer Tennis Clinic 2024 Two Sessions: August 8/5 – 8/9 and August 8/12 – 8/16 Times: High School Clinic 8:30am to 10:30am & Junior clinic 10:30am to 12:30pm Location: BCSD Highschool Tennis Courts Information >
Multi Sport Clinic 2024 One More One Week Session: August 5th to August 9th Time: 8am-12:30pm Location: Memorial Park & Rombout Middle School depending on weather Information >
JUST ADDED! Garden Time with Land to Learn Days: Every Wednesday Time: 10:30am-11:30am Location: Green Teen Garden at the Rec Center Information >
JUST ADDED! Aqua Zumba At The Beacon Pool Days: Saturdays 7/20, 7/27, 8/3, 8/10, 8/17, 8/24 Time: 9:45 am – 10:45 am Location: The Beacon Pool, Beacon, NY
Seniors Chair Yoga
Stretch, move and strengthen your body! Gain physical awareness and balance! Reduce stress and have fun. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY When: Mondays and Fridays Time: 9-9:45am Price: FREE
Dutchess County Office for the Aging Exercise Class
The Dutchess County Senior Exercise Program offers workout sessions for senior citizens in an effort to retain balance as well as bone density. Through strength training, seniors can shape their body and lose unwanted inches. Classes are conducted in a circle of 15-20 people using a chair for support and free weights. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY When: Tuesday and Thursday Time: 10am
Pre-Registration is Required. Call 845-486-2555
Tai Chi and Qigong
Beginner and Advanced levels available. Gentle movements to cultivate your mind and body. Tai Chi and Qigong are easy vitalizing exercises you can learn to restore and maintain your health. You can practice them regardless of your age or health. The postures and movements are natural, balanced and simple. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY Times:
Sunday Beginners 9-10:30am
Sunday Advanced 10-30-12pm
Thursday Push Hands 9-10:30am More Info >
Beacon has a growing number of beauty salons and professional pampering to take advantage of - you can even book a transforming appointment at a lash bar! Be it a totally new hair style, makeup lessons, or a facial, you have options in Beacon. Check out ALBB's Beauty Guide here >
Special Message For Businesses:Click here to advertise in ALBB's Beauty Guide with a picture, logo and weekly promotions that will be featured here and on our Instagram.
BEACON DENTAL
1020 Wolcott Avenue, Beacon, NY
(845) 838-3666
At Beacon Dental, they are dedicated to providing you and your family with quality dental care tailored to your individual needs. They welcome patients aged 4 and older and provide a full range of dental services to help you achieve and maintain excellent oral health throughout your life. When you visit their dentists and team, you can be certain that your health, comfort and smile are always their highest priorities. Beacon Dental is also happy to announce that they now accept Medicare health insurance! Call them for a free cleaning & check-up and refer your family & friends! Explore all services > Beacon Dental is a Sponsor. Thank you!
KATIE JAMES, INC.
Stop worrying about what you're going to post on Instagram and when... Katie James, Inc. will go deep and get into the zone of your business month to month. Using our experience as one of the top local media outlets in the Hudson Valley, we can apply our gift of finding story ideas that people love, to your business. Your customers need to know what is going on in your creative business and/or inside of your storefront doors and we cannot wait to tell/show them with you! Reach Out to tell us about your goals!
TIN SHINGLE
Tin Shingle a training platform and community for businesses, artists and makers who are getting the word out about their business. Tin Shingle teaches PR, social media and content marketing tactics to regular people to help make their pitching and brand story telling smarter, engaging and more appropriate for the media to consider for article features. Tin Shingle produces weekly webinars called Training TuneUps, which offer free access to niche classes, as well as one-on-one training opportunities. The Research Team is constantly updating our easy-to-use Media Contact Library and Editorial Calendar Collection, which serve as an inspiration center when discovering story angles and best people to connect with about where to pitch about your business. Start with free articles and classes by subscribing to our newsletter. Next, dig in to go bigger with your outreach with our Membership Program that gives you Media Contacts, Editorial Calendars, Templates for emailing the media as well as plotting out your PR and Marketing plan. Tin Shingle is your support system as you're getting the word out about your business. Tin Shingle is a Sponsor. Thank you!
AVAILABLE GUIDES TO SPONSOR: These Guides really need the ongoing support from businesses or individuals in order for us to continue them! This sponsorship is intended for businesses who are not in the Guides mentioned above.
The City of Beacon is hosting the community’s fireworks on Thursday, July 4th at dark in Memorial Park. There may be vendor trucks and things to do. You’ll have to show up to find out.
There will be the annual reading of the Declaration of Independence by Dennis Pavlock and Committee (Anne Thomas, Clara Lou Gould (former Mayor of Beacon) and Emily Murnane) at 11am at Town Hall 1 Municipal Plaza.
In protest of the United State’s ongoing participation of the genocide of Palestinians and people in Middle Eastern countries, by way of the funding of Israel with Made In The USA weapons that are destroying families and shredding children, A Little Beacon Blog will not attend either event. We will not be sitting under those falling ashes.
The term “gypsy” was a racially offensive term given to the The Romani people, who were enslaved in Romania for more than 500 years. According to Europeana, it is unknown how this group of people ended up in Romania, but some believe they were from India. “The main hypothesis is that they left the Punjab region of Northern India either as nomads or victims of unfavorable circumstances, such as war or natural disaster. Some theories state that the Roma population arrived in the Principality of Wallachia (the southern part of today’s Romania) as free people, but they were soon enslaved by the princes of Wallachia and Moldavia, who needed a workforce.”
As the Washington Post reports: “They were victims of persecution and genocide during the Holocaust, and the community still faces human rights abuses and marginalization. ‘Roma are dehumanized in so many ways: being associated with insects, being associated with animals,’ said Margareta Matache, director of the Roma Program at Harvard University’s FXB Center for Health and Human Rights. ‘And that is really how structural anti-Roma racism is justified.’”
They were victims of persecution and genocide during the Holocaust, and the community still faces human rights abuses and marginalization. Both the moth and the ant known as Aphaenogaster araneoides were named with the word “gypsy” in them to indicate a wandering nature.
But the person who came up with the name, Terry McGlynn, who had been studying this species for more than 20 years, wrote a blog post in 2019 titled: “Fixing a racist common name that I coined.” said it wasn’t until years later that he became aware of the implications of the name, according to the Washington Post.
According to the Smithsonian Magazine, “The new name, ‘spongy moth,’ refers to the insect’s light brown, fuzzy egg masses that resemble sponges. It stems from France’s common name for the Lymantria dispar— ‘spongieuse,’ per the ESA. Other countries like Germany and Turkey, also reference sponges in their common names for the moth.”
Picture of the Track Closed sign during renovations, which a scheduled completion to be August 31. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth
During this season of the Track Upgrade, where the Beacon High School track is being replaced as a planned infrastructure project from the school’s 2021 Capital Project, as announced by Beacon’s Superintendent Landahl in early May, joggers and walkers who used to circulate on that track are forced to explore other areas of Beacon, often taking paved and unpaved trails they have never traveled on before. The track is heavily used by community members as well as students and faculty. “The work should take the entire summer,” Dr. Landahl explained, “but we will update the community when it will reopen in late August.”
The old track that was dug up in preparation for a new track. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth
While A Little Beacon Blog will not make public where the alternative jogging paths are in wide open spaces in Beacon, we will give you advice on how to live amongst these flapping moths flying all over the place, including, possibly, into your face.
It was reported earlier that the mating behaviors of the moths is that the females sit still and cannot fly, while the males fly “erratically” trying to find the females by following the females’ pheromone trails, as described by Cornell University. Essentially, you are walking through waves of love hormones. If you are listening to love music, like ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimmie! Gimmie! (A Man After Midnight),” then you may want to jog with your mouth closed, as a flying male moth may land right inside of it.
Several predators exist for the gypsy moth, which is a introduced and invasive species, including some bird species at this stage. Mice are important for eating the caterpillar version, as are wasps and even the Calosoma beetle.
Next step will be finding the eggs laid after the mating ritual, and destroying the eggs. Apparently fire wood is a source for eggs. Natural mitigation methods include recommending not moving firewood to new locations in order to contain the outbreak. Squishing the moths on contact can be gross, as you will hear their bodies break. Try catching them and flushing them down the toilet. Like with stink bugs.
Stay tuned to our sister company, Tin Shingle, for an upcoming TuneUp with the photojournalist Alexa Blair Wilkinson, who was based in Beacon and then moved to Newburgh. With the rising cost of rent and all. Tin Shingle will also be interviewing Katie's cousin, Sarah Alami, the Palestinian American actress and activist who was in Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3. On ALBB's Instagram, Sarah commented: "Systemic racism is so deeply hard wired many people don’t even know that this is why they find brutal acts like this acceptable or justifiable. The good news is there is evidence that the brain can be adaptable. People can unlearn behavior. Even if it’s racism. However, we don’t have time for people to adapt to being better humans. This is why we need to educate now. "
Beacon Flow Music & Wellness On The Solstice Day: Friday, June 21, 2024 Time: 4-9pm Location: Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park, 2 Red Flynn Drive Beacon, NY
Celebrate the summer solstice with an evening of music and wellness on the magnificent Hudson River. Bring a blanket to enjoy a gorgeous closing concert at sunset by Beacon bassist and composer Dassi Rosenkrantz. Local vendors will be on site, including artisans. The event is organized by Dassi Rosenkrantz, Amy Soucy, and a team of volunteers. Beacon Flow is FREE and open to all!
Cold Spring Farmer's Market Saturdays @ Boscobell from 8:30am - 2pm
Beacon Farmer's Market! Sundays from 10am-3pm at 223 Main Street
Beacon Flea Market! Every Fair Weather Sunday from 8am-3pm at Henry Street (behind the Post Office).
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL 288 Main Street, Beacon, NY Website >
Introducing the perfect summer refresher: Organic Elderberry Hibiscus Iced Tea from Old Dhaka Coffeehouse. This sweet & tart blend combines hibiscus, blackberries, elderberries, and rosehip for a burst of natural goodness. Sip, relax, and enjoy! Follow HV Food Hall's foodies:
CARTERS RESTAURANT & LOUNGE 424 Main St.
Save the date for Carter's Catch & Craft Bash! This seafood dilled event will be happening on June 30th from 12-5pm featuring live music, many different oyster choices, little neck clams, lobster sliders, and colossal shrimp! PS: Happy Hour is from Monday-Friday PPS: You can book the Carters Restaurant space for a private party and enjoy delicious spreads made by the Carters Crew! Book ahead. Follow Carter's on Instagram > Carters Restaurant & Lounge is a Sponsor, thank you!
BEACON BREAD COMPANY
193-195 Main Street, Beacon, NY
We know you've seen the shady sidewalk seating out front at Beacon Bread, but don't forget they've got a bright and sunny patio out back! Grab some takeout and enjoy your time! Pictured here is the salted caramel iced latte... tis the season! PS! OPEN MIC IS BACK! Every Tuesday weather permitting. In the back patio! PPS: BBC is open everyday 7 days/week! PPPS: Wholesale, special orders, and events/catering available. Follow BBC on Instagram > Beacon Bread Company is a Sponsor, thank you!
ZIATUN 244 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Just incase you missed it... The Watermelon Feta Mint salad is BACK at Ziatun and is available all summer long... A super refreshing and delicious salad to enjoy during this time of the year! Keep cool and nourished. Support your local Palestinian Restaurant PS: Ziatun is open everyday.
Monday-Saturday: 11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM Follow Ziatun on Instagram > Ziatun is a Sponsor, thank you!
Feature your business each week in A Little Beacon Blog's Newsletter, Blog pages, and Instagram. People often use this newsletter to tell their friends where to go, and get ideas for themselves on what to order. This is a very hungry guide to put together each week. Learn More & Start Now >
Eggbert’s Free Range Farm @ Cold Spring Farmer's Market Saturday's Website > Instagram >
The recipe for this beef brisket is dropping soon at Eggbert's Free Range Farm's Instagram! Be sure to follow them if you haven't yet! Prepare to get hungry. And remember, the Cold Spring Farmer's Market hours on Saturday changed to 8:30am for all you early birds. FARMERS MARKETS: Saturdays: Cold Spring Farmer's Market 8:30am-1pm Sundays:Beacon Farmer's Market 8:30am - 2pm DELIVERY: Delivering to Cold Spring, Cornwall, New Windsor, Newburgh, Beacon, Fishkill, and Wappingers Falls. Eggbert's Free Range Farm is a Sponsor, thank you!
BINNACLE BOOKS
321 Main Street, Beacon
Binnacle specializes in used and new literature, poetry, literary nonfiction, political history, art, drama, philosophy, graphic novels, and children's books. Is there a particular title you're interested in? Let them know. If they don't have it, they'd be happy to order it for you. The bookstore is a collaborative endeavor by four partners, who have collectively been writers, editors, musicians, producers, organizers, teachers, filmmakers, and booksellers. If you love books, they welcome you. If you don't, they'll do their best to convince you otherwise. PS have you heard about the Beacon Prison Books Project? See more here > Follow Binnacle on Instagram to keep up with their new reads and to get them right away! Learn More about Binnacle Books >
THE STATION
463 Main Street, Beacon
The Station is a local cannabis shop situated in a renovated police station in Beacon, NY. Stay tuned to what they will offer with their updates in the shop and for events/opening date by following The Station on Instagram. Follow The Station on Instagram > The Station is a Sponsor, thank you!
Feature your business each week in A Little Beacon Blog's Newsletter, Blog pages, and Instagram. Readers love seen the magazine-like spread of what to buy inside of your shops, or if you have special classes or events going on. Learn More & Start Now >
Summer Tennis Clinic 2024 Two sessions: August 8/5 – 8/9 and August 8/12 – 8/16 Times: High School Clinic 8:30am to 10:30am & Junior clinic 10:30am to 12:30pm Location: BCSD Highschool Tennis Courts Information >
Seniors Chair Yoga
Stretch, move and strengthen your body! Gain physical awareness and balance! Reduce stress and have fun. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY When: Mondays and Fridays Time: 9-9:45am Price: FREE
Dutchess County Office for the Aging Exercise Class
The Dutchess County Senior Exercise Program offers workout sessions for senior citizens in an effort to retain balance as well as bone density. Through strength training, seniors can shape their body and lose unwanted inches. Classes are conducted in a circle of 15-20 people using a chair for support and free weights. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY When: Tuesday and Thursday Time: 10am
Pre-Registration is Required. Call 845-486-2555
Tai Chi and Qigong
Beginner and Advanced levels available. Gentle movements to cultivate your mind and body. Tai Chi and Qigong are easy vitalizing exercises you can learn to restore and maintain your health. You can practice them regardless of your age or health. The postures and movements are natural, balanced and simple. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY Times:
Sunday Beginners 9-10:30am
Sunday Advanced 10-30-12pm
Thursday Push Hands 9-10:30am More Info >
GEMMS
Growing and Empowering Myself and My Sisters Inc. Location: Beacon Recreation Center 25 West Center Street, Beacon, NY When: Mondays Times: 6-7pm, Rombout Middle School
7:15-8:15pm Beacon High School
gemmsinc.info@gmail.com
Beacon has a growing number of beauty salons and professional pampering to take advantage of - you can even book a transforming appointment at a lash bar! Be it a totally new hair style, makeup lessons, or a facial, you have options in Beacon. Check out ALBB's Beauty Guide here >
Special Message For Businesses:Click here to advertise in ALBB's Beauty Guide with a picture, logo and weekly promotions that will be featured here and on our Instagram.
BEACON DENTAL
1020 Wolcott Avenue, Beacon, NY
(845) 838-3666
At Beacon Dental, they are dedicated to providing you and your family with quality dental care tailored to your individual needs. They welcome patients aged 4 and older and provide a full range of dental services to help you achieve and maintain excellent oral health throughout your life. When you visit their dentists and team, you can be certain that your health, comfort and smile are always their highest priorities. Beacon Dental is also happy to announce that they now accept Medicare health insurance! Call them for a free cleaning & check-up and refer your family & friends! Explore all services > Beacon Dental is a Sponsor. Thank you!
KATIE JAMES, INC.
Watch this space for website launches coming out of Katie James, Inc. for local clients. Learn More & Reach Out > We have spots open!
TIN SHINGLE
Alexa B. Wilkinson (they/them) is an independent Photojournalist and a digital media strategist, capturing the Pro-Palestinian movement along with working in the Democratic political marketing world. They have been on the front lines - and in the front seat - of the students protests in New York, in court rooms for City Council Meetings during Ceasefire Resolution pushes, and at a shipping location for Economic Blockade Day. Alexa will talk with Tin Shingle's host Katie Hellmuth about their experience, and how they connected. Learn More > Tin Shingle is a Sponsor. Thank you!
AVAILABLE GUIDES TO SPONSOR: These Guides really need the ongoing support from businesses or individuals in order for us to continue them! This sponsorship is intended for businesses who are not in the Guides mentioned above.
On May 7, activists opposing the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza — which has killed more than 36,439 Palestinians, including 15,000 children, according to Al Jazeera at the time of this writing — blockaded the Ametek Rotron manufacturing facility in Woodstock, New York. For 9 hours, more than 30 activists physically obstructed the facility’s two entrances using “lockboxes,” pipes allowing them to securely fasten themselves to one another. They maintained the blockade until law enforcement from local, county and state agencies, armed with riot gear, K9 units and angle grinders to saw through the lockboxes, arrived to forcefully remove and arrest them.
“Activists made it clear that there will be no business as usual while these facilities are enabling massacres occurring in Gaza.”
— Woodstock Activists
“Police proceeded to forcefully drag protestors backwards, still hooded, out of the driveway,” said an activist in their press release, referring to hoods that officers had thrown over activists’ heads.
Disruption of the F-15, F-16 and F-35 Fighter Jets In Woodstock
Photo Credit: AlexA BLAIR WILKINSON
Ametek Rotron produces fans, blowers and cooling systems for a variety of military aircraft, including the F-15, F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, per the company’s website. The three fighter jets have been identified by Palestinian activists as some of the primary weapons systems being provided by the United States to the Israeli military. According to Workers in Palestine, a coalition of Palestinian labor unions and professional associations, Israel has a fleet of F-15s, F-16s and F-35s, all of which are being deployed in Gaza.
Disruption of the F-35 “Joint Strike Fighter”
Photo Credit: AlexA BLAIR WILKINSON
Production of the F-35 in particular has been targeted by activists worldwide, due its development as a “Joint Strike Fighter” produced by Australia, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. Since February, a Dutch court has blocked shipment of all F-35 parts from the Netherlands to Israel due to the ongoing genocide, as reported by Reuters.
World-Wide Actions To Block Weapons Facilities
As the activists in Woodstock acknowledge in their press release, the blockade of the Ametek Rotron facility occurred within the context of similar actions around the world. Since 2020, activists in the United Kingdom, particularly those with Palestine Action, have targeted the facilities of Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems, permanently shuttering multiple sites. Stateside, activists have also demonstrated at the headquarters of Colt’s Manufacturing Co. in West Hartford, Connecticut, due to the company supplying M41A assault rifles and accessories to the Israeli military, as reported by Stamford Advocate.
Huge Amounts Of Money That Israel Spends On US Manufacturers Of Weapons
As reported in the article: “Colt’s Manufacturing has secured several major Army deals in recent years, including a $26.7 million contract awarded on May 1 for M4A1 carbines, suppressors, and flash suppressors, with the work to be done in West Hartford. ‘Fiscal 2024 Foreign Military Sales (Israel) funds in the amount of $26,675,000 were obligated at the time of the award,’ reads the announcement on the Defense Department website.”
Additionally, activists have blockaded a manufacturing facility of Lockheed Martin in Sunnyvale, California, due to its production of F-35s and other weapons used by the Israeli military in Gaza, per Democracy Now.
“This action is in solidarity with a global moment exposing the terror manufactured at facilities such as Ametek Rotron,” said the Woodstock activists in their press release. “... Activists made it clear that there will be no business as usual while these facilities are enabling massacres occurring in Gaza.”
As first reported by the Beacon High School Newspaper Club April 2023 print edition, the Breaking Beacon, high school students in the Muslim community in Beacon fought for the last 2 years to have both of Islam’s holiest holidays, Eid al-Fitr (celebrating the completion of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha, be recognized as official school days off. According to reporting in the article, the students encountered a “back and forth” resistance from Beacon’s Superintendent Matthew Landahl and Board of Education President Meredith Heuer.
The April 2023 print edition of “Breaking Beacon,” the newspaper of the Beacon High School.
After presenting quotes from emails from the Beacon City School Board of Education, which stated “excuses” on why the holidays could not be made official, student reporter Nadeen Ahmed, in the final sentence of her article titled “School Inclusion For Muslim Holidays," stated: “We are hoping when developing the 2023-2024 calendar, these holidays will be considered.” Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month long holiday of Ramadan, was recognized as an official holiday in April 2023, and experienced for the first time in 2024, during the time of the escalated genocide of the Palestinians of all faiths but mainly Muslims in Gaza.
“Muslims already have to deal with not being respected as a religion. People think our beliefs are fatuous and too oftenly get called oppressed when that simply isn’t true. We realize we cannot change everyone’s opinions, but not even being recognized, that is our breaking point,” Nadeen wrote.
She went on to report: “Students in the Beacon City School District have gone back and forth with the superintendent and the president of the school board, but have made no progress in getting them to consider having the rightful days off for these significant Muslim holidays.”
Why An Excused Absence vs School Holiday For Either Muslim Holiday of Eid Is Harmful and Dismissive
While the school board offered to give an excused absence to Muslim students recognizing the holidays, the reporter described why that was insufficient and harmful: “Offering us an excused day off will cause more harm than it will benefit us. The day will be filled with stress about the work that we will have to make up as well as any final, Regents, or AP exam review we might be missing, or even the test itself.”
“We understand that making a school calendar does happen after a lot of planning to meet the ‘necessary parameters,’ but these days should be considered one of them. In recent years, Eid al-Adha hasn’t been during the school year, but in upcoming yeras it will be. When this day comes, we expect to be at home, not worrying about the schoolwork or test preparations we’ll be missing.”
— Nadeen Ahmed
Nadeen described the feelings around both Eids, to help non-Muslim readers identify: “Imagine. It’s Christmas Day, you wake up full of joy and excitement to continue the traditions that have been in your family for what seems like forever. To open presents in your cozy pajamas, spend the day with the family you haven’t seen in months or years, and to dine on the most delicious feast that you have been longing for since last Christmas. Stop imagining. Muslims don’t get the luxury - scratch that - we don’t get the right to honor our holidays’ true intentions. Days that should be spent celebrating, are instead being spent at school.”
Nadeen described the meaning behind both Eids: “During the holidays of Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and Eid al-Adha, students are still expected to attend school. During Ramadan, Muslims don’t eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset with a few exceptions to break their fast, this holiday lasts a month. Eid al-Fitr is a day Muslims spend celebrating the end of the hard month of Ramadan; celebrating our devotion and perseverance through the hardships. Finally, Eid al-Adha is a day commemorating the willingness of our prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as an act of obedience to God’s command. None of these holidays are being given their rightful days off to be truly celebrated and honored in our school district.”
District Stated That Eid-Adha Was In Summer - But It Rotates and Is Here Now
According to the article, the Beacon Board of Education provided several excuses of why the Eid holidays could not be written into the school calendar as full days off. One of them including the timing of Eid al-Adha, which is happening right now - June 16th and 17th 2024. According to the BBC and to Muslims in Beacon: “Eid al-Adha falls on the 10th day of Dhu-al-Hijjah - which is the twelfth and final month of the lunar Islamic calendar. The exact date depends on the sighting of the moon. On the morning of Eid, Muslims gather to perform Eid prayers in congregation. People traditionally wear new clothes and visit family and friends.”
The Breaking Beacon article presented pieces of emails and logic to debating the adoption of this holiday. The reporter pointed out: “These holidays have been during that time of year for many years [Regents, AP exams, finals].”
The article quoted an email from the District: “Our first read of our calendar was approved at the last meeting….” But the student reporter disputed: “The calendar had not had its final approval, so why can’t it be considered? This is not a valid excuse for not taking our holidays into account since they’ve had constant reminders about it.”
The reporter continued commentating on quotes from the emails from the District: “They [the District] also replied with: ‘Eid al-Fitr is on a Saturday and Eid al-Adha is after school is out for the summer, so I am not sure these holidays impact our calendar directly this year.’ It was said that for the 2022-2023 school year, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha do not fall on school days. Not only is that not true, but it would only be justifiable for that one year. While Eid al-Adha is on a day during the summer break, Eid al-Fitr does lie on a Friday. They use these as reasons, but in reality, these are excuses.”
Both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha Fell On School Days For 2024
This year, Ramadan was from March 10 - April 9, 2024 (as noted at MIT, which outlines accommodations given to Muslim students during that time, but also fails in giving both Eid holidays off as full school closures). Eid al Fitr fell on Wednesday, April 10, 2024. Superintend Landahl made the announcement in his email to district families a year in advance, stating: “The BCSD Board of Education adopted the 23-24 calendar last night (April 24, 2023). The calendar has some changes from the previous years. Eid al-Fitr, the final day of Ramadan, is now a school holiday on April 10.”
There was no mention of Eid al-Adha, which was Monday and Tuesday of this week, which has been a time of finals, Regents, and a heat wave which has resulted in early dismissals.
However, this recognition of Eid al-Fitr seems like a win for Muslim families and the community at large. Other districts in the area, like Wappingers Falls, do not give the day off. In the Breaking Beacon article, published before the decision was made, the reporter wrote: “These holidays are coming up soon, and the Muslim students of our schools have other choice but to dread these days. Our school district has done nothing to recognize the importance of Muslim holidays. We understand that making a school calendar does happen after a lot of planning to meet the ‘necessary parameters,’ but these days should be considered one of them. In recent years, Eid al-Adha hasn’t been during the school year, but in upcoming yeras it will be. When this day comes, we expect to be at home, not worrying about the schoolwork or test preparations we’ll be missing.”
During last night’s City Council meeting (6/17/2024), Councilperson Molly Rhodes of Ward 1 wished those celebrating Eid al-Adha a Happy Mubarak.
It's Monday! For citizens of Beacon, that means City Council Meetings (the back to back meetings are tonight). For self-employed business people, that means Go Time! Main Street businesses may be taking a breather from the weekend (or it's an extra heavy day) and service businesses are back at it. However your Monday is going, you may need to play this song by Gloria Gaynor on repeat: "I Will Survive." Good Luck and you got this.
Businesses can partner with A Little Beacon Blog on their promotion. Readers from New York City to all corners of the Hudson Valley read A Little Beacon blog. Subscribing as a promotional partner in our Business Directory guarantees your brand will be featured in our content. Just plan ahead, and let's share it!
HUDSON VALLEY AUCTIONEERS
Been wondering what the Free Things are that keep appearing outside of 432 Main Street down near the Beacon Movie Theater? It is the storefront of Hudson Valley Auctioneers, LLC as they get ready for a new live auction. Their latest auction was Monday afternoon, and they offered all sorts of rare finds. Keep your eye on A Little Beacon Blog for when their next auction is.
Hudson Valley Auctioneers is a ALBB Business Directory member and you can find their listing in the Art category!
THE LUMINOUS BRIDE
The Luminous Bride is the makeup loft located inside of Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique in the historic factory building at 1 East Main. Soft looks with clean, natural makeup for those who love looking like themselves, enhanced by the enchanting lift makeup can give them. Established.in NYC, Jules (Owner) was a regular artist at NY Fashion Week, and continues styling celebrities for press, print, TV and the red carpet. Book for Weddings, Special Occasions, Trials or Makeup Lessons if you're interested in learning yourself!
A Little Beacon Blog celebrates Black Lives Matter every day with our “Black Owned Businesses in the Hudson Valley Directory” — a directory of local companies to support which started in the racial re-awakening of the Black Lives Matter movement of 2020. To include as many businesses as possible, while keeping it easy for you to use, this directory is organized by region first, and then area of business. Listing in this Category is free for Black-owned or co-owned businesses. Email us to let us know about your business: editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com.
*SPECIAL FEATURE* Accuprint Your go-to resource for packing, shipping, printing and business service needs of the residents and businesses of Beacon, NY.
The content artists at Katie James, Inc can enhance your Instagram with their visual and writing skills. With their reporting techniques, they can pull from you what is going on at your business that your readers and future customers want to see. Hire the experts at Katie James Inc. to breath more life into your Instagram. FEATURED CLIENT: Eggbert's Free Range Farm
Tin Shingle has over 270 TuneUp Webinars for you to stream anytime. Topics range from PR, Instagram, Facebook, Interviews with inspiring business owners, Newsletter strategy, and many other niche topics.
ALL TRAINING TUNEUP ONLINE CLASS WEBINARS
The best part of membership! Get education, inspiration, motivation, and fresh ideas for how to reach out to the media and boost your social media. Click here to see our entire collection.
There are many CSA options in the Hudson Valley where you can find local meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, and more. Check out Common Ground Farm, Fishkill Farms, Obercreek Farm, and more! Support your local farmers!
Beacon Dental is a group of friendly and experienced dentists and team that are dedicated to providing you with individual, high-quality care. Your health, smile and comfort are always their first priorities, and they will work with you to help you achieve and maintain excellent oral health and a beautiful smile. Teeth whitening available! Call to schedule an appointment with Dr. Hongli Wang and learn more about complete dentistry.
The Main Office Space is a coworking and collaboration space located at 234 #1 Main Street, Beacon, NY, in the scenic Hudson Valley. A quick 70-minute train ride to NYC’s Grand Central Station, they are conveniently located for remote workers who still need access to all the City has to offer. Locals can rent desks weekly or monthly; visitors are welcome to rent space daily or for specific events. A Little Beacon Blog rents a desk there too!
There are many opportunities to get your fitness on in Beacon & the Hudson Valley! From Crossfit, Yoga, and Barre, to your General Fitness Centers, Martial Arts, Cycle, and more.
Karen Meyer, the owner of this practice, specializes in helping women manage stress, anxiety, muscular tension, and fatigue in a safe & nurturing environment. RTMBeacon is a Woman owned business, LGBTQ+ friendly, and a safe space for ALL.
A Little Beacon Blog celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month yearly & supports Hispanic Owned Businesses in the Hudson Valley. This is a directory of local companies to support Hispanic Businesses & recognizing the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture, and achievements. Listing in this Category is free for Hispanic-owned or co-owned businesses. Email us to let us know about your business: editorial@alittlebeaconblog.com.
Miss Vicki's Music Miss Vickie is part of the heart and soul of Beacon. She has been volunteering in the community and teaching music in Beacon for years and years. Her patient disposition with people of all ages makes guitar lessons not intimidating for beginners and novices. Born left-handed, she speaks to both sides of the brain and teaches and plays right handed. Miss Vickie can make house-calls for private guitar lessons for kids and/or adults. Private Classes go by the half-hour or hour.
Megan & Kenneth proudly and unequivocally stand with and support the LGBTQI+ community. Their team is honored to serve partnerships of all genders, cultures, traditions, and strive to showcase diverse love stories throughout New York state. They love you, just as you are. Book the photoshoot. Capture the special moments.
Add your business here. Rates start at $35/month with different pricing levels for budgets and exposure. Categories are included or created as businesses sponsor them. Gutters. Roofing. Automotive. Cycling. You name it.
Let's get to know your business! PS: Businesses outside of Beacon are welcome to join. This Business Directory is open to all Hudson Valley businesses and services.
The Howland’s Open Mix Night Fourth Fridays Music Series
Cómo Converstirse en Ciudadano Dstadounidense
Carter's Restaurant Catch & Craft Bash
Beacon Flow Music & Wellness On The Solstice
