Picnic and Paddle for Palestine Day: Sunday, September 15th Time: 4:30pm Location: Long Dock Park Kayak Launch Join the Beacon Ceasefire and Arms Embargo Now Coalition for Kayak demonstration on the water for a Free Palestine! Meet at the Kayak Launch by 5:10pm (to be seen by train passengers arriving at 5:21PM)
Organizers say: "We will paddle between Long Dock and Pete and Toshi Seeger park and back with signs and flags. Free Palestine! Stop the Genocide! Arms Embargo Now!" Bring a dish! You do not need to be a paddler or kayaker to join in from the shore to show your support and enjoy community of fellow supporters.
Welcome Roc Pilates as a Sponsor to A Little Beacon Blog’s Adult Classes Guide! We have passed the iconic MCM building at 123 Rombout that houses this woman-owned boutique pilates studio one billion times on the way to and from South Avenue Elementary, but never been inside!
Now Roc Pilates is going to appear weekly in ALBB’s Weekend Things To Do Newsletter to showcase what their Reformer Group Classes and Private Sessions are all about. As a person who has taken Pilates but used to be intimated by it, we can promise that it is a fitness method that is totally calm, totally focused, totally in the zone, and totally doable by any body.
If there are injuries, owner Jordana Herman knows how to work around them to modify. If you need a workout where you aren’t pouring sweat, yet you appreciate being in peaceful atmosphere to gain and maintain lean muscles that make you look and feel good, this is the place for you.
Please join us in welcoming and supporting Jordana and Roc Pilates.
In this program, designed for adults living with dementia and their care partners, participants engage with one artist or gallery at Dia Beacon with guidance from Dia educators and Dr. Michelle Olson, art therapist and executive director of Evergreen Minds. Following an in-gallery discussion, participants create their own works of art based on their experience.
Please note: this program requires walking through gallery spaces. Seating will be provided throughout the program and wheelchairs are available upon request.
Name of Event: Evergreen Minds Workshop Date of Event: September 07, 2024 Start/End Time of Event: 10:30 am - 12 pm Address of Event: 3 Beekman St, Dia : Beacon Museum Price: Free. Spaces are limited
Editorial Note: Every now and then, ALBB publishes some free-form on our Instagram. This is one such post that we have lifted from our Instagram to bring to the blog for broader reach.
Pushing on elected officials locally is very uncomfortable. They are neighbors and friends.
But.
Watching violent murders for 10 months (and still raging) is very, very, very uncomfortable.
More uncomfortable is living amongst people who are OK with watching these violent murders, and having the Democratic leader gaslight us that this is ok.
It just unleashes all of the triggers.
Very very very very very very very uncomfortable to see people (the Beacon Democrats at their "watch party" during the DNC 2024) eat chocolate bon bons while they didn't oppose $20 BILLION DOLLARS to go kill Palestinians. To further erase the country that is Palestine.
Free Palestine.
Especially triggering was watching this Watch Party from the party room of one of The View, one of the apartment buildings that anti-Development Democrats so opposed before it was built. While the housing crisis was deepening in the country and in Beacon, as Democrats used zoning laws to restrict real estate development on areas they picked. The housing crisis, which they are now using to justify greenlighting more building. It’s just confusing. As confusing as the chococolate bon bons served and eaten while they don’t wail against a genocide that their leader is authorizing payments to Israel for.
You still won’t see ALBB support T, and ALBB remains registered with no party, but this is all so disappointing.
How Middle East Eye Covered The DNC
Americans who don’t support the genocide in Palestine, and who don’t support the United State’s funding of the genocide of Palestinians, were horrified while watching the Democratic National Convention. The last straw for many was when the Democrats would not allow a Palestinian to speak on their stage. Even if the Palestinian or Palestinian spokesperson was a Democrat.
Middle East Eye captured this in several posts at Instagram:
The Bannerman Castle Trust, (BCT) and Bannerman Island Gallery located at 150 Main Street in Beacon, NY proudly present a special 30th Anniversary Exhibition and Celebration featuring artwork, photographs, antiques & artifacts from historic Bannerman Island and Castle, that begins with a public opening reception on Saturday September 14th from 4:00-6:00pm. All are welcome.
Photo Credit: Bannerman Castle Sunset - by L.A. Clark
What Is The Bannerman Castle Trust?
Photo Credit: Bannerman Island Museum Interior - by L.A. Clark
The Bannerman Castle Trust organization has existed and operated as a not-for-profit “Friends” group comprised of dedicated volunteers and staff for over 30 years. Working with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, the BCT has made incredible advances on Bannerman Island, taking it from an abandoned and over-grown island of historic ruins (dating back to 1900) to the incredible public destination it is today.
Photo Credit: 1. Gordon Colby (Francis Bannerman's great-great grandson) donates original Bannerman Desk, - standing with BCT Executive Director Neil Caplan and BCT Development Director, Kelly Ellenwood (Photo by Lili Colby)
Since 1994, the BCT has been working to find resources and funding to stabilize the island’s historic structures and has made it their mission to educate the public on the value and history of Bannerman Island (originally known as Pollepel Island), to make it a safe and welcoming place for the public to enjoy as an educational, cultural, historical and recreational facility, promoting heritage tourism in the Hudson Valley.
Who Is Francis Bannerman?
Military Antiques dealer and amateur architect Francis Bannerman worked and resided on his island from 1900 until his death in 1918 and had built several structures including the iconic “folly” castle (arsenal) to store surplus militaria, and a summer residence that resembled a small castle where he and his wife Helen Boyce Bannerman would stay during weekends and summer months away from their city residence at the Hotel Margaret in Brooklyn Heights. Bannerman’s restored roll-top desk that that was gifted by Gordon Bannerman Colby and his wife Lili will be featured in the show. 19th century paintings by artist Francis William Loring (found in the Bannerman residence) were donated by Jane Bannerman and will also be on exhibit.
The Bannerman Exhibition
Photo Credit: From Bannerman Island Tour Boat - by Neil Caplan
The exhibition will be on display through January 2025. Gallery hours are Saturday’s & Sunday’s from 12:00 noon to 5:00pm and most weekday afternoons by chance or appointment by calling 845-831-1001.
The exhibition is FREE and open to the public, and group tours are also available. Additional 30th Anniversary programs include a special Community Accessibility Excursion to the island in October, and a High Tea & Talk with Executive Director Neil Caplan at Beacon's Swann Inn on Sunday, September 29th. The historic Gothic Revival era Swann Inn houses a number of extraordinary Bannerman Island paintings and drawings.
Bannerman's Island is accessible by the Estuary Steward Tour Boat, leaving the Beacon, NY Dock by reservation only from May – October each year. If you are interested in taking a tour of the island or in attending one of the BCT’s fabulous events, please visit www.bannermancastle.org for tickets.
Amid all of the construction going on around Beacon, which have been planned projects as part of Beacon’s Capital Project, speed “humps” just popped up on Wilkes Street. These minor traffic calming interventions were not as talked about as the new sidewalks and pipeline that came to Fishkill and Teller Avenues, but they do have significance here in Beacon, and seem to be slowing traffic on a kid-filled street.
Beacon’s City Administrator Chris White updated Beacon’s City Council during the September 3, 2024 meeting saying that the speed humps had been installed prior to school staring on September 4th.
Wilkes Street has a history of speed “bumps,” where the yellow bumps were set down during the Spring/Summer/Early Fall season, and lifted up for winter snow plow season. But they aren’t always put down each year, and from time to time, residents try to advocate for them to come back. Elsewhere in the city, if a speed bump is requested, it is not entertained. At least as far as the public City Council Meetings are concerned. Wilkes Street has been the exception for undefined reasons.
Elsewhere in the area at Memorial Park, speed bumps (as opposed to “humps”) were put down in similar fashion around the baseball and football fields. However, as ALBB has noted before, the laying down of these temporary speed bumps was inconsistent. They were not put down this 2024 year, or in 2021, for instance.
Last week, Beacon’s Highway Department could be seen on Wilkes Street near the skateboard park, crunching some pavement. At first, they dug trenches in the ground. A few days later, these speed “humps’ popped up as well as new yellow signs warning of the speed hump. Said one ALBB reader: “I for one liked the day before when they dug out the holes for the speed humps and cars had to come to a crawl to traverse them.”
Speed Bump: tends to be a sharper obstruction that is short - not as wide as the street. Usually reduces traffic to 5-10 mph but can more easily damage shocks. Usually are bad for snow plows.
Speed Hump: tends to be as wide as the road, are rounder, and more forgiving. Might be better for snow plows, but still awareness is needed when plowing over them.
Speed Lumps: similar to speed humps, but are broken in the middle to allow for the tires of emergency vehicles to pass through.
In conclusion, the permanent speed humps probably make former City Councilmember Terry Nelson satisfied, as he used to close his City Council Meeting Reports with: “don’t speed.”
On September 5, 2024, Beacon Police arrested Khyree Pratt, age 23 of Philadelphia, PA for the murder of Lionel Pittman in the Forrestal Heights apartment community near West Center Street (near the Beacon Recreation Center), on May 14, 2022, according to a press release issued by the Chief Thomas Figlia of the Beacon Police Department.
"Khyree is currently an inmate in a Federal Correction Institution out of state," according to the press release. He was transported to Beacon, NY on September 5th by the Beacon Police Department, "where he was processed on charges of Murder in the First Degree, and then transported to the Dutchess County Jail."
This is the second arrest in Lionel's murder. The first arrest was of Naije Perrette on June 11, 2024, who was charged with Second Degree murder, and arrested during a traffic stop in Beacon on Fishkill Avenue.
Said Chief Figlia in the press release regarding Khyree: [This arrest] represents yet another facet in the culmination of years of diligent work by members of the Beacon Police Department, the Dutchess County District Attorney's Office and other assisting agencies."
Chief Figlia sated that there are other elements of the investigation that are still ongoing, so no further information is being released at this time.
According to Patch.com, Khyree was arrested in June 2022 in Marple Township in Pennsylvania after Maple Township Police said that he led them on a chase on June 4, 2022. The media outlet reported: “According to police and court records, Khyree Hyneif Pratt, 21, of Philadelphia, has been charged with firearm crimes, fleeing or attempting to eluding police, drug possession, and other crimes.”
Connecting Across The Divide: Council For True Peace
Day: Saturday, September 4th Time: 5-8pm Location: Crescent Hudson Valley @ Full Circle
Bruynswick Road Ulster County, NY
Join Itaf Awad (Palestinian Israeli) and Aura Hammer (Jewish Israeli) for an evening talk and workshop. Information >
"Made In Beacon" Exhibit
Day: Saturday August 31st Time: 1-3pm Location: Beacon Historical Society, 61 Leonard Street.
Explore 25 products built in Beacon. Includes air conditioning and plenty of free parking! Information >
Pulling Back The Curtain On The US-Israel "Special Relationship"
Day: Sunday, September 15th Time: 2-4:30pm Location: Old Dutch Church, 272 Wall Street, Kingston, NY
A teach-in and panel discussion about geopolitical interesting driving US support of Israel. Will talk about Zionist propaganda and AIPAC (the Israel lobby), and reports from the front lines of resistance and activism. 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-2pm at Henry Street (behind the Post Office).
BAGEL-ISH
226 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Have you tried a sample of the new Smoked Salmon at Bagel-ish? It's from Samaki Artisan Smoke House in Port Jervis, NY. Owner Beth will fix you up a sample! Be sure to ask her for her house-made hummus. Locals! Locals get 10% off on Thursdays! Follow Bagel-ish on Instagram > Bagel-ish is a Sponsor, thank you!
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL 288 Main Street, Beacon, NY Website >
Save the Date! September 21st, 6-9pm
New art show from Tino Lieberherr. Check out Tino's art here for a sneak peek. Follow HV Food Hall's foodies:
CARTERS RESTAURANT & LOUNGE 424 Main St.
Carter's take-out is delish! Just look at these steak tacos. Don't be tempted to make them yourself. Just pick up your phone, and call in your order: 845-743-6527 Do check Carter's Special's Menu first to tempt yourself even more! Like with the Rack of Lamb...Served with an heirloom tomato salad with feta... PS: Happy Hour is from Monday-Friday PPS: You can book the Carter's Restaurant space for a private party and enjoy delicious spreads made by the Carter's 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 Here's what you're missing if you didn't DM Beacon Bread fast enough for their special Sunday Special event. A new collaboration for restaurateur Kamel Jamal of Beacon Bread Company: LODGER. Sunday Supper starts September 1st (SOLD OUT!). Only 30 seats were available. Reservations taken by DM. Slip in. 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
Says Ziatun about this dish:
"This photo is posted with 💯 solidarity for our starving brothers and sisters in Gaza. We love you! Our rice bowl is packed with plant based protein. They are vegan and delicious! Our customers love them and you would too!
Dine in - take out - DoorDash - Grubhub" Ziatun is Palestinian-Owned. PPS: 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 >
Next Cooking Video! Stuffed green and red peppers with Eggbert's ground beef, seasoned with a Honey BBQ spice. Tune In on Eggbert's IG! FARMERS MARKETS: Wednesdays: Cornwall Farmer's Market 11am-5pm 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 Books gets some fine first print editions in. Like this Fanatic Heart. Only you will know if it is still available if you stop in and check! PS The Beacon Prison Books Project is quite active. Learn how to send a book > 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
Always preparing...Owner of The Station, Kamel Jamal is preparing something special for you at The Station, the old Police Station building on Main Street he and his wife Lena purchased a few years ago. 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 >
PICKLEBALL!
Looking for players. All abilities welcome. Join to connect with others, organize games, search for courts, learn the game, find gear & more! 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 >
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
If you are looking for a more discreet orthodontic treatment, Invisalign clear aligners could be the right choice for you! This nearly invisible orthodontic treatment allows you to maintain a natural appearance while also straightening your teeth and smile. To learn more about Invisalign treatment, schedule a consultation with the one & only Beacon Dental! 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. PS! Believe it or not, it's time to start pitching for Christmas! Join our membership for all of the tools you need. Tin Shingle is a Sponsor. Thank you!
Got your running shoes on? We have a list of 5K races coming up for 2024!
Upcoming Race: 2024 MHRRC Dutchess County Classic
Day: Saturday September 14th, 2024 Time: 8:30am Location: Robinson Lane Park, 95 Robinson Lane, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590 Information >
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 Beacon City School District Board of Education (BOE) has been debating the District’s cell phone policy for students, having experimented with a put-away-per-classroom policy last year. During the August 26th, 2024 BOE Meeting, the Board did pass the new cell phone policy which keeps phones with students during the school day, but directs students to put them into a pouch that looks like a hanging fabric shoe rack per classroom, leaving the teacher of that room to implement as is fitting for their room. Cell phones can be used during lunch and recess periods. Changes were also made to the Code of Conduct to address Sexual Harassment that can happen digitally, and an addition to the List of Consequences. These specifics can be found below in this article, which includes quotes from Beacon’s Superintendent, Principals of the Middle and High Schools, Board Members, and Parents.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Parents, caregivers and other stakeholders have been vocalizing varying opinions on cell phones in schools, ranging from a full out full-day cell phone ban, to a classroom policy that allows kids to keep their phones throughout the day, and access them during designated periods. Governor Hochul has implied that she is also wants to set a state-wide policy which would override district policies, but that has not happened yet; only a “listening tour” for the Governor to hear feedback.
Beacon City School District Board Of Education Photo Credit Beacon City School District Board Of Education Meeting 8/26/2024
At Beacon’s August 19, 2024 Board of Education Meeting, the Board did pass the first of a 2-step process to implement the new put-away-per-classroom cell phone policy for students, or “Pouch It” as ALBB is calling it. The new policy would require a change to the Code of Conduct, which requires 2 voting sessions to pass. The first voting session was passed on August 19th, and the second vote scheduled for August 26th also passed. This final vote required a Public Hearing to hear from the public, which did happen Monday night.
During the August 19th Board meeting, Dr. Landahl unveiled the proposed policy in a slide deck. The presentation included several aspects of the policy and how it will work. At its base, the proposed policy would work like this:
Elementary Schools:
(South Avenue, JV Forrestal, Glenham, Sargent) All electronic devices will be stored away all day in student backpacks.
Rombout Middle School
Students will put cell phones in designated spaces in each classroom. Dr. Landahl stated that these may be in hanging pouches, like fabric shoe racks, that are on back-order, scheduled to arrive a month or two into the school year. Teachers will implement their own methods with the pouches in the classroom. Kids will pick up their phones out of the pouches during each class change, to have them in the hallways, at lunch and recess.
Smart watches and ear buds will be put away on each student, but not into the pouches. Principal Soltish of Rombout Middle School told the Board of Education at the August 19, 2024 meeting that the smart watches and ear buds were not so much of an issue.
Beacon High School
Students will put cell phones into designated spaces per classroom using the pouches described above, and put earbuds away, similar to the Middle School Policy.
Parental Response To The New Cell Phone Policy
Some of the more vocal parents and caregivers vocalized support for a full-day ban on all cell phone use, stating mainly fear of addiction and harms caused by social media utilized on the phone. The Board indicated that stakeholders had also emailed in their opinions. The Board did not read those emails or indicate what they said during the last two Board meetings.
“A policy is a pretty blunt instrument especially, if it’s like a broad ban. I think there’s a lot more to think about in terms of this. Secondly, in terms of how kids respond to prohibitions or bans versus being educated or learning about developing group norms: if our goal is to develop a healthy relationship to technology, then there are a lot of curricula that are out there that have to do with setting group norms around phone use and giving kids some agency, and their parents some agency.”
— Greta Byrum, Parent
A working group called Beacon Parents for Phone Free Schools was formed by some parents. The group pushes for a full-day phone restriction. A handful of parents from that group spoke at the July 22th, August 19th and August 24th, 2024 meetings.
Catherine Buscemi Photo Credit Beacon City School District Board Of Education Meeting 8/19/2024
During the August 19th meeting, Catherine Buscemi spoke to say she was part of that working group, and felt a classroom restriction was a step in the right direction, but stated specifics on what she wanted to see: "Problems are happening outside the classroom at lunch and recess in bathrooms and hallways where filming without consent and bullying are most rampant." She also stated her belief that a full-day ban removes the "burden of police from teachers."
Further focus was placed on removing distractions like "giving back the freedom from FOMO (fear of missing out) on something happening in social media, and the ability to "reconnect mentally and socially eyes-up interacting with real life around them without the distraction of counting down the minutes until they can get their phones out again." She advocated for schools to collectively ban the device to reduce stress from social media.
The Wappingers Central School District has not banned the phones full day, but has introduced the Yondr (a singular lockable personal pouch) to be used only when a student is disciplined multiple times and needs temporary, personalized enforcement).
Hana Ramat Photo Credit Beacon City School District Board Of Education Meeting 8/26/2024
Hana Ramat, also part of the full-day ban group, stated during the August 24th meeting after the Board voted to pass the Classroom Pouch-It Policy: “The related changes to the student Code of Conduct are an improvement; however, not by nearly as much as we had hoped. I feel angry and disappointed that our new policy does not include a full day phone ban according to the mounting research our group has presented to the Board through comment numerous emails and our comprehensive deck. There is no known benefit to children to allow phone use at all during the school day. I do not seek to take away anything from our kids or other parents with a full-day ban. In fact, I kind of hate the language to ban it as it lands as a negative deduction. When in fact, I see it as a gift - one of the greatest gifts we can give our children right now - the gift of focus.”
Jean Huang Photo Credit Beacon City School District Board Of Education Meeting 8/26/2024
Jean Huang, a past president of the JV Forrestal PTSO and current member of the Foundation for Beacon Schools, spoke on her own behalf not voicing opinions of those groups, to say that she was also a member of the full-day ban group. She had provided a deck to the Board. "We think that doing the full-day ban and especially with pouching would really be the best option. It's the way that so many districts local to us as well as across the state are going and we think that is going to be the most effective measure as any half measures. Where the kids are still allowed to have phones at recess and lunch will not really solve the problems of bullying and self-harm and all the horrible things that go along with social media and smartphone usage."
Greta Byrum Photo Credit Beacon City School District Board Of Education Meeting 7/22/2024
Greta Byrum spoke as a lone supporter of in-school cell phone usage at the July 22nd meeting. Greta is an information professional for 15 years in the area of public interest technology and is a Principal for Broadband and Digital Equity at HR&A Advisors, working with broadband and digital equity and digital safety.
Greta said: "We should think a lot about he implications of the freedom of information and civil rights both through implementation of a policy that would remove or ban cell phones. Also in terms of what it would take to enforce something like that, including what kind of monitoring or surveillance would need to happen...Banning sources of information can be a bit of a slippery slope, and we could end up in a situation where we have to monitor what's on the bodies of our children."
Greta also spoke to education vs bans: "A policy is a pretty blunt instrument especially, if it's like a broad ban. I think there's a lot more to think about in terms of this. Secondly, in terms of how kids respond to prohibitions or bans versus being educated or learning about developing group norms: if our goal is to develop a healthy relationship to technology, then there are a lot of curricula that are out there that have to do with setting group norms around phone use and giving kids some agency, and their parents some agency.”
As a single parent, Greta represented, by saying: "It's important to me that I be able to reach my child during the days. A lot of times we have to figure out what's going on after school, or I will need to speak with my child about something that's happening. [Regarding] scary incidents, including school intruders, I would want to be able to be in contact with my child."
At a later meeting, Katie Hellmuth spoke support of in-school cell phone use at the August 24th meeting, saying: “It has been argued that social media is designed to be addictive. Yes. So is sugar. And food. And alcohol. And smoking. And TV watching. And sex. And water. And learning. Because we need all of those things. Except smoking cigarettes. But we don't full ban those things. We learn how to have them in moderation. We teach ourselves that. Some of us are better at it than others. Some of us are physically less capable of doing that because of how are bodies are made. We must be taught how to recognize our triggers, and how to move through those triggers into self-regulation.”
Regarding safety during school intruder incidents, Katie said: “When you are in an emergency, you are a team. You become warriors and victims at the same time. On my team, I want the little eyes and ears who know the school well. Who know where the other warriors and victims are. Who are exchanging ideas in case they are stuck and the official Plan of Authority isn't working. Because you always need a Plan B, C and D. Sometime made on the fly. Despite every expert's best intention and training.”
Teacher’s Involvement With The Classroom Free Phone Policy
Dr. Landahl at the August 26th meeting did indicate that teachers had varying opinions of how they wanted to handle cell phones. Some teachers, he said, supported phones in school, while others wanted restrictions.
Board member Eric Schetter, whose son is a teacher in the district, said at the August 26th meeting: “I think it's a vital piece to get input from the administrators; from the teachers and students. My son is a teacher [in the Beacon City School District] and he's kind of all over the place on this as well. So I hear quite a bit.”
The Newburgh Free Academy was stated as an example of a school that had gone phone-free with Yondr pouches (portable pouches that lock so that an individual cannot open it to use their phone).
Jessica Welch Eriksmoen Photo Credit Beacon City School District Board Of Education Meeting 8/19/2024
Jessica Welch Eriksmoen also spoke, stating that she wanted to "give our teachers the ability to say what happens in their room" and to support teachers to "get their jobs done because they are challenged as it is." She went on to cite the movie The Social Dilemma with a focus on how social media can allow ideas of self-harm to perpetuate.
Teachers and School Administrators Respond to Cell Phone Policy
Dr. Landahl asked the principals of the Middle and High Schools, Brian Soltish and Corey Dwyer respectively, to submit their comments and feedback to the new policy at the August 19th meeting.
Principal Dwyer explained that he had been working with teachers at the High School on this prior, implementing an experiment of a cell phone free classrooms with 20 teachers and found success with it. When asked by Board Member Kristan Flynn to expand, he stated: "At the High School, we had talked with our teachers and gotten feedback at the end of the 2022/2023 school year. Teachers had said 'You know, we'd like to think about what we can do about phones.' So we opened up the year last year by saying we want to try to reduce the amount of phone usage in class. I gave teachers basically the option of a shoe rack or having to just keep their phones in their backpacks. The teachers who chose to go with the shoe rack and who kind of stayed on top if it all year with specific examples saw more success with it. We didn't do a lot around enforcement or consistency, but the teachers that chose to keep up with it all year all had success with it.” Principal Dwyer stated that the genesis of the experiment wasn't a response from teachers to student behavior issues, but a desire to keep student's attention.
“Part of going through school is learning. You just hope that if a choice is made that’s not the best, that they learn from it, and that it’s not a high impact on someone else. Part of the main point in Mr. Gary’s speech is “‘Public and Permanent.’ He’s going to really hit on the taking of a picture and what that can do not only to you, but to the to a student. If you’re taking a picture of them and it’s just like you’re sending it to your group because you think it’s funny.”
— Brian Soltish, Principal Rombout Middle School
Principal Soltish confirmed that at the Middle School there was not a pouching experiment conducted because students had less issues with taking them out during class. Principal Soltish said: “Most teachers were pretty strict with not allowing cell phone use in the classroom. Obviously with the younger age student, it's a little easier to get that compliance." Later, he said: "My teachers are in favor of having a system in place where the phones are stored for the period.”
When Boardmember Semra Ercin asked Principal Soltish if the Middle School teachers favored keeping the phones away for the entire day vs managing them throughout the day through class changes, Principal Soltish emphasized the classroom-only preference, stating: “Teachers were in favor of collecting them at the start of the period and giving them back at the end of the period knowing that the responsibility would be on them, as opposed to having them removed for the entire day.”
Principal Dwyer agreed, speaking for the teachers at the High School. “I agree. I think the practicality of implementing, [for instance] the pouches...You know, there's some questions involved there and I think a lot of it would still probably fall on teachers to some degree. It may be asking the teacher to then kind of be on the front lines of enforcing something that might be more difficult to get students to buy into.”
“Most teachers were pretty strict with not allowing cell phone use in the classroom. Obviously with the younger age student, it’s a little easier to get that compliance...My teachers are in favor of having a system in place where the phones are stored for the period.”
— Principal Brian Soltish, Rombout Middle School
Dr. Landahl stated: "This is really founded in talking to our teachers because they are on the front lines of this. Brian Soltish and Corey both at their buildings have spent a lot of time with groups of teachers and leadership gathering input over the last several months about what they want to see in terms of this. I think we are talking about 130 teachers [and 1,400 students] between the two schools, so there's, like with anything, a wide range of opinions, but essentially, the bulk of feedback we've gotten from those teachers is they really want to start with a cell phone free classroom restriction policy. That would be in each class putting the phones away in a designated space that the students would be able to to get the phones at the end of class and move on to the next class."
After the Board voted to pass the Code of Conduct changes, which included the classroom pouching of the cell phones, Dr. Landahl reinforced: "We did then engage with teacher leadership in both buildings (High School and Middle School) in terms of crafting something. This is something that I think both Faculties and Administration felt unified behind, so teachers were involved and will be very involved obviously as we go.”
How The Board Responded To The Cell Phone Pouching Policy
As the Beacon Board of Education has been debating this issue for some time, opinions were expressed again the night of the August 19th meeting.
Boardmember Anthony White stated: “If the purpose of education is to prepare kids for post-secondary, whether that be a Career College, whatever that may be, and when you go into a job, they don't say 'Hey there's a cell phone ban' when you go to a college. It's trying to have them learn the responsibilities of how to do it, and you do that in a structured environment in school. You're educating kids how to use it appropriately. But then I also feel as a parent, I have 3 kids. One just graduated, one's into High School, and one's going into 6th grade. I put blocks on stuff. I block out the social media for the 6th grader all day. He only has only a 2hour window where he could even go on it. And then as he shows that he's able to deal with it, and monitor it as a parent, I'm doing that. I want the school to educate my kid, and if there's an issue with it, where I find it - and I'm fine with the policy as it's written and everything - but the internal struggle is: how are we preparing the kid for post-secondary when we are just taking it [the cell phone] away. You can't just take stuff away and say: 'Okay. Now you're going to go get it.'"
During the questioning of the principals, opportunities for digital literacy was raised by Boardmember Kristan Flynn, where the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Student Support, Dr. Sagrario Rudecindo-O'Neill, was able to answer that digital literacy has been a part of student curriculum at all school levels, which includes presentations by experts in the field like a Mr. Gary. Kristan asked the principals if they felt the curriculum had been effective.
Principal Soltish answered: “Yeah. I think when you talk to the kids about digital citizenship, I think they get it. Do I think sometimes kids still make poor choices? Yes, absolutely. I think for the most part, our student body is very empathetic and and compassionate towards other kids. But I think from time to time, we don't always make the best choice. Part of going through school is learning. You just hope that if a choice is made that's not the best, that they learn from it, and that it's not a high impact on someone else. Part of the main point in Mr. Gary's speech is "‘Public and Permanent.’ He’s going to really hit on the taking of a picture and what that can do not only to you, but to the to a student. If you're taking a picture of them and it's just like you're sending it to your group because you think it's funny. So he's really going to do a lot of conversation around the damage, and what happens when you make that permanent digital footprint on the internet.”
Boardmember Christopher Lewine questioned the outside of school usage of phones, and if interacting with each other digitally versus of face to face: “I think we also need to teach kids to socialize with each other and not have their eyes down on their phones. Some of the advocacy we've heard is not just about kind of extreme fights or those kinds of things, or even just the anxiety that someone might be taking a picture of you. If everyone's on their phones at lunch, that sort of that anxiety can be very present. Even if it's not actually happening. I'm also kind of okay with the current policy as a step, but I'm very curious about hearing more about how kids are using phones outside of the classroom because I don't think that's as much a focus of this, and as we figure out what the next step is or isn't with education or other restrictions, it's not just a classroom attention but to me, it's that anxiety that we're feeling if everyone is just on their phones all the time outside of class.
"We're teaching the digital citizenship, but these are addictive devices with addictive properties that even as adults we struggle to to monitor. So is it fair to ask kids to make good choices in that context. I would just love to hear more about how how the in between class time is going with phone usage, and if this assembly and the education if we see decreases in number of kids on their phone and more kind of interacting socially in a human way, because if we don't, I'd be curious what it would take to help kids engage with each other here in the human kind of world and not always have the eyes down on the phone and in the social or in between times."
Boardmember Anthony countered that identification of what face to face interaction was acceptable by talking about the preference that his own 6th grader has with staying in the library to watch different specialized shows in his quest to become a sports announcer.
Boardmember Alena Kush wanted to hear from the students through data collected during the new policy. She asked Dr. Landahl: “When you do the data, can you do it also not just pulling those that got any type of discipline or got called out, but also track those that got called out maybe earlier, and then didn't get called out at all, later on in semester, and then the academic year. And then bring those students back in and say 'Well what happened. Was it a one-off that you got sent here?’
“Because you can manipulate data, I would be curious to see for the student who got caught maybe one or two times in like, September, and then maybe get them in January February. Just kind of meet up with them and say: 'Hey how's it going...You haven't been down here for pulling the phones out. How is it going?' And then maybe pull kids who haven't got called at all to see what's their perspective.
"One of the research [points] you said from talking to a Newburgh kid was like they kind of didn't want the phone and then when it was actually banned they were like: 'Oh, I don't really want it banned,' and then they kind of talked to them at the end of the year and it was like: 'It's actually helpful.' So we're going to pull data. We can pull it at different points with different students. And then I think when we sit here again, or we have to change something, we just have a well-rounded picture right of why we're making the change."
Changes In Code of Conduct As It Relates To Cell Phones
Dr. Landahl read the changes made to the Code of Conduct, which can be found in this document, highlighted in yellow. Not related to cell phone was a change to the Dress Code, which is the exclusion of sunglasses: “Sunglasses cannot be worn in school.”
As for cell phones, Dr. Landahl stated that there was an addition to Level II of the Infractions: "Refusal to put cell phone in designated areas directed by School Staff."
He explained: "We added a little bit of language for our Sexual Harassment that happens in school, connecting it with our policy. We added language, [and] I'll read the sentence: 'Creating or disseminating images or fake images of other students or staff that are vulgar, profane, obscene, harassing, threatening, or discriminatory.'"
Lastly, he addressed one addition to the List of Consequences: “The Consequence List has worked well for us. We've had the code for 5 years now. We added 'Removal of cell phone privileges.' Mr. Soltish and Mr. Dwyer spoke about that pretty extensively at the last meeting in terms of what that would be, but just to be clear: Parents would obviously be a part of this process, but it would be a student having to turn their phone into like to the Assistant Principal for a day, for 3 days, for 5 days. It would not be us holding the phone except during the school day. It wouldn't be us holding the phone at night or anything like that. The phone would be returned to the student at the end of the school day."
Student schedules and teacher assignments were dropped today by the Beacon City School District, and many kids were excited to receive the news. Those kids who have phones were already trying to log into the Portal and were checking Stories on social media of their friends to get the latest release.
When the schedule announcement went out, the text informed caregivers that the Parent Portal app was down, with a fix coming. Undeterred for what is one of the most anticipated days of the end of summer, students took to texting each other for alternative ways of finding the information, if they couldn’t see it in the Parent Portal App.
“Go to Safari!!” the kids texted to each other. The kids proved themselves resilient in the face of technology trouble and Mercury in Retrograde. Some went to the Safari browser on their phones to log in to the Parent Portal old style (https://powerschool.beaconk12.org/public/home.html).
In the time of “Pouch It” - ALBB’s term for the new partial ban on cell phones from the district that is very likely being voted in on Monday August 26th - the kids prove why it is important that they stay connected to each other - even if during a school day. Beacon Kids are Tech Savvy and Resilient! 📲📱🤳🏽
The Beacon Back 2 School Block Party from I Am Beacon is this Saturday, August 24, 2024 from 12-3pm. It is a time for excitement as kids and their caregivers get ready to go back to school. With the school schedules released on Friday, kids are abuzz with what classes they have when, and with whom. The Beacon Back 2 School Block Party is a great free way to connect with new and old friends outside.
Look for the Girl Scouts Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson, Cub Scouts Pack 1, Fl!p It 4 Life, Beacon Girls Soccer Booster Club, A Little Beacon Blog, Beacon Hood Chicken, City of Beacon Police Department, A-Sicka Foundation, The Beacon Players, Beacon City School District PTO Collaborative, Howland Chamber Music Circle, Hudson Valley Concierge Service, Safe Haven Animal Shelter & Wildlife Center, Highlands Current, NAMI- Mid-Hudson, Howland Library, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, Dutchess County Commission on Human Rights, NY Project Hope and more.
A Little Beacon Blog will be popping up for our Face Painting table! See you there!
Notable in the Press Release are the words “the female subject eventually admitted that the male,” which indicates that the girlfriend was hesitant to name her boyfriend as the stabber. The word “admitted” also carries associations of wrong-doing with it, which is a heavy implication for a victim to carry as they process what happened. A different word choice may have been better suited.
The Press Release Republished In Full:
“On August 17th, 2024 (a Saturday), Beacon Police responded to 31 Eliza Street for a call of a female who had been stabbed. Upon arrival, officers found a male and female subject, both later identified as being 16 years old. The female subject was bleeding from what appeared to be a stab wound to her leg. Officers attempted to detain the male subject who immediately resisted arrest and struck one of the officers in the face before being subdued.
“Upon investigation, the female subject eventually admitted that the male, who was her boyfriend, was the one who had stabbed her. Furthermore, a witness stated that the two had been involved in a physical altercation and video from inside the building showed the female cowering when the male approached her just before officers arrived.
“The male subject was charged with two counts of Assault in the Second Degree (D-Felonies), one count of Resisting Arrest (A-Misdemeanor) and one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree (A-Misdemeanor). He was arraigned and transported to a secure facility. The female subject was transported to the hospital by ambulance where she was treated for her injuries. The names of both subjects have been withheld due to their age.
“If you or someone you know is in need of immediate assistance with domestic violence, please call the Beacon Police Department at 845-831-4111. Additional resources for victims and their families can be found locally through the Family Services www.familyservicesny.org.”
From a press release issued by the Beacon Casefire Coalition:
Please join the Beacon Ceasefire Coalition for 2 events this weekend on Saturday (Kingston) and Sunday (Woodstock) as part of the Not Another Bomb campaign. Not Another Bomb is a national initiative started by the Uncommitted Movement to rally across the country for an arms embargo on Israel.
From the mission statement on the Not Another Bomb petition page: “We know that in order to achieve a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the U.S. must stop arming Israel’s war and occupation against Palestinians. That’s why we are calling for an immediate embargo on US arms to Israel. Join us in calling on presidential candidate Kamala Harris to distance herself from Biden’s disastrous policy of arming Israel’s ongoing genocide and occupation in Palestine. Not another bomb!”
This weekend's actions take place just before the Democratic National Convention (DNC), as a way to demand that our politicians in the current and upcoming administrations end the U.S.'s unlimited funding and arming of Israel's violent assault on Palestinians.
The cell phone policy for students in the classroom in the Beacon City School District.will be discussed at the Board of Education Meeting on Monday, August 19th, for a possible vote the following Monday on August 26th, Superintendent Landahl told district families via email this week.
“We have been working on strengthening our school/classroom cell phone policy, especially for middle and high school with the goal of enhancing our classroom learning environments,” Dr. Landahl wrote. “I will share the proposed policy changes at the Board of Education meeting on Monday, August 19th for a possible adoption at the Board of Education meeting on August 26th. Smartphones are a challenge for most of us, including me as an individual and a dad, and we also hope to share more this year with families and students about best practices for smartphone and social media use.”
Parents, caregivers and students have been debating a change in the cell phone policy amongst themselves in social media and in real life. People are encouraged to attend the meeting should they wish to voice their opinion during the Public Comment portion of the meeting.
When Kamala was announced as the candidate replacing Biden, Lisa Jessup, Chair of the Beacon Democrats said via Instagram: "Thank you, Joe Biden, for your leadership and service, and being the most effective and positively consequential President of our lifetime." To which a Beacon resident, Call.Me.Ella.Mar, responded: "Are we talking about the same president? Underwhelmed, once again, by our local dems."
The Beacon Democrats may be gearing up to host voter registration events around this city/town. The question is, at those events, and in their social media, will Beacon Democrats denounce the newest $20 Billion expenditure that the Biden/Kamala administration has authorized to Israel to continue bombing Palestine? According to Al Jazeera: “The Biden administration has approved sending $20B worth of arms to Israel, even as the US publicly calls for restraint in the war on Gaza. Israel has used advanced weaponry to obliterate most of Gaza’s infrastructure and kill tens of thousands of Palestinians.”
As Democrats demand more affordable health care for all, and continued Pre-K for all, would this money not be better spent on those issues? As Democrats call for gun control, why would sending arms that obliterate Palestinian citizens make sense?
Pictured here is a video of a rescue team “cutting into the skin, not out of choice, but necessity, trying to ‘save'' what’s left of a bombed body, dangling from the ruins of a once-safe home.”
Aren’t Beacon Democrats advocates for affordable and safe homes? Yet Israel plans to expand their territory into Palestine, as explained and illustrated in this Washington Post article, “Israel Is Redrawing the West Bank, Cutting Into A Prospective Palestinian State” using American money earmarked for Israel’s “self defense?”
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A podcast from A Little Beacon Blog. Your hosts: Katie Hellmuth martin & Brandon Lillard.
The City of Beacon entered into a contract with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley to provide increased access to Beacon tenants facing eviction. They may also be able to help with sources of rent arrears assistance. Call the paralegal, Steven Mihalik at 845-253-6953 to inquire.
Dutchess County Helpline. Open 24/7 to take your calls, listen, and give you resources.
