Things To Do 📅 7/12/2025
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Applications are open for the Rebuilding Together Hudson Valley program which grants qualifying people free critical home repairs necessary to maintain a safe and healthy living environment, including, but not limited to: major accessibility modifications; plumbing, heating, cooling, and electrical system repairs; stair, roof, porch and other critical structural repairs. Mobile homes are only eligible for accessibility ramps through this service.
Rebuilding Together Hudson Valley provides critical repairs, accessibility modifications and energy efficiency improvements for neighbors in need, including but not limited to seniors, persons living with disability, families with school-aged children, and active or retired armed services members. These services are provided at no cost to the homeowner.
One qualifying requirement is that the assessed full market value of the home must fall below a designated amount. Qualifying houses in Beacon may be difficult, as the market has increased assessed home values even for homes owned by elderly people. A Little Beacon Blog reached out to Rebuilding Together to see if there is talk of increasing or lifting that assessed value limit.
The application can be found online here. The application period is from June - September 2025 to find qualifying people for the 2026 repair season.
The application period for Veterans is year-round and can be found here.
The application period for the Handyman Service is year-round and can be found here.
Tito Santana Taqueria, days after a Dutchess County Board of Health inspection triggered a Beacon Building Department inspection, resulting in findings of structural damage deemed as “Unsafe Conditions” to floor joists in the basement due to wood-boring insects. The restaurant was ordered to cease by the Beacon Building Department until this violation was remedied by the property owner, Joseph Donovan and his wife, both of Lindley Todd, LLC,. After Tito’s fixed 5 violations that were there responsibility, and before the work to the floor joists started, the landlord Terminated Tito Santana’s lease with a 7 day order to vacate. a “For Lease” sign was up soon after asking for almost double the rent and showed the space to prospective new tenants.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth
When news first came in to A Little Beacon Blog about the unexpected closing of Tito Santana Taqueria, it began as a percolation. Multiple readers wrote in to ask if the rumors were true.
Readers had many questions: if Tito’s had closed; was it because of a health department violation that the landlord wouldn’t fix; were the employees getting paid; was it an issue with the flooring; did they spend time in court; were they evicted; was it closed forever.
ALBB requested and was granted an interview with Tito Santana’s owner, Milan, outside on a hot day in June over ice cold cans of ginger key lime soda. The meeting included reviewing photos of the property before this situation, the email sent by the landlord’s property manager, Sean Noble, to Tito Santana, terminating the lease, and other documents for a pending lawsuit that Tito Santana’s was serving the landlord Lindley Todd, LLC the following week.
Damage to the floor joists under 142 Main Street, formerly Tito Santana, from the wood-boring insects. Owned by Lindley Todd, LLC.
Photo Credit: Tito Santana
A routine surprise inspection by a Dutchess County Health Inspector of Tito Santana occurred on May 6, 2025, where the inspector found the fire panel to be not working properly. This finding triggered the City of Beacon Building Department to inspect the property, who cited 7 violations, which included significant structural damage to joists under the kitchen floor, due to wood-boring insects, according to the “Order To Remedy - Cease Operations” document obtained by ALBB via FOIA.
Specifically: “The floor joist, seen from the basement area, show evidence of severe deterioration due to wood-boring insects.” Additionally, the Order stated that a permit would be required to fix it: “An engineer evaluation of the flooring system is required prior to repair. Permit required for this work.”
The City of Beacon’s Building Department, under Beacon’s current Deputy Building Inspector Cory Wirthmann, thereby ordered the Cease Of Operations of the restaurant until the violations were fixed, but did not mandate that the lease be terminated, as the Beacon Building Department does not have the authority to dictate or interfere with the relationship between landlord and tenant. Tito Santana had 1 year remaining on their current lease, and for the past three years, had been in discussions for signing a new 9 year lease at a higher rate of $2,250 (current lease was less than that amount, Milan told ALBB).
Tito Santana had been asking the landlord for the past 3.5 years to fix the issues like flooding in the basement while working to secure the new lease. With promises of a future extended lease and repairs made to the building, Lindley Todd, LLC told Tito's to pay the higher rent amount of $2,250 than the current lease, which Tito’s did.
Flooding in the basement cellar of 142 Main Street, where Tito Santana’s was. The restaurant owner told ALBB that flooding was a regular occurrence, and not fixed by the property owner, Lindley Todd, LLC. The new rent listing boasts of: “significant basement storage.”
Photo Credit: Tito Santana
Flooding at 142 Main Street, formerly Tito Santana, that would include sewage. The restaurant owner told ALBB that his requests of the property owner, Lindley Todd, LLC to fix it were repeatedly not completed.
Photo Credit: Tito Santana
“Tito's had been paying the higher rent amount for the past 3 years with no signed new contract. Just the original contract we are in now that I inherited when I bought the business that has the lower rate written in,” Milan said. “This was advantageous to Lindley Todd, LLC because we were safe in that we had an active lease, but as he tempted me with the new 9 year lease and promises to fix major problems, wanted me to pay the higher rent amount that would be on our future 9 year lease,” Milan confirmed. “But that day never came. He terminated my lease by email one afternoon after the Beacon Building Department and Dutchess County Health Department cited him on violations, 5 of which I remedied, the 6th of which was dependent upon his structural fix. My lease ended swiftly in termination.”
The picture above shows water overflowing in the bucket from a leak. The basement flooding was reoccurring. The video shows water coming out of the wall. Backflows from pipes result in all the buildings sewage coming into the basement, Milan explained.
Tito Santana fixed 5 violations that were their responsibility, with the 6th needing to wait until the floor was repaired. That violation - the 7th and largest violation of the floor joists - resided with Lindley Todd, LLC, Milan told ALBB. "Structural repair is the landlord's responsibility in 99% of the commercial leases and so it was in our lease,” he said. “Everything else is tenant's responsibility for the most part."
Regarding the violations: “Six were my violations. He made me fix and spend the money on his property. Telling me that he's going to fix the structural issues, like the constant flooding in the basement, and then I would have a new lease. The 6 violations fall under my responsibility. I fixed 5 of them (for the 6th, I was waiting on the floor to be repaired by him). And then he sent me the termination. He made me spend the money to fix his place, and then took the place away from me. What is the point of the lease anyway?”
The lease termination email was sent on May 21, 2025 by Property Manager Sean Noble, which mentions New York State’s Good Cause Eviction Law. Sean’s email explaining the termination reads as follows:
Milan,
Thanks for your patience as you've been waiting for a time to meet with Joe and me to discuss the repairs needed to clear the violations issued by the City of Beacon. While we had intended to meet to go over next steps, Joe has made the decision to move forward with terminating the lease. This decision was based on the terms outlined in the "Fire/Damage" clause of your lease, which gives the landlord the sole right to determine whether the premises are usable due to fire or other damage. In this case, Joe has determined that the premises are not usable in their current condition and has chosen to exercise his option to terminate the lease rather than proceed with repairs.
Attached to this email, you will find the official Notice of Termination. I know this is disappointing news, especially given your willingness to move forward with resolving the violations.
However, it was the City of Beacon Building Department who ordered that the restaurant cease operations until the structural violation was fixed and reviewed by an engineer, in “Violation 305.1.1 - Unsafe conditions. Code Reference: 2020 Property Maintenance Code of New York State November 2019.” The City of Beacon Building Department had no authority to terminate the lease, and did not order such. All violations are listed below in this article.
Lindley Todd’s representative and family member Nick Page, was seen showing the property days later to potential new tenants in the restaurant industry.
After the termination, the property was listed on the market on LoopNet for $4,000/month, which is 43% higher than what Tito Santana was paying, and without the 7th violation of the wood-boring insect damaged floor joists fixed, or the reason for the constant flooding.
The new property listing boasts of “significant basement storage,” but the basement was still prone to flooding.
“He wanted me out, so I moved out,” Milan said. “He only gave me 7 days to move out. On a restaurant that has been there 15 years. Fast forward a couple weeks, he is trying to lease the space for at least $4,000. Almost twice my rent. I find this baffling.”
The “For Lease” sign up at 142 Main Street, former home of Tito Santana days after Tito Santana was served a termination email on their lease, citing that repairs needed to be made.
After the restaurant closed and people started asking questions, on May 31st 2025, ALBB reached out to the landlord, Joseph Donovan of Lindley Todd, LLC with a list of questions about the types of repairs needed. By June 4th he responded: “Yes, my wife and I are the principals of Lindley Todd, LLC, the property owner. A collection of events led to a detailed inspection of the store and cellar (by the health dept, and bldg. inspector, and ourselves) and the realization that extensive repairs were needed … the scope not feasible with continued occupancy of the retail/restaurant space.”
Tito Santana was started 14 years ago by Kamel Jamal, a restaurateur who has started and owns and co-owns several eateries on Main Street in Beacon. He sold Tito Santana’s to the current owner, Milan, 3.5 years ago in January 2022.
Of the 7 violations, Tito Santana fixed 5 of them that were their responsibility, Milan said. They had already moved necessary items out so that Lindley Todd, LLC could do work on the 7th violation involving the basement and kitchen floor damage from the wood-boring insects, as well as a plumbing issue.
“I moved everything for the kitchen floor. I already took stuff from the kitchen to storage. I would have moved more to storage to fix whatever he needed. We were preparing ourselves for the busy summer season, so had purchased food and drinks. I had to throw away $30,000 worth of food and drinks (cost with receipts, not retail value) when he terminated the lease with 7 days notice and mandated that the space be left in ‘broom clean condition’.”
According to the “Order to Remedy - Cease Operations,” the violations were as follows.
2020 Fire Code of New York State November 2019: "The commercial kitchen exhaust hood and fire suppression system was overdue for the 6 month inspection and cleaning. Expired May 1, 2025"
Power supply: "Behind the front counter there were several multi-plug adapters plugged into each other and not plugged directly into a wall receptacle."
Unapproved conditions: "In the kitchen area there was a 2 gang floor receptacle that was not properly secured to the wall and the cover plate was not secure to the box, exposing the wires on the inside."
Plumbing system hazards: "The DWV vent, an Air Admittance Valve, was located within the umbrella of the kitchen hood at a close proximity to the range top. Physical damage to the pipe has occurred due to radiant heat exposure."
Clearance from ignition sources: "The commercial range located under the Type 1 hood is mounted above a wood dolly cart. The wood dolly is a combustible material that is located too close to an ignition source."
Extension cords: "An extension cord is being used to power a large walk-in cooler outdoors. Extension cord is (1) not protected from physical damage (2) affixed permanently to the building (3) is routed through a door to the outside (4) is plugged into several multi-plug adapters."
This was the largest structural violation that the Beacon Building Department required the property owner, Lindley Todd, LLC to fix:
This violation was identified as "Unsafe Conditions": "The floor joist, seen from the basement area, show evidence of severe deterioration due to wood-boring insects. An engineer evaluation of the flooring system is required prior to repair. Permit required for this work."
Violation: 305.1.1 - Unsafe conditions.
Code Reference: 2020 Property Maintenance Code of New York State November 2019
Description: The following conditions shall be determined as unsafe and shall be repaired or replaced to comply with the Building Code of New York State or the Existing Building Code of New York State as required for existing buildings as required for existing buildings, or the Residential Code of New York State as applicable:
1. The nominal strength of any structural member is exceeded by nominal loads, the load effects or the required strength.
2. The anchorage of the floor or roof to walls or columns, and of walls and columns to foundations is not capable of resisting all nominal loads or load effects.
3. Structures or components thereof that have reached their limit state.
4. Structural members are incapable of supporting nominal loads and load effects. 5. Stairs, landings, balconies and all similar walking surfaces, including guards and handrails, are not structurally sound, not properly anchored or are anchored with connections not capable of supporting all nominal loads and resisting all load effects.
6. Foundation systems that are not firmly supported by footings are not plumb and free from open cracks and breaks, are not properly anchored or are not capable of supporting all nominal loads and resisting all load effects.
Exceptions: 1. Where substantiated otherwise by an approved method. 2. Demolition of unsafe conditions shall be permitted where approved by the building official.
The reason Lindley Todd, LLC stated in an email terminating the lease, which was emailed by the property manager Sean Noble to Milan, invoked the “Fire/Damage Clause.” But there was no fire or damage from a fire.
There a faulty fire panel, which triggered this cascade of intervention. But this wasn’t the first time the fire panel didn’t work, Tito Santana told ALBB. Multiple issues had been wrong and gone unrepaired for some time, despite numerous requests to fix, and spoken promises to deliver, Tito Santana told ALBB. Several of those exchanges are in emails between the two.
"It's brutal to do something like this to anybody," Milan told ALBB. He had 6-7 employees who worked in the kitchen and in the front serving customers. “I was willing to move out for him to fix the place. He just handed me a termination.”
A boiler inspection log at 142 Main Street, with the last inspection date being 5/12/2015.
Photo Credit: Tito Santana
Milan hired an attorney who began correspondence with Lindley Todd, LLC to discuss how to move forward without ending the business. “They never responded to us on anything. Just to have a conversation,” Milan said. “Probably this week we will end up in court. We have to file a lawsuit. They are not responding. I can't do anything if they don't say anything to me.”
While these violations existed prior to this situation, and business ran as usual, the fire panel worked during other surprise inspections. This time however: “They got caught,” Tito Santana told ALBB. “The City of Beacon Building Department report says what the Dutchess County Health Department saw. Lindley Todd, LLC was made aware of the fire panel issues and other issues in the building for 3 years and never fixed them. They never fix the property.”
There was one fix, however. A Beacon Police Officer Affdecrin Oscar Vargas fell on the stairs that zig-zag up the side of the building when responding to a call. Officer Vargas brought a lawsuit against Lindley Todd, LLC in November 2020 that ended in a settlement on March 22, 2022.
After the lawsuit settlement, on May 19th, 2022, Michael Schreiber, Chief Financial Officer of Hudson River Housing, the company who manages the affordable housing of the properties, emailed Milan to let him know of planned work to the stairs that Officer Vargas fell on. “Regarding the staircase,” Michael wrote, “I just want to let you know, that we will be doing something to patch the top, that is getting worse. We are afraid that it is deteriorating much quicker now, so will be doing something after the weekend to address it.”
Milan went to look for any permit on that exterior work done. “I did a FOIA request for any permits received for the property since 2016. No permits were produced in that FOIA request, indicating they never got permits.”
Joseph Donovan owns multiple properties on that west end of town under different business names, including the buildings that contain Bank Square Coffeehouse, Mountain Tops, Colorant, and Beacon Creamery. Under one of their other business names, Hudson Todd, LLC, they are currently building the large commercial/residential building at 2 Cross Street where the sidewalk on Main Street has been extended with the jersey barriers to accommodate the construction.
Most of the properties are not newly renovated. With the exception of Colorant, which was renovated years ago after Joe Donovan required then tenant Miss Vickie’s Music to vacate her Main Street studio while they renovated that property so that a new storefront could move in. Colorant is there now.
Miss Vickie’s Music studio had been the tenant for years, all the way back to when the Piccone family owned most of that property. The Donovan family then purchased most of that property. The companies of Joe Donovan completed in one of the largest property deals in Beacon around April 2017.
When Donovan’s company wanted Miss Vickie out, they moved her down Main Street a few blocks in the then worn down apartments behind Mr. Bell’s Salon, until Mr. Bell’s salon completely burned down near the time that one of Joe Donovan’s companies was selling that property to the current owners, 201-211 Main Street, LLC in July 2023. The fire happened in between the time of their transaction.
The new owners then evicted Mr. Bell and the shoe cobbler John’s Shoe Repair with a 3 days to vacate, citing the Fire Damage clause in their lease. Those new owners posted a notice on the plywood boards titled “Three Day Notice To Cancel Lease,” signed by Lendita Mavraj, Manager of 201-211 Main Street, LLC. After those new owners renovated those storefronts, other beauty salons moved in. B Hair Studio is there now.
Miss Vickie was again evicted, as the new owners cited smoke damage to those apartments in the back. All of Miss Vickie’s neighbors, who included an elderly Veteran, were evicted. That entire property has since been renovated and rent increased. Joe Donovan absorbed his old cobbler tenant into the apartment complex behind Colorant, who remains there to this day.
If you don’t know Miss Vickie, she can be seen outside of the Towne Crier sweeping the sidewalk, shoveling the sidewalk, working the sound board inside, and other duties.
THe Piccone Family sold the Joe Donovan family several properties in 2017. Ronald “Jamie” Piccone is on the Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency board who awarded Donovan’s company Hudson ToDD $249,745 in a Sales Tax and Mortgage Tax Exemption for 2 Cross Street new construction. During this application review, no Conflicts of Interest were stated when asked.
Back at the new construction for the large building at 2 Cross Street, another one of Joe Donovan’s companies, Hudson Todd, LLC, applied for and was awarded $249,745 in Sales and Use Tax Exemption and Mortgage Tax Exemption for an approximately $10,384,302 project for the construction of a 24,000 square foot mixed-use commercial facility with affordable residential housing from Dutchess County Industrial Development Agency (DCIDA).
On that board is a Piccone family member, Rondald “Jamie” Piccone II. The Piccone family is who sold Donovan the property where Tito Santana’s and Miss Vickie’s were located.
During the Conflict of Interest portion of the DCIDA application review meeting that ALBB reviewed the document of, no Conflict of Interests were stated: “Chairman Dean asked board members if they had any potential conflicts with any items on the agenda. No potential conflict was noted,” the notes stated.
2 Cross Street has vacillated between the number of affordable units it is offering, as state funding shifted (March 2023), (May 2024), and (June 2024).
As of 3:35pm on July 7, 2025, Joe Donovan’s property manager, Sean Noble of Lindley Todd, LLC was served with a lawsuit from Tito Santana alleging a Breach of Lease Agreement, Negligence, and Unjust Enrichment.
City of Beacon Permit for 142 Main Street dated 6/20/2025 - 6/20/2027 after the May 2nd violation notice from the City of Beacon Building Department.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth
On July 10, 2025, ALBB reached out to Joe Donovan of Lindley Todd, LLC for comment on the lawsuit, and his thoughts on why his decision to “exercise his option to terminate the lease rather than proceed with repairs” made sense, when his company was showing the property to interested new tenants in the restaurant industry just days later at a 43% rent increase.
A new permit is up in the window now, and ALBB asked what the repairs were for, if the landlord’s termination email stated that he would “rather terminate than proceed with repairs.”
Editorial Update 4:45pm 7/11/2025: After this article published, Joe responded: “We looked for ways to perform all of the required work without displacing the tenant, but it just wasn’t feasible. A lot of complexities. Happy to discuss in person if you’d like. There is paper up on the windows but none on the door. If you take a look at what’s going on inside you’ll understand why the space could not be occupied during the required ‘repairs’.”
ALBB responded: “Thank you. Ceasing operation of the restaurant tenant was required by the Order to Remedy. What question remains unanswered is the need for the termination of the lease during the required "repairs.” And the following swift search for a new tenant during "repairs." Any comment as to that?”
How far will this lawsuit go? “Justice costs money,” Milan told ALBB. “But I'm not going to go bankrupt.”
Tito Santana has started a GoFundMe, and is selling their equipment. “If anyone is looking to open a new restaurant - we would be happy to support them. Or if anyone wants to buy for their current operations.”
Milan concluded: “I just want it out there. Anyone who rents will know. That is my mission. To let everyone know that this is what this person does. I don't tell anyone what to do. These are the facts. You make the decision.”
The journal nook at Stanza Books in Beacon on Main Street.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth
As an avid journaler, I go through a journal a month at least. I journal every morning, and sometimes throughout the day, if things get extra sticky and need sorting. Thoughts need to be caught and captured on paper. The journals are like my best friend.
Paper is a very important component in journaling. Sometimes paper can be too thin; too slick; not lined. While several shops in Beacon carry journals, finding just the right one has been difficult. Therefore, I drive up to Barnes & Noble in Poughkeepsie, walk into the store, say hello to new books at the door, soak up the long magazine rack in the back under the escalators, sometimes ride the escalator up to second floor to walk past the Kids toy section, check on the Recipe book section, and then circle back down to the Journal section, where there are several styles of journals with usually dependable slices of lined-paper inside that are not too thin, not too see-through, usually cream, and feel just right.
The covers are the next component that have so far not been debatable. With so many words going into the journal, I like my covers plain, with no words telling me what to do or think. Even if they are very encouraging words. So Barnes & Noble has been my place to go for these things.
Until I took myself on a Walk To Nowhere last July 4th weekend. I walked all the way down Main Street - the full mile - and found myself at Stanza Books, 508 Main Street Beacon, NY. A bookstore that has been in Beacon for some time, but I just haven’t stepped inside yet.
Upon first walking in - there they were. All of my journal friends. The nook of journals was at the front of the store, with jars of colorful pens that I’ve not tried yet (one thing at a time…can’t go too wild). There was the Mushrooms In The Moonlight journal, with the silver moonlight glazing the evergreen trees. There was the other Midnight Mushroom journal with the vibrant orange and red variations. New journals were there, like the Gilded Rose With Honeybee, and Simple Wildflower.
These are names I made up for all of them, but you see the attachment. I’ve accepted that I’ll need to buy some of these journals on repeat, if there’s not a new one to catch my mood for that journal season.
But here they were. In Beacon on Main Street. At Stanza Books. With loads of other books of course. Next time I go in, I’ll need to pretend that I’m having a really hard time deciding which journal to buy, just to stay in there longer. Wanting to return soon, I was half-way through a murder mystery book my friend gave to me, and I hurried home to finish it that weekend while others watched the fireworks, so that I could finish the next book on my night stand, and then buy a new book at Stanza. And a journal of course.
Pictures below.
ICE Sighting in Newburgh at the intersection of Bankard + South Lander, which is a residential area. Ice reported to be moving “very fast” and was later seen on Washington + Liberty.
Sources have verified that ICE is active this Tuesday morning (7/8/2025) in Newburgh and are moving “very fast.” This photo of two men with traditional tan ICE vests on and ball caps, who are standing next to a white passenger van, is at the intersection of Bankard and South Lander.
This area is primarily residential apartments and townhouses. The blue building in the background is the Continental, an old hotel that is no longer in business, a source tells ALBB. One block over is Big Mouth Coffee Roasters, where the coffee roaster has a second location (they also have a retail location on Main Street in Beacon). They are unrelated to this ICE Alert, but mentioned for proximity.
ICE was also seen this morning at the intersection of Liberty and Washington which is a mix of retail shops and restaurants and apartments.
On July 1st, there was verification of a person taken from a residential urban street in Middletown. If you know of other verified locations and dates of people taken that you want to amplify, you may submit information to ALBB via our Contact Us page.
ICE Activity tends to happen in the morning between 5-8am and again at the end of the work day from 5-8pm. On Sundays, they are known to target churches at 12pm noon time. In Beacon, they struck on Soccer Saturday morning. Video was acquired of an ICE agent identifying himself. Both adult players of pickup soccer were wary, and parents of toddler soccer were on high alert.
Community members are encouraged to keep their eyes out for ICE, and report to their trusted sources. When possible and safe, take photos of ICE agents, their vehicles and license plates. Some ICE agents may be very proud of their work, and may proudly identify themselves to you if you nicely approach them to ask who they are, like this mom did. New York State has a “one-party consent law.” If you are the one consenting, you can record.
Some members of the Beacon community have formed a Signal chat, where photos of possible sightings are submitted and dismissed if they are regular people doing regular things.
Reports of vehicles have included white passenger vans, and dark vehicles with all tinted windows. License plates usually look like normal license plates. ICE agents have usually been white men, but white females have been appearing in ICE raid videos across the country as well.
ICE agents (or people who say they are ICE agents) are usually not affiliated with local police. If you feel threatened or harassed by a person identifying themselves as ICE, you can call your local Beacon Police, and tell them that a person won’t leave you alone, is harassing and stalking you.
If someone comes to your door, looking for you, you are strongly advised not to open the door. Do not run from your home. Stay inside and call your local trusted community member friends. They may be able to mobilize and come to your home to be a loud witness presence outside near the ICE people.
Possibly local police, depending on what municipality you live in. Consider calling the Beacon Police via 911 so that it gets on the public scanner. If you call the Beacon Police directly, your call will not be on the scanner.
Demand to see a judicial warrant. If they have one, tell them to slip it under the door. From there, the judicial warrant must be signed by a judge. If it is signed by a person saying their are an ICE agent, this does not count. If you flee out of your home, the person saying they are ICE may physically grab you without presenting a warrant.
Keep your camera near you and on video at all times. While it is very scary to have someone pounding on your door asking you questions on repeat, stay calm and make your safety phone calls.
Related Links:
How To Verify A Person Circling A Neighborhood Who May Be ICE (How-To Video)
ICE Has Been Questioning Brown People In Beacon At Least 1.5 Months; At Least One Other Person Taken
Details From The Friday, June 20th ICE Raid In Beacon & The Taking Of The Neighbor
Stay safe everyone.
The restrooms in Rite Aid were commonly used by the public on Main Street. Now where will the people go?
Photo Credit: Top 2 slides are from Kekoa Beysa; Photo of Bathrooms by Katie Hellmuth
The public restrooms in Rite Aid on Main Street were an unofficial public restroom for all of Beacon. In addition to the Beacon Public Library, there are very few places to use the bathroom on Main Street. While there is a bathroom at Pohill Park at the Visitor’s Center on the tip of the west end of Main Street, this is not accessible by anyone actively participating on any part of Main Street outside of the first block who is on foot.
The sign at Solstad House saying that people can use their bathroom.
As the need to go to the bathroom increases, the burden continues to fall heavily on the businesses on Main Street, who already had issues with limiting the public’s access to their facilities. Several establishments have new signs up, barring people from coming in to use the bathroom.
One boutique who does allow people in - as well as dogs - is Solstad House, on Beacon’s east end near the mountain.
During last year’s Beacon High School Student Participatory Budget presentation on 12/2/2024, a partnership between the City of Beacon and the Beacon High School that has resulted in significant infrastructure improvements like needed upgrades to the basketball court at Loopers, one student, Kekoa Baysa pressed for public restrooms to be installed on Main Street.
Kekoa acknowledged that there were already permanent restrooms in Memorial Park and Green Street Park, and wanted restrooms installed on Main Street in a spotlit way. For years, the bathrooms at Memorial Park and Green Street Park existed but were closed, citing vandalism. After a muraling project made them more attractive, and a cleaning company contracted to clean them regularly (instead of relying on the Beacon Highway Department to clean them) under the direction of City Administrator Chris White, the bathrooms in the parks have remained open since then.
A new permanent bathroom is being installed now at South Avenue Park, near Loopers Basketball court and the tennis court, as infrastructure improvements received funding and started in spring. This will be a relief to Sal’s Pizza, who serves as the primary public restroom for kids playing down at the basketball court.
However, when discussing the public bathroom on Main Street at the following City Council Workshop (12/9/2025), City Administrator Chris acknowledged that it was useful, but indicated no priority in building one. Instead, he said one could perhaps be built in a future “pocket park” at the DMV property, if a building were to get built there. As there are no active plans moving forward to develop that property, the vision of a restroom there is distant. “We had talked some years ago about converting Veterans Place or somewhere else into pocket parks. We've talked a little bit about a pocket park at the DMV building if we build a new building there. So I I would see it being done in the context of of something like that,” he advised the City Council.
He recollected: “We almost advanced with the Veterans Place when [James] Skoufis was going to get us money, and then our his district didn't end up including Beacon.” Instead, City Administrator White proposed signage to better direct people to the bathroom in the Visitor’s Center, all the way down on Wolcott Avenue and Main Street.
Signage for that has not materialized. Can people hold it long enough for a new building to be built at the DMV parking lot? Or walk the mile or half mile down to the Visitor’s Center?
The empty “Stress & Mood” section at Beacon’s Rite Aid speaks volumes for today’s status of the world.
Within the 15 years in Beacon that A Little Beacon Blog has been publishing, we, the readership community, watched the 2014 renovation of Rite Aid, whose sliding doors and big isles increased accessibility to people in wheelchairs, with strollers, pushing walkers, and anyone who needed extra help through a door.
Now we are watching the demise of Rite Aid. Situated in one of the largest properties on Main Street, while at least four other large properties are for sale (3 of the old firehouses and the Beacon Hotel).
One of the largest destinations for the snack isle, makeup isle, cold and allergy remedies, nail bar, contact solution, and shoplifting is coming to end.
The empty “With Us It’s Personal” inside of Beacon’s Rite Aid feels ironic in this real estate.
Not to mention the unofficial public bathroom destination in Beacon.
Here’s what it is looking like inside in its final days.
With mostly nothing on the shelves anymore, there are only messages in the shelving.
The “Stress & Mood” section is empty.
The “With Us It’s Personal” section is empty.
If you have captions for those, write them in the Comments below.
Two new foodies are opening in the Hudson Valley Food Hall: Taco Al Dente and Oui Oui HV. The Food Hall has become a known incubator destination for eateries who are opening for the first time on Main Street. Except Five Pennies Creamery, the homemade ice-cream company who was based in Rockville Centre, NY and relocated to Beacon, NY.
Momo Valley, the Himalayan spice momo eatery was one of the first to branch out when they moved out and into 455 Main Street, the old Joe’s Irish Pub when that building that was sold by an elder Beacon resident to a new real estate company based out of town. In the Food Hall, Momo Valley was replaced by Morish, who moved out relatively soon to open in the old Big Vinny’s Pizza spot near b Hair Studio.
Another brand to expand was Elixxr, the coffee company who makes their own almond milk. Elixxr moved just down the block into a former real estate office that they renovated into the Instagram-delicious little café filled with nourishing ingredients.
Dulce Cielo MX was the Mexican eatery in the back of the Food Hall who left this year as they make moves to expand. They left behind the gorgeous mural of Frida Khalo they had custom painted by Murals by Mare. Replacing them is Taco Al Dente, a spot by Bivona’s Simply Pasta who specializes in hand-rolled pastas and now handmade tortillas for the tacos.
Oui Oui HV will move into the old Morish spot. Oui Oui HV used to be a Business Directory Member at A Little Beacon Blog in the Catering section until they invested in a food truck and took to the road. Now it looks like they are putting down pins in the Food Hall and plan to open in a month. “This move has been on our to-do list for 4 years, since we moved to Beacon. We are SUPER excited!” Their official open date will be announced soon. Until then, look for them as they set up the space.
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Days after announcing their Reader’s Choice award of Best Specialty Food Shop In The Hudson Valley by Hudson Valley Magazine, Stella’s Fine Market next announced that they were closing by the end of of the month, citing an unsustainable rent increase.
“I didn’t want to end our stay on Main Street,” said owner Nikki Hayes to her Instagram audience, “but our rent increase became something I simply couldn’t afford any longer. But I’m choosing to see this as a blessing in disguise.”
Nikki’s husband, Adam. Photo Credit: Stella’s Fine Market
The closure announcement was contained in a post featuring Nikki and her daughter, Stella. On posts like this, the reader holds their breath a little, because posts like that are either re-introduction posts, or bad news. It was the latter: “I’ve been dreading writing this post…We will be closing Stella’s at the end of this month. It’s hard to put into words what this little shop has meant to me all these years & what you have meant to me.”
Stella’s Fine Market was known for tightly curated ingredients, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages that Nikki used in her everyday life.
“If you’ve ever appreciated what I built here, maybe some, almost 5,000 of you! who are following can help me find the perfect next step. I’m looking ahead with excitement and intention. I’m ready to bring everything I’ve learned curating emerging brands, building customer trust, and spotting what’s next in food and drink to a bigger platform. With a background in procurement, merchandising, packaging design and deep knowledge of the non-alcoholic space. I’d love to work with a brand that shares my values and building community through great products. I’m not rushing into the next thing I’m waiting for the right thing. The kind of role where I can keep doing this work I love, with impact and integrity, just on a larger scale.”
All photos of Matt Hutchins are from his Instagram, @buttermilkjack.
Matt Hutchins was a game-changing culinary icon during a time of culinary renaissance that defined Beacon. That time period could be likened to when DIA:Beacon opened in the old Nabisco box printing factory and changed the trajectory of Beacon’s art and design scene. Matt, known as Matty to friends, passed away Saturday June 28, 2025 at age 51.
ALBB did not know him personally, but he regularly appeared as the chef in several new restaurant openings, so he was often in our articles. Regional food magazines are most likely going to devote a few pages to this culinary creative. Matt presented as: “A dreamer, chef, musician, vintage and vinyl enthusiast, forager, and earnest knucklehead,” reads his Instagram. A graduate of the Culinary Institute, he was also from the south.
He first appeared on ALBB’s radar when he was part of the opening of The Hop. Says beverage industry veteran and Beacon resident, Lynnette Marrero in Imbibe who designed cocktails for The Hop: “When a local beer bar called The Hop opened in 2012, things started to change. It really opened the local scene to craft, even evolving to have a small cocktail menu.” Food-wise, it was described as “country French with Southern inflection” at Upstater.
Prior to The Hop, in 2010, Matt was chosen as the chef for Birdsall House.
When The Hop announced its unexpected closure in October 2016, local journalist Brian Cronin of the Highlands Current declared: “It was the social-media equivalent of an earthquake on the east end of Beacon’s Main Street.” ALBB wrote about it here. The team at The Hop went on to create other establishments, like bar manager and former dolly grip in LA, John-Anthony Gargiulo, who opened Hudson Valley Brewery. Others went to newly formed Melzingah’s.
From January - April 2017, Matt was the first executive chef for the opening of the renovated Beacon Hotel (revisit that history and major renovation here). Beacon Hotel Restaurant ended and became Carter’s owned by Chef Jon Lombardi.
When Mama Roux opened at 96 Broadway in Newburgh in November 2019, Matt described the flavor as: “deep South with some Cajun influences, Creole, and country French” in the Times Hudson Valley.
By at least December 2022, Matt snuggled into Dogwood, formerly owned by George Mansfield (retired and current City Councilmember), which he sold to become what is now Cooper’s.
At the Dogwood, Matt’s menu was wide-ranging: “@buttermilkjack (aka chef Matt Hutchins) is rolling out his new expanded Dogwood menu tonight. there really is something for everyone now, so what are you waiting for? come on out to @dogwoodbeacon for some of what has now got to be the best bar food in town.”
Matt continued on at Quinn’s, which is owned by Yukie and Tom Schmitz since 2013, and where George Mansfield can be seen again (George was once a partner, as have been some others, but Yukie and Tom are the sole owners at present, Yukie told ALBB). Matt spread out musically.
In October 2024, Matt was part of the opening of the new-ownership version of Untouchable in Newburgh at 40 Liberty Street. The owners of Quinn’s set their sights on this dive bar. Yukie recalled to ALBB: “Thanks again for writing about Matt who was a wonderful human being and a big part of our community. We all will miss him for a long time.” Yukie let ALBB know that he also helped them open Untouchable in Newburgh last year. “Matty was a huge part of it. I miss him being behind the bar. It was such a fun moment.” Menu items included a French Taco (chicken and Gruyere cheese) and Le Smash (double smash burger).
Matt Hutchins behind the newly opened restaurant bar, Untouchable, in Newburgh.
PHoto credit: Yukie Schmitz.
Local friends have been mourning and expressing their unexpected grief. Yukie published in her Instagram with a picture of Matt in an airport: “A dear friend whom I treated like family. They helped me out at work and they helped me out a lot. This picture is of him just arriving at Narita Airport. He was always the one at the center of the circle. Until recently, I'm filled with unheard thoughts from many people that he cherished his memories in Japan.”
Food photographer Meghan Spiro said in her Instagram: “Sometimes we crossed paths in business while I captured your dishes, but more often, we found ourselves late night at Quinn’s - catching up on each of our hopes and dreams, reminiscing on southern family recipes, and encouraging each other to always be better humans.
Food photographer and painter Meghan Spiro responds to Matt Hutchin’s passing.
“I can’t believe you’re gone, Matt. I just saw you and said ‘see you later’ and not goodbye. I’m not ready. I thought we had more laughs, more collaborations.
“You were a maverick in the community and put Beacon on the map as a culinary destination over a decade ago. You packed so much flavor in your life and your food and your music. The force was always strong with you.
“You have a whole community in mourning. None of us were ready.”
Since ALBB posted the verification video of the ICE person on North Elm and Wilkes in Beacon last Saturday, “ICE Spotted Again In Beacon On Soccer Saturday - "Community Is Watching," Neighbor States (With Video)” people have asked a few questions:
“How do I verify ICE?”
“Can I film them?”
“Can I go up to a car to ask them who they are?”
Yes you can. To all of these questions. Katie made this video for you, walking you through how to gently approach a vehicle or person who you think is stalking a neighborhood, house or street. Your goal would be to see if they identify themselves as being with ICE, and what kind of work they are doing here.
If you see a vehicle - or a person walking - who you think is ICE - you could nicely approach them to ask: “Hi…What’s going on here? Can you tell me what you’re doing?”
In Beacon, they have been spotted wearing:
Tan vests on that say POLICE or a blue jacket that says FBI.
All black (black shirt, black pants) and a black cap with sunglasses. May have something hanging in a covered holster from their waist.
Their cars won’t always say ICE on them, but ALBB is currently pursuing a lead where such a vehicle was seen near North Walnut Street (if you have any tips, please send them in). Usually these vehicles have been unmarked with all tinted windows.
This video gives suggestions on how to get verification of an ICE person. Once you get that verification - with video if you can - think about who you will share that video with. A trusted journalist source, your local ICE watch group, the City of Beacon Police, or a trusted source of yours who will know what to do with it.
The Mayor of Beacon, Lee Kyriacou, reaffirmed the City’s commitment to being a safe and inclusive city, with this statement after the person taken on June 20th from a neighbor’s backyard was made public: “I want to make clear that at no time leading up to this incident did City staff, including our Police Department, have any notice of or involvement in ICE operations. As a City, we remain committed to our safe, inclusive community policy, to preserving rights enshrined in the U.S. Constitution, and to avoiding any policies which engender fear among law-abiding families.” Click here for his full statement.
This was a swift City Council Meeting the night of June 2, 2025, but a few Gold Nuggets emerged. Those are covered in this video recap, highlighted in brief in bullets below:
The Department of Homeland Security List that Beacon was on regarding immigration. Read more about that here.
The Loitering Law and marijuana after New York State de-criminalized it.
Councilperson Jeff Domanski bringing up Community Choice Aggregation again (the low price green energy deal that did save Beacon customers money that Jeff was connected to but it fell apart the first time after energy prices went up at the start of the war on Ukraine. The program is back for another go).
The so far undisclosed sale price or bidder for the Mase Hook and Ladder Fire House.
Speculation of what is in the “Personal” section of the private Executive Session when the agenda said there would only be discussion of “Real Property.” We do know that there were recently at least 2 suspensions in the Highway Department: Reuben Simmons and another person.
💜🤍💜 F R EE 😎🕶️ sunglasses giveaway!
💜💟💜 gafas de sol G R A T I S 😎🕶️!
CareFull MD, Beacon’s first walk-in clinic urgent care is giving away sunglasses in Kids and Adult sizes.
You may have seen the flyer in elementary school kid’s folders or in the ad in the Beacon Free Press or here at A Little Beacon Blog. When you’re getting groceries - or any time or just to say “hi” to see what the spacious waiting room looks and feels like in CareFull MD’s air conditioning - come in for a pair of sunglasses. It’s CareFull MD’s housewarming gift to the community. 🤗
Open 10am-8pm Daily. Any day!
Located next to Key Food grocery store.
According to neighbors in Beacon who are residents and employees in Beacon, ICE has been circling the backroads of Beacon and Main Street for at least 1.5 months, questioning people. At least one other person was taken in that time, ALBB was told by people familiar with the situation.
A resident who is Brown in the Spanish community who lives in the backroads of Beacon told ALBB that a white men dressed in the tan vest with yellow POLICE patch on it, wearing a ball cap and large sunglasses, approached them at their home, asking if a woman with a Spanish name (they identified the name) lived in their home. The white man pursued questioning the Beacon resident, asking more than once if the woman lived there, and did the resident know where she was. The resident declined each time saying they did not know her. The white man with the POLICE vest, cap and sunglasses left.
When the resident stepped out of their home to continue on with their day of errands, a car of 4 white men in similar costume of cap, sunglasses, tan vest and yellow POLICE approached the Beacon resident again, asking them more questions. The resident grew a little impatient, as the questioning was making them late to an appointment, and asked if they were free to leave. Eventually the car of white men drove away.
This resident confirmed to ALBB that a man from the Spanish community in Beacon was taken from a different street before the man was taken from North Elm Street. No one can verify where the person was taken.
Employees who are Brown who were out on the sidewalk on Main Street in the past weeks told ALBB that they were separately spoken to by a white man they did not recognize. The first employee said that the man, who was dressed in non-identifiable clothing, spoke to them in Spanish. However, the employee did not speak Spanish and did not understand him. They asked him to repeat in English, which he did. He told the employee that he wanted to let them know that ICE was in the area, and to be careful. He went on with his thoughts.
The second Brown employee at a different establishment said that they were approached by the same white man, who asked where they were from, how long they were in the country, and how long they were working at the establishment.
Both employees told ALBB that they felt that the questioning was not comforting, and both have decided to refrain from answering questions or warnings about ICE from men they do not recognize who linger around the place of business.
Last Saturday, when ICE was identified as being on North Elm and Wilkes Street in this video, a person on Main Street down by the Dummy Light said they saw a white man in a vest with an FBI patch on it. While this may been a poser, or imposter who ordered an FBI jacket off the Internet and felt like walking around, he was seen, and did not look like a backpacker. The Beacon resident told ALBB: “I saw him wearing beige cargo pants and the dark blue jacket with the 3 FBI letters on the back. He walked down Main Street and turned onto East Main Street, walking extremely fast away, almost in a rushing manner.”
When ALBB asked if they were positive they saw the three letters on the back, the resident said: “FBI jacket for sure.”
While it may not always be possible to verify if a person wearing a FBI jacket or tan POLICE vest is ICE, one can always approach them nicely and ask them. As in this video where the ICE person identified themselves, ICE can identify themselves. Bonus points if they present a badge or some sort of identification. Since they are searching for people with names, they can also state their name when asked.
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The City of Beacon entered into a contract with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley to provide increased access to Beacon tenants facing eviction. They may also be able to help with sources of rent arrears assistance. Call the paralegal, Steven Mihalik at 845-253-6953 to inquire.
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