There is no greater gift in life than the gift of tea… can’t figure out what to gift your life-long friend? Tea. Your friend who just became a new mom? Tea. Your thrice removed cousin? Tea. Your greatest nemesis? Tea, so they are always forced to remember you for your exquisite taste. Tea can carry an intimate sentiment or remain as a neutral gift.
You can ring in the new year just right with blooming teas or marvelous options in loose-leaf varieties. Forget the champagne and sparkles, there’s nothing quite as fancy as the perfect cup of tea… I wouldn’t know though because I simply refuse to drink tea unless it’s out of an oversized themed mug (this month it’s in the form of a thermal-changing Vangogh mug).
Therefore, it is with a thank goodness that a new tea shop opened in Beacon, Misstea, a tea shop offering organic loose leaf teas, herbal infusions and other plant based wellness goodies handcrafted in New York, from owners and best friends: Mor Tzivoni and Revital Shoua. They settled the shop into Main Street on the east end of town near Mount Beacon right by the waterfall and blinking traffic light known as the Dummy Light. Founded by two best friends, Mor Tzivoni and Revital Shoua, who over the course of 5 years traveled trips around the world sampling tea from all over such as chai from India and green tea from Japan.
Misstea has long established roots in New York City prior to a permanent residence in Beacon. In 2008, Misstea began as a pop-up booth at the Union Square Holiday Market. Despite the Recession, the right place, time, opportunity, and partner appeared - a moment Mor Tzivoni refers to as “serendipity”. Mor and Revital were attracted to what they describe as Beacon’s “diverse and warm community” especially as this small city mirrors Brooklyn’s liveliness but offers a chance to appreciate the surrounding nature.
Original Tea Blends Are Made At Misstea
The teas and herbs come from all over the world with blenders that work with Misstea’s recipes before being packed at the Beacon shop. Initially, Misstea began with 15 different teas and have since expanded to 40. The first tea flavor produced was a relaxing herbal infusion, appropriately named “Serenitea”. Misstea wanted to provide New Yorkers with a natural way of relaxing at the end of busy days. A quick glance at their collection confirms their specialty remains in herbal infusions.
Grand Opening To Come…(But Is Already Open!)
Misstea hopes to create a lively and cozy atmosphere where people can “enjoy the view, the scents, the flavor, and give a great memory for every customer.” Though the shop opened on October 7th 2020, a grand opening still exists on the horizon. The beginning of the pandemic certainly postponed a grand opening and caused adjustments in planning events and weekend brunches, but never formed a doubt in opening the shop in Beacon. As for concerns of a second wave, Misstea reassures us that with 12 years of experience in making tea, they are not worried about going anywhere as “tea is timeless”. Plus, there is always an option to order online through their shop or select a pick-up in store option.
The tea shop plans to serve pastries, gluten-free snacks, and pairings with different teas… a surprise Misstea promises we can look forward to experiencing. We can expect information on the benefits of tea, teapots served at tables and sets ready-made for special events and holidays. Information on the benefits of their tea as well as products they sell can easily be found on their website here.
It’s always a perfect time to treat yourself with a little self-care tea package. Aren’t sure what to purchase? You’re in luck because Misstea offers daily different samples and the owners are incredibly helpful in narrowing down your search. I left the shop with blooming teas to gift my loved ones, bark tea, their Beautitea, and aspirations to go back for their enigmatic white blossom tea.
Sent via press release this morning, Dutchess County has reduced its quarantine time for exposed individuals from 14 days to 10 days. While strictly isolating at home is extremely difficult, both emotionally and logistically, please note the concern that remains while in the quarantine to if you have symptoms:
From Dutchess County Press Release 12/30/2020:
“Though the quarantine period is now shorter, individuals exposed to COVID-19 should remain vigilant. Anyone who develops symptoms while under quarantine OR through day 14 from the last date of exposure, should assume they are infectious and immediately isolate themselves and seek a diagnostic test.”
— Dr. Anil Vaidian, DBCH Commissioner
Following a guidance change for COVID quarantine requirements from the New York State Department of Health, the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) has amended the quarantine time period for individuals exposed to COVID-19 from 14 days to 10 days following the last exposure if no symptoms are reported during the quarantine. This change is effective immediately.
Quarantine for individuals exposed to COVID-19 ends after 10 days, without a test required, IF there are no symptoms reported during the quarantine period. Additionally, exposed individuals must:
Continue daily symptom monitoring through Day 14
Continue to strict adherence to prevention measures – use of face coverings, hand washing and physical distancing.
If any symptoms develop, IMMEDIATELY self-isolate and should seek testing. A list of testing sites in Dutchess County is available at www.dutchessny.gov/coronavirustesting
An “exposed” individual, or “close contact” are individuals who were within six feet of a person who tested positive for COVID -19 for 10 minutes or more total in a 24-hour period when the person was contagious. Contagious is defined as 2 days before symptoms began (or 2 days before positive test if there are no symptoms).
“This is an important change that aligns New York State guidance with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidance and will help end confusion on quarantine timelines,” said Dr. Anil Vaidian, DBCH Commissioner.
“Though the quarantine period is now shorter, individuals exposed to COVID-19 should remain vigilant. Anyone who develops symptoms while under quarantine OR through day 14 from the last date of exposure, should assume they are infectious and immediately isolate themselves and seek a diagnostic test,” said Dr. Vaidian noted.
The New York State DOH’s updated guidance can be found here: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2020/12/covid19-health-advisory-updated-quarantine-guidance-12.26.20.pdf)
Quarantine documents and other information on the Dutchess County Government website will be updated this week. New York State and local contact tracers are also being advised of the guidance change
During the testing process for COVID-19, we needed to become one with the Patient Portals that medical facilities make available to you to see your lab results, request a refill, etc. Doctors offices also call with lab results, so if you’re one of these people who avoid logging into to new accounts, and are satisfied with talking to someone on the phone to get your test results or order refills, then you may not have viewed how test results are presented.
In our case, they caused miscommunication and a wrong diagnosis. An easy mistake that thankfully was easy to sort out, but here is how it happened, and why it pays to stay on top of the medical professionals in your life, and trust yourself to keep pursuing what you know you need to.
The Most Obvious Word Left Out Of Positive Result: “Positive”
Nobody likes bad news. Nobody likes delivering bad news. To avoid delivering bad news, or saying “No” to someone, a person might speak around the issue, and not say the words necessary to deliver the answer clearly. Words might get hidden between the lines. In the Midwest, we call this “passive” and in some cases when you’re being critical or oppressive, this hidden language is called “passive aggression.”
Such was the case with the test results from the Urgent Care for my son. The call came in from the Urgent Care that he tested Positive, and had the virus. No phone call came for my daughter, and I was told that the office is not calling people who test Negative. I logged into both of their Patient Portals, and saw the following easy-to-read results:
“Negative” for my daughter.
“Results discussed with parent” for my son.
Dig into the results one step, and you’ll see the words “Detected” highlighted in red for the COVID-19 result. What is not stated anywhere on the page is the term “positive,” which is what most people are familiar with.
As a courtesy, our pediatrician had their nurse also call us with the results. The nurse said that my son was “Negative.” I questioned the nurse, asking where they got the information, and the answer was: “I am just the messenger.” COVID-19 is a hot potato. Understandable. I pursued, in order to find out where the miscommunication was, and it resided in the language of this lab result (see screenshots below).
In following up with the Urgent Care, it was learned that the ordering physician of the test is able to type in the brief description that appears on the Homepage/Dashboard, which is what a patient sees when refreshing the Lab Results page. The word “Positive” could have been typed in, but wasn’t. Instead, the following phrase was typed: “Results discussed with parent.” Being that it is bad news, it could have been an unintentional avoidance of the result, so that no one had to look at an unpleasant word.
Fast forward to a new test now that we are better (thank goodness!) - the Antibody test - from a different facility. Those results have appeared in my Patient Portal from another medical facility. First word in the description area: “positive” (not capitalized, for the grammar enthusiasts in the room). Clicking into the lat results, more details are discussed, and the word “positive” does appear in the details. The word “Detected” is still the lead word in defining a positive result, but in this case, was not highlighted red. Keep in mind, the word “positive” was nowhere in the positive lab result lingo for COVID-19.
In the case of the Antibody test, those antibodies are something that someone wants (though it comes with a price…the possible weakened or altered organs that the virus left behind). The word “Positive” in this case is something that you want, and was front and center in the Dashboard home page.
As we proceed with more medical tests and conversations than we are used to having in the medical world, this serves as a reminder to keep your wits about you. And as feedback to medical professionals as to how their notes are interpreted if the simple declarative words are not used.
During the beginning of the pandemic, at the end of March 2020, the topic of having a will, or estate plan, became serious. You probably have a will, but some people do not, Further, some married women I have come into contact with have thought that they did not need a will at all if they were married. Some married men have assumed that the will would be a joint document between the couple, yet who are two individuals.
Talking about a will is known to be hard, and people who have had parents pass away unexpectedly have spoken on the challenges of even locating the will. Maybe it’s buried beneath a marble tile in the sun-room, or maybe it’s under a floor board in the attic.
Transparency can help children know what to do to settle an estate, and it doesn’t need to be depressing, if parents lead the way by presenting it as preparation. During the writing of this article, and the scheduling of forcing myself to make a will, my own children were asking why I was talking about it. I let them know where to find the Death Binder of Passwords in my closet, which is 4” thick, and maybe it needs a new name, but will help them a lot when settling accounts when (if!) I die.
As a starting place when dealing with wills for this article, I started with family: my sister. She lived in Chicago at the time, and works for a law firm called Seyfarth Shaw, LLP as their Manager of Pro Bono & Philanthropy. She directed me to Caroline Manley, an Illinois-licensed attorney and the Executive Director at the Center for Disability & Elder Law in Chicago, IL.
Caroline answered a few questions about the basics in estate planning. Before diving in, you should know that Caroline includes this disclaimer: “This content for informational purposes only, and is not legal advice. Individuals should consult with an attorney licensed in their own state.”
Caroline takes it away below:
“Completing an estate plan is an important task. Like all legal matters, consulting with an attorney who is licensed in your state is very important. Laws differ between states, but the same basic concepts apply throughout the country.“
1. What happens if I do not have a will?
“Every state has intestate succession laws. These laws are the default rules for what happens if a person dies without an estate plan, and the laws have a hierarchy for who takes according to closest living relatives. Knowing your state's default plan is important, because it very well may NOT be who you would want to take, or might not be the best plan for you depending on your individual circumstances.”
2. Can't I just write a will myself?
“While most states allow you to write your own will without the assistance of an attorney, it is not recommended. Neither are online programs or templates where you will not get a plan that is specific to your individual circumstances. A lawyer will learn about your total assets and goals, and then explain the best estate planning tool. These tools may include a will, transfer on death instrument or deed, or trust. Having an experienced attorney help you is especially important for families with children under the age of 18 and for anyone who wants to leave their assets to a person with disabilities who receives, or is expected to need, public benefits.“
3. I'm especially worried about getting this taken care of because of COVID-19. Can I still find an attorney if I am under a shelter in place order?
“Yes! Most estate planning attorneys are small businesses or solo practitioners. You can get your estate plan completed AND help a small business. Attorneys can meet with you via phone or video conferencing in order to conduct your client interview. Once completed, the documents can be emailed to you for printing or sent in the mail. Your attorney will let you know specific requirements for how to execute the documents.”
It's like a second Christmas Opening...two ALBB newsletters in one day! Santa's tiny reindeer stirred up quite a wind and rain storm on Christmas Eve, bringing winds of up to 50 mph in some areas. Several Beaconites were without power, with a total of 14,095 customers without power in Dutchess County as of 10am Friday morning. Wishing you warmth and light during this time.
From our homes to your, thank you for supporting A Little Beacon Blog throughout the year. We appreciate the support - both financial and your nice notes - we continue to receive from the community and do our best to keep you in the loop with what's happening in our city.
As we wind down and kiss 2020 goodbye (with masks on ), let's look ahead to 2021 for new beginnings, opportunities, deeper relationships, and new connections.
THE RETAIL THERAPY GUIDE Edited and Written By: Marilyn Perez and Katie Hellmuth Martin
EAT CHURCH
3091 U.S. 9, Cold Spring, NY
Did you miss the special from Eat Church offering Peking Duck Kits for New Year's Eve? Kits include a Peking style roast duck (HV farm-sourced/house-roasted), bao steam buns, flour tortillas, pickled cucumber and radish, crisp spring onion, hoisin sauce, and apple and pear chutney.
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Pick up between 12PM - 3PM New Year's Eve 12/31 at @marbledmeatshop. Their pop-ups will be back in the new year! Information > Eat Church is an ALBB Sponsor!
MEYERS OLDE DUTCH
184 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Now can you think of a better meal to warm you up on a chilly day? There's a new special over at Meyers Olde Dutch....
Loaded chili with house baked corn bread!
Their scratch made beef chili topped with pimento cheese, coleslaw, pickles, and pickled jalapeños will do the trick. Order online for take out and delivery. Meyers Olde Dutch is an ALBB Sponsor!
HOMESPUN
232 Main Street, Beacon, NY
and the Cafe at the Dia : Beacon
Speaking of yummy food to make you feel warm and cozy, @homespunfoods offers a rich Butternut Squash Soup with Moroccan Spices, Crema and Pumpkin Seeds which you can get to go!
Photo by @chaysenwylde_art View Menu > Homespun is an ALBB Sponsor!
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL 288 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Cheers to you! The Hudson Valley Food Hall has it all! Swing by for some eats, drinks, culture, and style. Open on Christmas Day!
Friday (12/25): 3-9:59pm (Bar Only)
Saturday (12/26): 12-9:59pm (Food & Bar)
"Happy Holidays to you & yours from all of us!!!" Information > Hudson Valley Food Hall is an ALBB Sponsor!
BAJA 328 328 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Come get in the holiday spirit with Baja 328's specialty drinks: The Christmas Mule & Peppermint Margarita. Baja 328 is an ALBB Sponsor!
LEWIS & PINE
133 Main Street, Beacon
Lewis & Pine will be open this weekend:
Saturday 11am-6pm
Sunday 11am-5pm
If you are not in Beacon, you can purchase a gift card from their website. Shop Now > Lewis & Pine is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
Live Light Travel Often (LLTO)
464 Main Street, Beacon
More cuteness added to Live Light Travel Often (LLTO) like these soft terry lined handkerchiefs made in Japan. Hours this weekend:
12/26 Sat 11-6pm
12/27 Sun 11-5pm See it in person, or Shop Now > LLTO is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
PTACEK Home
464 Main Street, Beacon
PTACEK Home salvaged White Oak wood from a pond to maybe possible use in making some amazing tables and chairs. @ptacekhome is one-of-a-kind!
Reach out for more information!⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Shop Now > PTACEK Home is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
BRETT'S HARDWARE
18 West Main Street, Beacon
ALBB is following a story, and has now become part of it, of a Black business friend and client of our Business Directory, Bluegreen Lawns, who was looking for a loan for a commercial purchase of a snow blower or truck, could not get such a loan because of how lenders view credit history, and was out of luck during the first snow storm when their snow blower blew. For a company who does snow removal, snow is money. They started a GoFundMe, and ALBB chipped in. And then we shared it to our community. And you - the community - pulled through! They raised just over $1,000 so far. Brett's reached out to them to find a good deal on a snow blower, and the purchase was made. Stay tuned for the big reveal after the machine ships! Information > Brett's Hardware is a Sponsor, thank you!
LUXE OPTIQUE
181-183 Main Street, Beacon
"Red-y for the holidays. "
These chic red frames add a pop of color to take you through the holidays and beyond. Shop Now > Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!
BINNACLE BOOKS 321 Main Street, Beacon
You never know what hidden treasures you may find at Binnacle Books. Check out this discovery! This book is signed by Edward Gorey, as are two others in the shop right now. They have been authenticated. They will surely be gone in a hurry if not already by the time you read this newsletter. Keep an eye out!
Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
LA MÉRE CLOTHING AND GOODS
436 Main Street, Beacon
We love shiny things at ALBB, and La Mére Clothing & Goods knows how to bring the shiny! Start prepping your New Year's Eve outfit with a little bit of bling, even if your partying at home or on Zoom, it's still a great excuse to get dolled up!🍾 Information > La Mere is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
Mother Nature & Me - Enrichment Program
Grades: Pre-K to 8 Homeschool Groups Day/Time: To be determined after kids sign up, and will be coordinated by Brigette Wlash (click below for flier) Information >
Clarkson University's Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries is now offering enrichment programs for Pre-K through 8th-grade homeschool groups at our Dennings Point Water Ecology Center. Each group will explore Dennings Point State Park through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) and nature-based learning activities.
Spanish Lessons For Children (10 lessons)
Grades: K-2 Days: Wednesdays & Fridays, January 6 - February 5, 2021 Time: 2pm
For more info contact Ileana Cardona at ileanacrdn@gmail.com Information >
Gyms and boutique studios safely remain open with new guidelines, settings, and more digital offerings for at home wellness:
Zoned Fitness launched their virtual studio December 1st.
beBhakti Yoga Center is offering more virtual options.
Firefly Power Yoga will launching a new virtual studio & membership offerings in the new year.
Beacon Pilates has On-Demand classes as well as in person sessions in both studio locations.
ANTALEK & MOORE INSURANCE AGENCY
340 Main Street, Beacon
Antalek & Moore is not one to miss a good window decorating opportunity, or the year-long wait to bring out their abominable snowman poster! Give Them A Clap > Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!
TIN SHINGLE
Tin Shingle is an education and empowerment platform for businesses and creators who are getting the word out about their business. Tin Shingle is the sister company of A Little Beacon Blog, and teaches people how to pitch the media. You are in control of what can get published about your company, and the support system at Tin Shingle can guide you. Every Wednesday at 1pm EST, there is a connection opportunity. Connect during the live, members-only Office Hours, or during a pre-recorded webinar TuneUp. Read All About It >
KATIE JAMES, INC.
Eggberts Farm Fresh Eggs is preparing for the winter with a new website. Owner Carrie Sabins wants to reach her customers in case there is another shutdown or if her customers need delivery because they need to isolate. Katie James, Inc. a long-time customer of Eggberts Farm Fresh Eggs via the Beacon Farmer's Market. The branding agency is building Eggberts a website in Shopify, for easy pre-orders of eggs and meat, as well as pickup and select delivery options. Do You Need A Website Too? >
Winds of up to 50 mph in some areas were barreling through drafty windows of homes in the region on Thursday evening, Christmas Eve, into the early hours of Christmas morning. Anyone who was still wrapping presents at 2:45am felt the windows shake, while some felt their entire houses shake. Little children snug in their beds may have woken up early from the sound of their bedroom doors shivering in their doorknob latches, as the wind whipped through the house. New homeowners in the area may have awoken to new attic leaks that they knew nothing about, or basement flooding, shed flooding, and/or a power outage.
As reported by Central Hudson, the power company’s repair crews “are working throughout the service area to restore power to customers after heavy rains and wind gusts of more than 50 mph in some areas toppled limbs and trees, causing widespread outages. More than 36,000 homes and businesses within Central Hudson’s service area and nearly 300,000 customers in the northeast were impacted by the storm.”
In Dutchess County, 14,095 customers were without power as of 10am Friday morning. As of 1:30pm that number was 13,700. Ryan Hawthorne, Assistant Vice President of Electric Engineering and Operations, outlined how mutual aid has come in to help this area with additional workers. “We have a compliment of 320 line and tree professionals working to restore our customers’ power with 26 more line workers from Vermont expected to arrive later today. Yesterday, mutual aid assistance from Michigan, Indiana and Iowa arrived, and we have retained our local contractors to assist in the repair of nearly 650 damage locations. In addition, hundreds of employees are working in support roles throughout the holiday to expedite restorations. We aim to restore power to approximately half of our customers by end of day Friday.”
Central Hudson will be distributing dry ice on Friday from noon to 5 p.m. at these locations:
Home Depot, Fishkill – 450 Route 9, Fishkill, NY 12524
Rosendale Recreation Center – 1055 Route 32, Rosendale, NY 12472
In good news, the Quarantine for my family and myself has lifted! My last day was Christmas Day, as told to me by my doctor, based on my testing date and symptoms not surfacing. The school nurses from the Beacon City School District have been amazing, calling in every now and then to check on the kids, even though one tested positive, and the other did not (also no symptoms for that one).
I hadn’t intended to write another entry about COVID, but after seeing a news segment tonight from a family who had lost a daughter-in-law, it seems people are wanting to know how to prepare once they test positive for COVID. This family had made a COVID-Kit with helpful things in it, with intentions on helping people know how to deal with the symptoms. So I decided to continue posting, in case it helps to give you direction and comfort.
Most importantly, always call your doctor with questions, and to get guidance. Be persistent with your doctor if you are feeling discomfort or not well. You know your body.
Additionally, the Mayor of Cold Spring, Dave Merandy, who has a son who is a nurse and who got quite sick with COVID but pulled through, thought the media wasn’t doing a good job covering COVID. Perhaps I’ll reach out to Mayor Merandy to learn what he wishes to see, since it’s all many in the media talk about, but in the meantime, I’ll share some symptom related items.
Get The Oxygen Reader - The Pulse Oximeter
When I first got the positive result, of course I wanted to know what to do to help myself and my family manage through the symptoms. What to do? There wasn’t much advice, except to take Vitamin C, D, and Zink. Fine. Done. My mom told me to get an oxygen reader. She’s been watching the news, was up on Chris Cuomo when he had it, and we are an asthmatic family. So we have had this oxygen reader pictured here (the pulse oximeter) on our fingers in the doctor’s office before. It’s easy to get. Find it at Target.
You want the oxygen number to be between 95-100. Anything below that, the doctor encourages you to call them or call in an emergency. One early morning, my oxygen hit 94, and I texted my neighbor and my mom, and then my sister wanted to hop on a plane to get here to watch my kids. I didn’t allow any of this to happen, but we kept monitoring.
My pulse is usually in the 60s-70s (it’s how I stay so calm, cool and collected, of course), but you want to watch that too, and track what is a high number for your normal.
Asthma, COVID, and Essential Oils
If you are going to be one of the people to say: “Put these essential oils in your diffuser… this is all so overblown,” I will warn you now to step back. I have used the essential oils, as an allergy-induced asthmatic. The last time I did was 3 years ago when I was pregnant with my 3rd (and final) child. My asthma got triggered worse with each child. By the time I was pregnant with him, my very pregnancy made me have asthma. Want to know what helped? The Grandma’s Pizza at Brothers. That pizza has so much garlic, which is an anti-inflammatory, that it actually opened my lungs.
Yes, food works. Oils work. I eat sautéd garlic and spinach every morning, with lemon water. I’m a fan of these homeopathic methods. My great grandfather was a homeopathic doctor! But this is nothing in the face of COVID. Ok? Ok. I have a lot of food quirks. I won’t humor you in the details this round, but know that I do value the magic of food and fitness. With COVID, however, I want an inhaler by my side, and an oxygen reader. Because COVID has its own mind inside of your body.
When pregnant with my 3rd child, in December 2017, my asthma was so bad, that my midwife, upon hearing me speak to her, told me to go to the ER. She could tell that I was having trouble pushing through the words. For me, I thought nothing of it. I was whispering to my family, but I thought I was just tired.
Upon driving to the ER, and arriving, my lungs began opening. As I was sitting in the ER, my asthma lifted. Why? Because I had a real Christmas tree at the house, and it was permeating into my lungs. A year’s long problem that I forget about every year. When I was out of the house, I was away from that pine. We finally have a fake tree now. It’s only taken 43 years.
Point is: asthma is usually not alleviated until the thing permeating into your body triggering the asthma is gone. In the case of COVID, it’s crawling all around your body. So it’s calling the shots.
Asthma and COVID-19
COVID-19 is in part a respiratory disease, it is giving people who do not regularly have asthma a hard time breathing. People speak of tightness in their chest, having shortness of breath, and having a low oxygen read. If you are not one to normally take an inhaler, consider talking to you doctor about having an inhaler.
There are mainly two types: the “rescue” inhaler, and the long-term steroid inhaler. The “rescue” inhaler usually uses Albuterol and is used when your chest first begins feeling tight and/or you are weazing, or you are coughing (you could have one without the other). The Albuterol goes into your lungs and opens them up for a bit. When I was a kid, my mom would listen to my chest to see if she heard “ghosts.” These are wheezing sounds of lungs being inflamed.
There- are pros and cons of taking this inhaler, including making your heart beat faster. I usually warn those around me that I have just taken my inhaler, and to forgive me if I am snappish. Usually this mindfulness keeps me in check.
The longer term inhaler is usually known as Prednisone and is used for management of the lungs, if a person is using the rescue inhaler for days in a row. There are pros and cons to this as well, including an immunity suppressant. You should Google this to look for articles on how and if doctors are using this to treat COVID-19 patients.
For long-term asthma coughs, my kids have used Singulair. This is a daily pill that is a management of asthma or asthma cough. For my kids, their asthma cough was worse when they are younger, and can at times require days in a row of nebulizing (air-pumped Albuterol to calm the lungs and stay ahead of the asthma cough from getting too bad).
As asthmatics, in normal life (as in, pre-pandemic) we are trained to take the rescue inhaler right away and consistently, to stay ahead of the asthma. If we do not, then the asthma gets worse, and our chances of going into the ER increase. This is usually discussed during with us during flu-season.
Please ask your doctor any questions. This is just my experience from our medical treatment over the years.
“This Is Like Being In Labor! I Can’t Tell What’s Going On!”
As friends texted in to see how I was doing, and how my symptoms were, I answered back: “This is like being in labor! Aside from me having really annoying cramps right now. But I don’t know what signs to look for! This is like being in labor for the first time when you don’t know what a contraction feels like. ‘Is that it? Was that pain a contraction? Or a Braxton Hicks? Was that the mucus plug that just dropped? What does a mucus plug even look like?!?!?!?” I never did learn the answers to some of these questions. With all 3 of my pregnancies, my water never broke. I never had that right of passage. I also so far have not lost my sense of smell or taste, and I never had a fever or runny nose.
For COVID-19, I did (and sometimes still do) have chest tingling. Is that tingling in my left arm a sign? Is that random pain in my left collar bone a sign? Is me breathing in and feeling a pain a sign? My partner’s best friend did end up testing positive and having a heart attack (he’s doing well with a stint) the week we were symptomatic. So a person wonders these things.
Deep Breath = Strange Soreness In Bottom Of Lungs
Sometimes, there is a soreness in the bottom of my lungs when I take a deep breath. Not all days, but some days. I am a runner, and on some days, I need to pause mid-run from being tired or tight. Not all days. But some days. I’m still running. And stretching!
Getting COVID Again - Yes You Can
So…it’s ideal to think that once you get COVID, and have antibodies, that you won’t get it again. Sadly, friends of mine have already reported that friends of theirs who got it, have gotten it again. Symptoms seem to be inconsistent, meaning, some of those friends had the same symptoms, some less severe, and some worse.
My doctor told me that I might be immune for 1.5 months to 3 months. And I don’t know if that includes the new strain. I am pursuing the antibody test.
So I’ll still be social distancing, wearing a mask, and learning about the vaccine to see how it works, and when my family and myself can take it.
There is an elf in the Beacon Post Office…answering the letters from children who write to Santa. There is no guarantee of a return letter from Santa, but sometimes they arrive in the mail, delivered by mail carrier. Not very many people have actually seen this elf, but she has been trying to return letters from kids for many years. Again, there is no guarantee. If you did not get one, it does not mean anyone is on the wrong list (1 of my 2 kids got a letter back this year…).
With pandemics and whatnot, one never knows what magic can come out of the Beacon Post Office. As of 2020, the magic was still here.
The Compass Arts Creativity Project recently created art kits for 72 Rombout Middle School and Sargent Elementary School students in Beacon, New York. The Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley provided funding for the packs, which included a journal with a variety of art supplies along with writing/drawing prompts curated by Compass Arts educators and community collaborators.
The kits are intended to give children the space and tools to connect with their voices and inspire creativity and self expression amidst the challenges of remote and hybrid learning.
Compass Arts partnered with Karen Pagano and the Beacon City Schools Food Services to distribute them alongside lunch pickup. This means that art kits arrived via school buses with food drop-offs.
Saturday Art Series In January
The 2021 winter programming continues to prioritize access and inclusion. As we head into an uncertain winter, Compass Arts Creativity Project intends to create online program offerings to meet the community’s need for social connection, creativity, and self expression through the arts. The Saturday Arts Series will be a 10 week series of online arts workshops and performances held during the coldest days of winter, from January 16th - March 20th. With grants and donations, they expect to offer a tiered pricing structure, from Free to $25 per participant, allowing members of the community to benefit from the arts regardless of their ability to pay.
Who Is Compass Arts?
Compass Arts Creativity Project’s mission is to create healthy, just, equitable, and resilient communities through classes, performances, and events rooted in exploration, collaboration, creation, and play. Started in 2011 as a small business, Compass Arts became a non-profit corporation in 2019 and received its 501(c)(3) designation in fall 2020 in order to expand its offerings and amplify its impact.
To learn more about Compass Arts and unite with them in this vital work, you can join their end of year fundraising campaign launched on Giving Tuesday, December 1st, and donate at www.CompassArts.org/donate.
Artisan Wine Shop was one of the first to announce the drop of the Wynotte Sisters Christmas Album, ”Christmas Spirits” a band here in Beacon made of up 3 women who are each in additional bands and have wide-ranging careers in music. They travel the country and world, teach classes, serve as bartenders, and work in wine shops. You most likely have seen their faces, but you might not know anything about them behind-the-scenes.
One of the sisters, Sara Milonovich, is a a well-known part-time worker in Artisan Wine (she’s now gone full-time mid-pandemic). The Wynotte Sisters play at Dogwood and other venues from time to time (Dogwood is closed for the winter to say safe during pandemic). After Artisan promoted the album (download it here!), A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the sisters to check in and see how they were doing mid-pandemic. With event venues closing, and singing together to record a song a little risky, what are their lives like right now?
These are fascinating reads, and are unedited so that you can experience them in full. Give each a minute. The world as they knew it stopped for them on different days in March, 2020.
Sara Milonovich when she was 12. This is her very first recording on a cassette of her on the fiddle. She remastered it for digital download during the pandemic. Please also note her rockin’ turtie-neck. Photo Credit: Sara Milonovich
I've been a full time professional musician for the past 20 years, as a fiddler/violinist/singer/songwriter in a variety of scenes/genres: with my own alt-country band, Daisycutter; as a freelance accompanist for artists like Richard Shindell; as a recording artist for hire; teaching fiddle and songwriting at camps and in private lessons; and subbing the violin chair for the Broadway musical, "Come From Away." (As well as with the Wynotte Sisters!) I'd also been working part time, two days a week, at Artisan Wine Shop, for the past 5 years.
I played my last show on Broadway on March 10: on March 12, Broadway went dark, and by that weekend every other gig I had through the summer had been cancelled (cancellations would continue to roll in throughout the coming weeks as well.)
“Even finishing those songs during the pandemic was a unique challenge: when we needed to record one final song, we created an outdoor “recording booth” out of packing blankets so we could all sing together - but without having to be in the same room with more closely-spaced microphones like we would have done before! ”
— Sara Milonovich
I went in to work at Artisan Wine Shop the following Monday, and with the lockdown going into full effect, wine sales increased so dramatically that I began working full time (actually overtime those first couple of weeks), and have remained full time ever since. That, combined with some recording projects I've been able to do from my home studio, have "kept the lights on" during the pandemic. It still feels incredibly surreal, and not a little ironic to me, even after so many months.
As far as my life as a musician though, it's been devastating. Financially, of course, but also mentally and emotionally. The sense of isolation and loneliness is overwhelming at times. And of course it's professionally devastating as well, not just personally, but our whole industry is in jeopardy now. (How do you even try to rebook tours into venues that don't know whether they'll be able to survive long enough to reopen?)
I've played some live stream shows this year- although the technology is a good additional resource to connect with people, there's absolutely no substitute for the energy and magic that happens at a live performance, and I think when things do get better, we'll all be so thrilled to embrace that sort of real, live, human connection again.
I have a new record with my band Daisycutter that will be released next year- hopefully at that point we'll be able to see some progress towards whatever the "new normal" ends up being.
With the Wynotte Sisters, the holiday season is our busiest time of year, and we look forward to those shows all year long. Without the chance to perform live, we decided this year would be the time to gather the songs we had been recording over the last few years and put them together in a full length album.
Even finishing those songs during the pandemic was a unique challenge: when we needed to record one final song, we created an outdoor "recording booth" out of packing blankets so we could all sing together - but without having to be in the same room with more closely-spaced microphones like we would have done before! Luckily the weather held out for the day we had planned to record!
We like to joke that we're not really a "garage band" so much as a "dining room table band", so we wanted to offer some holiday cheer for people to listen to as they enjoyed smaller holiday celebrations at home this year, hence the title of the album, "Christmas Spirits", and all the images that conjures up.
The best thing people can do in the meantime, is support independent artists the same way they should support small businesses (that's what we are, after all) - shop local, and buy albums, merch, or downloads directly from the artists, rather than using a streaming service such as Spotify.
I have been a musician (I'm a bass/ukulele/guitar player and singer) and part time bartender/server for the last 25 years, and for the last 7 years I've also been teaching at Beacon Music Factory - individual lessons as well as group classes and adult rock camps. Besides the Wynotte Sisters, I also play with my own band the Pre-War Ponies, Daisycutter, Stephen Clair, Hank & the Skinny Three, and the Jack Grace Band to name a few. Needless to say I was pretty busy before March 14th.
I played my last gig in NYC on March 12th, my monthly residency with the Pre-War Ponies at Barbes, a small bar and venue in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I was supposed to play at SXSW in Austin with Stephen Clair in March, fly to Atlanta to start working with Edan Everly (son of Don Everly) in April, and play a festival with Sara and Daisycutter in Montana in July. All cancelled. I was smack in the middle of a Neil Young rock bootcamp, which abruptly came to a halt and has yet to resume. The restaurant I work at in Newburgh shut down for 3 months, and most of my individual lessons stopped too.
The first thing I did after realizing I had almost no work and barely any income was to go and buy gardening supplies - seeds, starter trays, a little plastic greenhouse for my porch etc. I figured I could grow at least some of my food, and it gave me something to do that I wouldn't have had time for normally. Then I applied for food stamps, and eventually, unemployment.
“The first thing I did after realizing I had almost no work and barely any income was to go and buy gardening supplies - seeds, starter trays, a little plastic greenhouse for my porch etc. I figured I could grow at least some of my food, and it gave me something to do that I wouldn’t have had time for normally. Then I applied for food stamps, and eventually, unemployment. ”
— Daria Grace
I've been very lucky, actually. The restaurant reopened in mid-June, and I also started working one or two days a week with my friend's ecological landscaping business around the same time. Musically I've been fortunate as well, as I have had multiple opportunities to play live outside in safely distanced situations through the summer, and even a few live Facebook shows with no audience. Yesterday (12/6/2020), Sara, Greg, Vibeke and I made a little video (outdoors!) for an upcoming virtual holiday show sponsored by the Colony in Woodstock. It was a balmy 39 degrees, and I think all our fingers were frozen solid by the time we got it right, but it felt so good to sing and play that none of us cared.
“So many of my musician friends are struggling right now - financially and emotionally, and I even know a couple people who died of COVID. It’s also tragic that so many long running music venues will be closing forever, and criminal that a lot of this suffering could have been avoided with better leadership on a National level.”
— Daria Grace
So many of my musician friends are struggling right now - financially and emotionally, and I even know a couple people who died of COVID. It's also tragic that so many long running music venues will be closing forever, and criminal that a lot of this suffering could have been avoided with better leadership on a National level. The whole country will be struggling to heal from the effects of this pandemic for years to come, and we've been changed forever. I just hope we can learn from our mistakes and continue to help each other through this dark time.
Vibeke Saugestad, a translator of fiction from English to Norwegian, with her new Penguin, after mastering ventriloquism. Photo Credit: Vibeke Saugestad
I work as a translator of fiction, from English to Norwegian. Right now I am translating Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half. I also read audio books in a small home-made basement studio. Both my translation work and my audio book work is freelance, for Norwegian publishers.
I have been very fortunate, as my day job didn’t change much with Covid. I guess the book industry is really the one part of the cultural sector that hasn't suffered substatially. If anything, people have found more time to read, and have turned to literature for comfort and entertainment.
As far as The Wynotte Sisters goes, that all stopped, of course, and I have sure missed my sisters, our regular rehearsals around the dining room table, the odd gig throughout the year and of course, our Christmas tour. We had big plans for Christmas 2020, but we are happy to be able to get some holiday cheer out to people with a digital release, and hopefully some time in 2021, we’ll be able to pick up where we left. One fun thing that came out of lockdown, was that I started doing ventriloquism. A way to be creative without having to socialize with others, I guess. I’ve had lots of fun with my Punguin, and I hope, have put a smile on some people’s faces.
When the pandemic started, the focus on food - how people would get food in quarantine, and/or pay for food - took a front seat. This fear of lack of food access is known as food insecurity. People in communities all over the country started getting together to figure out how to bring food to people who, for whatever reason, have a hard time leaving their house to get to food, either to pay for it at a grocery store or to collect it at a food pantry.
In Beacon, a few organizations started new, or got stronger. In addition to the church-based food pantries that have been serving the region for years, new organizations include Mutual Aid Beacon and Beacon4BlackLives, who started during the pandemic and protests, and Fareground, who was established earlier as a pop-up cafe, and found their calling connecting food to people in these extreme times. Fareground has had their hand in several social projects, and they’ve only just gotten started.
Fareground In The Beginning
Fareground was co-founded by Kara Dean-Assael in 2012. The intention was to be a “pay what you can” cafe “but this shifted due to issues securing space in town,” Kara told A Little Beacon Blog. So they had pop-up cafes around town, with several pop-up cafes at the Beacon Recreation Center in 2014-2015.
Fareground And The Tiny Food Pantries
Fareground is behind the Tiny Food Pantries around town in public spaces, and most recently in low-income housing communities. The concept here is that anyone can leave food inside of the Tiny Food Pantry house, and anyone can take what they need, when they need it.
The first Tiny Food Pantry went up in the summer of 2016 at the Beacon Recreation Center in the front lawn near the parking lot. The next one was inside of the Howland Public Library. Next came Binnacle Books, and Tompkins Terrace. There are 2 Tiny Food Pantries in Wappingers Falls.
Fareground is donation-based and applies for grants. People either donate money to them, or supply food. Says Kara: “We have been filling our Tiny Food Pantries on a regular basis. This happens in a number of ways and we have 'managers' to help. People often pick up food from my porch, food from our Key Food bin, or food form our Fareground home at 12 Hanna Lane.” Hanna Lane is home to LNJ Tech, which is an event production facility and location that has been connecting Fareground and other organizations when things they need like supplying sound equipment and set-up, space, etc.
Food Deliveries and Distribution
Fareground has been on the organizing end of getting food to families in the Beacon City School District, and has been distributing food themselves. During the first school shutdown, “we packed 'to go dinner' bags from March-September and dropped them off with the school lunch distributions and deliveries. We also helped the school and Common Ground Farm this fall by purchasing a few things for their Meal Kits.”
Fareground has weekly distributions where they go to different low-income housing areas, which include South Davies, Tompkins Terrace, Meadow Ridge, Forrestal Heights, and. Hamilton Fish on a rotating basis. Fareground sets up a free marketplace on location, and anyone can join to select what they like. “We work with the different housing managers to send out flyers to all residents,” says Kara. “We received a grant from the related foundation to support our work at Tompkins Terrace. This afforded us to drop off 95 turkey kits last Friday (before Thanksgiving) in rolling bags for people to use at our future distributions!” Having a easy to pack-and-carry bag is key to collecting food from any food pantry.
For the December holidays, Fareground has given away 30 meals with more to come. They include donations of Chicken from Murray’s Family Farm.
However, sometimes distribution needs are select. Says Karen: “We also get phone calls from different people in need and respond to them ASAP, usually by dropping off a box of food and connecting them to a food pantry or distribution site. Our board president, Karen George, lives in Wappnigers Falls and has about 15 families she brings food to every week. So, we are really focused on increasing access to food NOW. in both micro and macro ways.”
Food Waste - Saved
Fareground is committed to using all the food, and to not see food wasted. Recently, a group donated untouched food from an event. Kara had this to say to Fareground’s Instagram following: “It was one of the biggest food donations we’ve received, aside from our trips to the Hudson Valley Food Bank, thanks to @akapsales ! She made this happen and we’re so grateful! Don’t throw food away! We’ll find homes for it‼️”
Contact Fareground if you have such events, and want to donate the untouched food.
The tiny fridge, behind Binnacle Books and the Tiny Food Pantry found there. Organized by Fareground, Beacon4BlackLives, and Binnacle Books. Photo Credit: Beacon4BlackLives
Beacon’s first community fridge was unveiled in the last week of November 2020, as a fully functioning refrigerator sheltered by a wooden house built by Bryan Faubus with materials donated by Kevin Byrne. The community fridge is a collaboration project between Fareground, Beacon4BlackLives, and Binnacle Books; with advice and moral support provided by the Fridge Girls of NYC and the Kingston Community Fridges organization. You can easily find the self-stock refrigerator located behind Binnacle Books where a food pantry of nonperishable goods can also be easily accessed.
How The ‘Fridge At The Tiny Food Pantry Came To Be
The first meeting about the fridge project occurred in late September 2020. By November 25th, 2020, the fridge was plugged in and fully stocked by several members of the Beacon community. A need for direct aid in the community was evident back in April 2020 amidst the beginning of the pandemic.
Since Binnacle Books was closed to the public during the shutdown, they decided to convert their outdoor “dollar bookshelf” into a Tiny Food Pantry in collaboration with Fareground. By July 2020, the makeshift food pantry was upgraded to a permanent food pantry with a design uniform to the others that Fareground has established across Wappingers Falls, Beacon, and Fishkill.
Binnacle Books had to restock the shelf several times a week using donated funds to buy groceries, food provided by Fareground and Keyfood’s Donation Bin. In addition to these accessible food sources, several members of the community stop by to leave food on the shelves, and just as many people stop by to collect what they need. The pantry is still constantly cycling from full to empty every day, a clear sign indicating the dire need for direct aid for the Beacon Community, especially during these tough times. Any person can stock the refrigerator at any time with new, fresh, unopened items. Produce is accepted.
Maintenance of the fridge has been tended by organizers from Beacon4BlackLives, Fareground, and Mark of Binnacle Books. A schedule of volunteers is being organized as the fridge will need cleaning and upkeep moving forward. Members of the community can get involved by simply swinging by to put food in the fridge or take what they need for themselves or to provide for others.
A Venmo is also set up to accept funds used to buy groceries, non-perishables, toiletries, tampons/pads, as well as cleaning supplies. Says Binnacle in their directions on Instagram: “the money will be used in one of a few ways: 1) to cover ~$20 / month to keep the fridge plugged in, 2) to keep the fridge stocked and clean, and 3) to keep the tiny food pantry out front stocked with non-perishables, toiletries, etc.”
The Venmo handle is @binnaclefoodjustice.
Future Growth For The Fridge At The Tiny Food Pantry
As for plans for future installations, there are no announcements yet, but there is definite interest in expanding the project. The City of Beacon has been discussing adding food security to their budget and discussions in 2021.
Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro announced via press release on December 22, 2020, that more than $150,000 has been allocated for local municipal projects promoting food security and safety for seniors.’ Beacon was a municipality that applied for and was awarded CARES funding, based on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) income guidelines, for efforts to promote food security and safety at local senior centers to enable them to be open for seniors.
Beacon was awarded $25,000 “for assistance to a local food bank to purchase food for distribution to low- and moderate-income households.” A Little Beacon Blog is following up on the destination of that allocation.
Just as you were debating if you should drive over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house, in a pandemic, now you also get to decide if you would like to do that in the wind and rain, possibly ending in ice on roads and sidewalks for Friday.
Central Hudson and Optimum have both issued emails alerting customers to possible outages, and that they will be on standby through the holidays should an outage occur. Optimum advises customers to watch News 12 for updates. If we have cable. And can access the Internet. Have your Hot Spot on your phone ready as backup! Not being able to watch Wonder Woman 1984 on Christmas, or connecting with all of our friends on TikTok, Insta and FB would be very bad. Or maybe you are OK with a Zoom family meeting cutting out when the cable goes. Flood and tree damage would also be very bad.
Said Optimum in their email announcement: “Be assured, our teams are on standby and ready to respond to any possible service impacts the storm may bring. For helpful information on how you can prepare, visit optimum.net/stormprep.” Optimum reminds you to sign into your online account to set up notifications of outages. Personally, my account got messed up years ago, and I cannot set up an online account. So send ALBB tips if you get them ;) And also a reminder to be kind to Customer Service and Technitians no matter what happens.
News 12 predicts that rain will begin on Thursday, with strong winds and rain mounting by Friday. The meteorologists at News 12 are calling this a “spring-like storm” that will have temperatures in the 60s, and will drop Friday evening to the 20s. There is still snow on the ground today, so add that to the water that is predicted to contribute to possible flooding in areas. See News 12 for their full report.The Weather Channel also predicts wind, rain and a drop in temperature.
Central Hudson Reminds You To Avoid All Fallen Wires
You can't tell if a power line is energized just by looking at it. Assume all fallen power lines are live and proceed with extreme caution.
Do not drive over fallen wires. Always follow the utility personnel instructions regarding fallen power lines.
If you see a fallen power line, stay at least 30 feet away from it and anything it contacts. The ground around a power line and any objects it contacts may be energized. Call 911 to report fallen wires.
Do not attempt to move a fallen power line or anything else in contact with it using an object such as a broom or stick. Even non-conductive materials like wood or cloth can conduct electricity if even slightly wet.
Central Hudson’s Preparedness Checklist:
Fully charge your cell phone.
Sign up for Central Hudson's text messaging service to receive updates about power outages and restoration work.
Have flashlights and batteries handy.
If you rely on electricity to operate a well pump, ensure you have an adequate supply of bottled water. Fill your bathtub for an extra water reserve.
Ensure adequate supplies of prescription medicine and other necessities.
Fuel up your vehicles.
Have a plan to check on vulnerable neighbors and family members.
Have non-perishable foods that require no refrigeration or cooking.
Central Hudson’s Carbon Monoxide & Generator Safety
NEVER operate a generator, grill or outdoor heating appliance in your home or in any enclosed space, including your basement or garage. Doing so can lead to a potentially lethal build-up of colorless, odorless, poisonous carbon monoxide.
Only have an experienced electrician connect a generator to your home. Improperly installed generators may overload circuits, cause a fire or shock hazard, and can result in serious injury or property damage. Improperly installed generators can also back-feed onto electric lines and endanger repair crews working to restore service.
Plug appliances directly into the generator using a heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cord that is designed to handle the wattage of all the appliances being connected.
For a cocktail-inspired Gift Guide, local Beacon author Diane Lapis, who is president of the Beacon Historical Society and co-author with Anne Peck-Davis of Cocktails Across America: A Postcard View of Cocktail Culture in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s has traveled Main Street to see which shops might have just the right cocktail enhancement for your home or that as a gift. The cocktail recipe book contains over 50 classic recipes (as well as several modern twists), fascinating historical vignettes and over 200 pieces of vintage ephemera. Pick up at Binnacle Books today - right now!
By Diane Lapis
Let’s lift our spirits and send some holiday cheer to friends and family! Shop local and send a creative cocktail-themed gift basket to your loved ones. Since celebrations can happen anywhere… set up a virtual happy hour with your cocktail-loving kin and enjoy drinks together!
Beacon is the perfect place to find fun and festive cocktail items. From glasses to garnishes, you can find the right combination of essentials and spirits that will meet every budget. Start at the west end of Main Street (by Route 9D) and pick up all the accoutrement that you need for your kit!
Contact the store for hours and curbside pickup where available.
Utensil, 143 Main Street Find bar essentials at Utensil, a practical, and affordable kitchenware shop. Utensil has a wide selection of tools such as strainers, shakers, stirrers, citrus squeezers and peelers, ice cube molds, glassware, coasters, bar towels, Raft bitters and syrups, and mouthwatering Woodford Reserve Bourbon Cherries.
Artisan Wine Shop, 180 Main Street Stock up on a marvelous selection of rare whiskeys and mezcals, as well as gins, rums, amaros, vermouths, tequilas, and bitters at Artisan Wine Shop, a wine and spirits store. Unique liqueurs and cocktail modifiers from near and far take the home bartender on myriad cocktail adventures. Jiggers, strainers, muddlers, flasks, and single malt and rocks glasses are available.
Homespun Foods – 232 Main Street Homespun has a unique offering of amaro, sherry and mistelles in full bottles for some holiday cheer! When your feet need resting after the day of shopping, sip on a hot spiced cider with Palo Cortado sherry. Many of the selections are organic or biodynamic. Homespun’s back patio is open with a fire pit, but the indoors remains for take-out pickup and ordering only.
The Last Outpost - 314 Main Street This mainly menswear, lifestyle, and outdoor store carries many options for the cocktail enthusiast. Grab yourself a shaker, a vintage cork screw, a flask, or a glassware set from the modern era. It’s all at the Outpost and it’s all ready for you to make the perfect drink.
Dennings PointDistillery – 10 North Chestnut Street Dennings Point Distillery has something for every spirits enthusiast – from their aromatic, citrus-forward Great 9 Gin to their award-winning cask strength Beacon Bourbon, and Beacon Apple Brandy, distilled from 100% local apples.
Binnacle Books – 321 Main Street Pick up a copy or two (one for yourself!)of Cocktails Across America: A Postcard View of Cocktail Culture in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s written by Beacon resident Diane Lapis and coauthor Anne Peck-Davis. Cocktails contains over 50 classic recipes (as well as several modern twists), fascinating historical vignettes and over 200 pieces of vintage ephemera. The reader will be transported to an era of unbridled indulgence and distinct glamour.
Beacon Bath and Bubble - 458 Main Street Garnish your cocktails with CANDY!!! Beacon Bath & Bubble has an amazing selection of old fashioned and retro candy from to make your cocktails look and taste special. Add a sweet finish to your drink… pierce some gummy bears on a cocktail pick, drop a Blow-Pop in a martini, or place a peach gummy slice on the rim of a margarita. Colorful and fun for the holidays!
Raven Rose – 474 Main Street Set the mood for your cocktail hour with colorful candles in seasonal scents alongside flowers or wreaths. Ask about the CBD Ginger Bitters.
Denise Gianna Designs - 480 Main Street Denise Gianna Designs Interior Design and Shop makes staying cozy at home a luxury! In addition to their usual projects, they design bespoke home bars & lounge spaces for intimate cocktails & future gatherings. Denise Gianna has everything you need for the home bar: bar carts, tables, seating, bar accessories, glassware & linens.
Berte - 500 Main Street Berte is a new shop in Beacon (in the former Loopy Mango space) and specializes in ambiance. Whether you're searching for ceramic coasters for your cocktail glass, a brass bottle opener to crack open that ginger beer, or some hand carved candlestick holders to set the mood, this shop has the perfect gifts for those who like to imbibe, but make it a bit extra.
After you wrap and send your cocktail cheer kit… sit back and relax with your own copy of Cocktails Across America… travel back in time with a cocktail in hand… cheers!
Fast breaking on the South Avenue Morning News, anchored and produced by Mr. Burke and Co., Beaconite Elijah Hughes, who went to South Avenue Elementary and Beacon High School, has been selected by the Utah Jazz in a 2nd round NBA Draft pick as the 39th pick held on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 (delayed from the summer due to the pandemic). First selected by the New Orleans Pelicans as the 9th pick, of which they traded, leading to the 39th of 60 picks overall (for those who like numbers), according to the Highlands Current.
Elijah was a “small forward” at 6’6” but in High School, he played in the point guard position, which requires a lot of speed, quick shots, and quick thinking. According to Wikipedia, Elijah “became well-known in Beacon for his basketball ability, dominating games at Loopers Park.” Loopers Park is the basketball court between Loopers Plaza (Beacon Dental) and South Avenue Elementary School. There is also a tennis court next to the basketball courts.
As An Aside: There have been recent requests to enable night lighting for evening basketball games, especially as days are so short in winter. Other sports fields in Beacon have such lighting, including baseball and soccer fields at Memorial Park.
Local Praise For Elijah Hughes By Friends In Beacon
Elijah is being praised by everyone in the media since the draft pick as being a good person, and for being involved in community. Says one of Elijah’s earliest coaches, Ken Dawson, founder of The Player Academy, “It’s more important to be a good person than a good basketball player,” Ken told the Highlands Current. “He was in the 3rd or 4th grade when he came to Playmakers, and Dawson remembers him well. ‘Elijah loved to work; he was coachable,’ he said. ‘And he was a very good person.’”
Group photo of the Label Foundation, after one of their donation days in the summer of 2020. Pictured on the far left back row is John Galloway Jr., part of the Label Foundation, who declared his candidacy for Beacon’s School Board in July 2020, and was appointed months later. Photo Credit: The Label Foundation
Says a friend and former councilmember of Beacon’s City Council, Ali Tawfiq Muhammad, of his early memories of Elijah: “He went to Beacon Recreation Camp with his sister Talah when he was a kid and I was a counselor in training back then. That was my first job as a public servant and got hired seasonally for the next 5 years. Elijah and I grew as friends, and as he grew older, reached out from time to time. We had a bond. His sister Talah is one of my mentees. Elijah’s played a couple games in my Summer Basketball League, the Terrence Wright League, on my team, so yes I’ve technically coached him, but he’s always been a superstar in the making, and he’s actually helped me learn more about basketball just from watching and having conversations with him. He’s a natural leader and has co-started an organization with his friends this year called the Label Foundation, which I’ve helped him and his friends incorporate and set up the organizational structure. Long story short, we’re good friends. Utah also happens to be my favorite team in the NBA, since forever.”
Rueben Simmons, one-time Superintendent of the Highway Department, and current worker in the Highway Department, is known as Coach Yogi in Beacon for his coaching of various teams in Beacon. Reuben had this to say when A Little Beacon Blog asked if he had ever coached Elijah: “No, I did not have the pleasure too. He would have been a top pick of mine had I got the opportunity, based off his on court awareness of the game. I was a coach in the Beacon Hoops program and I remember seeing Elijah at evaluations. He was young and his basketball IQ was beyond his age. He stood out from every kid in his age bracket, as well as kids in the older division. I remember his dad being there, and my first thought was that I hope he’s not coaching because under the family rule, his dad would get Elijah automatically.”
Elijah’s Early Support For BLM, And Participation In Protests and Volunteering
“I think it was super important to be there,” Hughes said. “Number, one, I’m a Black man. It could’ve been me or one of my friends or someone in my family. I know what’s going on and it’s not OK. I wanted to walk for George Floyd. I wanted to show up and be there.
“Growing up, my parents instilled in me that, being a Black man in America, nothing’s going to be easy," Hughes said. "Knowing that we’re living in a racist world and not everybody’s going to like you because of the color of your skin.
“I’ve had talked with my parents about using my voice," he added. “I can lead something and do something big.
“Everything against Black people and police brutality and discrimination in general was on my mind and in my heart," Hughes said. "It’s a scary time. You don’t really know. Someone like me can get pulled over and it could be my last time ever. It’s a scary time we’re in, especially for Black people.
“At the end of the day, it was a very peaceful protest. We marched for George Floyd and all the Black lives we’ve lost in the last few years to police brutality. We just want a change.”
Also according to the article, Elijah tackled racism on his campus by being an outspoken voice during the student-led #NotAgainSU protests at Syracuse University. The protests were in response to several racist graffiti tags and other incidents at the university, resulting in dissatisfaction with the Chancellor Kent Syverud’s handling - or lack of handling - of the incidents.
Elijah had the idea to wear t-shirts to show support and solidarity with the student protesters. He told Syracuse.com: '“After visiting with student protesters over the weekend and communicating with some during the week, Hughes said he went to his teammates with the idea to wear #NotAgainSU T-shirts before the game against Cornell to support the school’s protest movement.
“‘I’ve been in contact with a few of the protesters,’ Hughes said. ‘It’s something I thought about. ... When I brought it up, everyone bought in. We decided to do it as a team. I talked to one of the students during the protest and threw my thoughts out. I came up with the idea of the T-shirts, talked to the team and they were all in. I laid it out to Coach (Jim Boeheim) and he talked to people and we made it happen.’"
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