Beacon Dispatch

Denning's Point? Keep Your Feet Off It!

The Poughkeepsie Journal reported today what has been rumored for a couple of weeks now... Eagles are roosting at Denning's Point so hikers and the like are being asked to steer clear until spring.

I just have to wonder though... are they going to halt construction on the site while the Eagles roost? I bet not. So why not let the birders, hikers, and snowshoers clomp around out there too? No reason not to let people enjoy the solitude with the birds. wouldn't you agree?

BACA helps light up Beacon for the holidays

The Beacon Arts Community Association (BACA) has been busy decorating Main Street with lights purchased with money from its Christmas in July fundraiser. The first new snowflake and garland was put up outside the Howland Cultural Center on Friday. Over the next few weeks,  8 more snowflakes and 90 more lighted garlands will be added along Main Street.

BACA is also sponsoring Candlelight Shopping in Beacon on Friday nights during the holidays, during which shops, galleries, and restaurants will stay open late,  until 9pm.

Beacon Officer Honored for Off-duty Heroics

The Poughkeepsie Journal is reporting today that Beacon police officer Jose "Tony" Rios was honored for saving an infant's life one year ago this month. As the story reports, Officer Rios was at home last November when he heard a woman screaming. When he ran outside he discovered found the woman holding a child who was no longer breathing. Officer Rios administered CPR while having someone else call 911. The Journal states that it was Officer Rios' quick response that saved the child's life.

Kudos to officer Rios for his quick response and for his service to the community both on and off duty.

It's Official: Democrats Sweep Council

According to the Dutchess County Board of Elections web site, Beacon Democrats have swept every open seat on the Beacon City Council. As of 10:49pm, with 100% of districts reporting, the results looked like this: At-Large: Lee Kyriacou (D) 1,286 Eleanor Thompson (D) 1,380 Michael Fasano (R) 1,044 Michael Witkowski (R) 766 Ward 1: Liz Foster (D) 387 "Fritz" Ohloff (R) 225 Ward 2: Charlie Kelly (D) 254 Beverly Phillips (R) 147 Ward 3: Phil Shea (D) 487 Robert Werlau, Jr. (R) 262 Ward 4: Steve Gold (D) 356 Jack Cahill (R) 210

Ward Map

Today is Election Day -- Do you know where to vote?

If not, here's the list of polling locations by ward:

• 1st W. 1st D. A Tompkins Hose Co., Route 9D Entrance, 13 South Avenue
• 1st W. 2nd D. A Rombout School, Gym Entrance, 84 Matteawan Road, Beacon
• 2nd W. 1st D. A Tompkins Hose Co., Route 9D Entrance, 13 South Avenue
• 2nd W. 2nd D. A Tompkins Hose Co., Route 9D Entrance, 13 South Avenue
• 2nd W. 3rd D. A Tompkins Hose Co., Route 9D Entrance, 13 South Avenue
• 3rd W. 1st D. A Memorial Building, Teller Avenue Entrance, 413 Main Street
• 3rd W. 2nd D. A James V. Forrestal School, Main Entrance, 125 Liberty Street
• 3rd W. 3rd D. A Memorial Building, Teller Avenue Entrance, 413 Main Street
• 4th W. 1st D. A Memorial Building, Teller Avenue Entrance, 413 Main Street
• 4th W. 2nd D. A Memorial Building, Teller Avenue Entrance, 413 Main Street

If you're still not sure, you can look up your polling place here.

Water Worries

For the November/December issue of the Dispatch we're looking to speak with people who have been effected adversely by the installation of new water meters. ie, you got the new meter plus a bill for water usage dating back several years.

If you've faced this problem, please email us at editors(at)beacondispatch.com. (You'll need to replace the (at) with an @.)

Thanks

Meet the Candidates

This November 8, the citizens of Beacon have a rare opportunity to decide on the makeup of a new city council. Every one of the six seats -- 4 wards and 2 at-large -- are up for grabs. Many of the candidates have gone door-to-door to make their case, but if you weren't home there were few opportunities to learn more. There was a debate scheduled at the Howland Cultural Center, but as we mention in this month's editorial, it was canceled. The subsequent "Meet the Candidates" meetings were poorly publicized and attendance was relatively sparse (roughly the same 40 people showed up at each meeting.) How are concerned voters meant to form an intelligent opinion on the candidates?

Below we present some more information to help you make a smart decision on Tuesday. If you want to know more about your ward candidate's record, give them a call. We've included their phone numbers below for your convenience. There's still time to learn who you want to lead Beacon in the next two years. Once you've reached a decision, be sure you come out to vote on Tuesday.

Hiddenbrooke – the Developer Responds

by Jack Sine

With new houses springing up all over Beacon, open land in the city is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. That is the main reason the Dispatch ran an article in the September issue detailing the difficulties of building on the Hiddenbrooke property on DePuyster Avenue, a 123 acre wooded site formerly owned by the Ursiline Sisters and now the property of developer Larry Kalkstein’s Preshrock Corporation.

The primary deterrent to development noted in the previous article was water. During the rainy season, runoff creates serious problems for the residents of Jessen Park, a development that was once part of Hiddenbrooke. As resident Bernadette Clemens noted, “When it rains, the mountain weeps and we get floods in Jessen Park.”

Beacon Voices: Edwin Lee Gibson, "Actor-vist"

by Michael Daecher

The waiter approached our table, “We only have ‘Plantation’ rum, sir.”

Edwin laughed, “Now how are you gonna offer a brother a drink with a name like that? Come on!” He then left the waiter off the hook and placed his order.

Edwin Lee Gibson is an actor who believes strongly in speaking his mind. Maybe that’s what makes him so popular with the kids. I first encountered Edwin more than a year ago at the first community meeting to discuss the Beacon Master Plan. There he asked some tough questions about how people outside of the meeting would be involved. One of the few African Americans in attendance, he may have made some people feel uncomfortable about starting such an ambitious project without input from the entire community. Rightfully so.

Over the past six weeks you could have found Edwin reading and acting out stories for small children, such as “The Lorax” and Shel Silverstein’s “The Giving Tree.” Edwin and his theater partner Daphne Richards created the program, which they call The Petry Dish, as a prelude to a larger community theater project. With a strong commitment to community, keen intellect, and an easy laugh, Edwin may be one of the few people that could bring people onto the stage who have never set foot in a theater. I sat down with Edwin over drinks at a steak house in Fishkill to talk about how he made it to Beacon, and why he feels that theater is critical to our future as a city.