Beacon Dispatch

Beacon Survey Deadline Extended

DEADLINE FOR RETURN OF
BEACON COMPREHENSIVE PLAN SURVEYS
EXTENDED TO MONDAY, JULY 10 AT 5PM

Residents and business owners who have not yet
completed their surveys now have a few extra days!
Please return completed forms to City Hall or
to the Howland Public Library by 5PM on Monday,
July 10. Extra surveys are available at the Library
and at City Hall. For more information, call
845-838-5000. This survey is an important
opportunity for your voice to be heard!

School Budget Passes

22% Increase in Voter Turnout Makes the Difference

Tuesday's school budget vote saw 545 more voters turn out, which turned the tide for the district and resulted in a 57% to 43% approval of the new budget. While fewer voters rejected the budget this time around than they did in the May election—1399 in May compared to 1288 yesterday—that difference would not have been enough to pass the budget. The election was won by the more than 500 voters who turned out for this vote, all of whom, it appears, voted in favor of the budget. Pushing those in favor of the budget to a total of 1733 votes, or 656 more "yeas" than last month's 1077.

Hat parade today at 11:30

Be sure to check out the Hat Parade today at 11:30. The parade starts at the west end of Main Street and continues down through the east end. You can see some photos of last year's parade here.

If it rains, the parade will happen tomorrow at 1. See the BACA site for more details of the day's festivities...

Special School Board Meeting Set for Tonight

The Beacon School Board has a special public meeting planned for 8:30 this evening at the High School. Up for discussion are whether or not cuts should be made to the budget and what, if any, services should be eliminated in the 2006-7 school year and whether or not the budget should be put to a second vote sometime in June.

To put this into some kind of perspective, as of this year with a budget that passed last May, the district elementary schools had to make cutbacks and share several teachers between schools. Phys Ed., Instrumental, and Choral Music teachers have spent the year rotating between all the elementary schools. During the last school year these same teachers were working full-time at one district school, giving students more comprehensive Phys Ed. and Music educations.

School Budget Sent Packing

Howland Library's Budget Voted Down as Well

Yesterday's school budget was defeated by a 13% margin (1399 No votes to 1077 Yes votes). Beacon residents also voted down the district's appropriation of funds for new buses.

The Howland Public Library, which was asking for a reasonably small 3.5% increase over last year's budget, was voted down by a 25% margin. (1521 No votes to 921 Yes votes.)

All running school and library board members were voted into office as there were only enough candidates running to fill the empty seats.

Percentages have been rounded.

New York Post discovers Beacon

The New York Post jumps on the Beacon bandwagon with this piece in the Real Estate section of Thursday's paper. My favorite quote:

"Beacon is different things to different people: small-town America, a green-minded oasis, a blue dot on Dutchess County's red map. What everyone can agree upon is that Beacon, dramatically situated at the base of Mount Beacon., is changing for the better."

(Note: free registration is required to view the Post site.)

Correction: Building torn down on Verplanck and Main

Roving photographer John Fasulo took this shot of the renovated building being pulled down on Verplanck and Main Street. The building did not collapse, as was first reported here. Reports are coming in that the City ordered the building be torn down because the frame was starting to shift. Anyone with more information is welcome to comment below...

More Police/City Hall Drama

The Poughkeepsie Journal is reporting today that City Administrator Joe Braun has had a suit filed against him alleging that Braun told the City of Beacon Police to, "...have [no] contact of any kind, either directly or indirectly," with two City women. These women allege that City of Beacon Police Detective Tony Rios lied when claiming to save an infant's life in November of 2004.

More bad news for the Beacon Police

I realize there's more to talk about in Beacon than the police department, but the news just keeps getting worse. Today Dan Paulsen reports in the Poughkeepsie Journal that another lawsuit has been filed, this time against two police officers accused of beating a man while in custody in 2003.

The suit is one of "at least four federal lawsuits pending against Beacon police, including three lawsuits that name [Frank] Pompilio as a defendant." The suits all allege that defendants were the victims of excessive force while in custody.

Possible demotion for Chief Sassi?

The Poughkeepsie Journal has the latest on Beacon Police Chief Richard Sassi, who was the subject of a disciplinary hearing on Friday.