Beacon Dispatch

Editorial: Thriving Business in Beacon

Jane Jacobs, a great urban planner and theorist, once said, “The point of cities is multiplicity of choice.”  Inside this end of the year issue, you will find a list, by no means exhaustive, but hopefully compelling enough to make you take to your feet and walk down Main Street to do your Christmas shopping.  If you have the time, see if you can walk the whole thing—you’d be amazed by the “multiplicity of choice” right here in Beacon.

Ms. Jacobs was a frequent foe of city politicians and the real estate developers who often dictated city policy.  For her part, Ms. Jacobs preferred to see growth that supported a thriving business and interpersonal community, rather than the anonymity of malls, highways and corporate interests.  Perhaps this sounds “old fashioned” or like going backwards.  But, as anyone who has lived in Beacon for 50, 30, 20 or even 10 years can tell you, when all of the business left town for the malls, there wasn’t much “town” left.  Luckily, the “town” feeling has returned to Beacon.

Of course, the debate will continue.  As we have seen over the last several years, population flux and demographic shifts can alter the needs of a city.  Whether the question is a new library, open space vs. development, police department leadership, school expansion, condominiums on Main Street, or parking levies on new businesses, we can always choose to weigh our decision against the thought, “Does this policy build community or detract from community?”

The Main Street life of Beacon’s community has come a long way in the last 15 years.  Despite the ups and downs, businesses that open and close, the balance has been in a very positive direction.  This year take a look at the street and see the festive decorations, hear the laughter and smell the sweet aromas.  Smile, and enjoy your community.  Then, “pay it forward”, spend some money on Main Street…you never know what your bit of community building can do to make Beacon a better place! 

Editorial: Vote Yes On Open Space Referendum

In November of 1909 the naturalist John Muir sent an open letter to the American people encouraging them to contact their members of Congress and encouraging them to preserve the Hetch-Hetchy Valley, “…unmarred as places of rest and recreation for the use of all the people…” At the time of Muir’s writing the City of San Francisco was, “…attempting to get possession of the Hetch-Hetchy Valley as a reservoir site, thus defrauding ninety millions of people for the sake of saving San Francisco dollars.”

The defrauding that John Muir was speaking of in this letter had nothing to do with money and everything to do with the open space that was the Hetch-Hetchy Valley; a pristine wilderness and virtual twin to the neighboring Yosemite Valley, one of the most beloved parks in our country’s National Park System.  Unfortunately, John Muir’s call fell on deaf ears in Congress and today the beauty of Hetch-Hetchy is buried beneath a reservoir and is a monument to how irrevocable and irrecoverable a natural resource is once it’s lost.

It’s unfair to compare the Hiddenbrooke to either the Hetch-Hetchy or Yosemite Valleys, but the story does illustrate an important truth: once a pristine landscape is developed there’s no way to return it to its former glory. It’s lost forever. And, in the event that some future generation decides to return a lost treasure to its original state, the cost to recover that treasure is far greater than what it would have cost to save it in the first place. What John Muir understood that most of his contemporaries did not is that once an area of open space is lost to development and modernization, it is lost forever

The residents of Beacon have a unique opportunity come November 7^th. An opportunity to preserve a uniquely beautiful piece of property. An opportunity to personally enjoy a near wilderness within walking distance of their homes. An opportunity to save for the future one of the last unspoiled landscapes inside the Beacon City limits. An opportunity to open that piece of property to public use and personal enjoyment from now until many years into the future.

Vote YES on the Hiddenbrooke referendum on Tuesday.

Editorial: Transparency and Truth

On September 26th the Beacon Dispatch learned that we were under investigation by our Internet Service Provider (ISP) for possibly violating our Acceptable Use Policy. According to our ISP someone had contacted them stating that the Beacon Dispatch website, and more specifically last month’s editorial, included anonymous postings that were, “…offensive, defamatory, and malicious,” and that they wanted our website shut down. The person also told our ISP that they were “… receiving phone calls at home and worried about their physical well being because of the site,” and that they were, “seeking legal advice on suing for libel.”

The investigation ended, quite literally, in a matter of minutes. The Dispatch site was reviewed by the ISP’s management and lawyers, we were issued an apology, and business proceeded as usual; the Dispatch website never saw a second of downtime.

Editorial: Don’t Get Schooled Again

Late last month the group that bought and now manages the former Beacon High School—The Beacon Cultural Foundation—announced that they were filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. While rising utilities costs were cited as one reason for the BCF’s financial woes, in an article in the Poughkeepsie Journal the cultural foundation’s Sam Yanes revealed what is likely to be the BCF’s strategy in future negotiations with the Beacon City School District. “We paid too much for this place,” Yanes was quoted as saying with regard to the $4.25 million that was paid for the building back in 2003. It’s expected that the BCF will attempt to set the “real” value of the building to somewhere between $1.2 and $2 million dollars and then try to renegotiate the original purchase price of the former high school with the district, which is currently holding the mortgage. This would make the former high school the only property in Beacon that has lost more than half its value over the last three years.

Editorial: Things That Go BOOM! WHINE! ROAR! In the Night

Few things are as pleasant as a cool summer night, when the humidity is low and the temperatures dip in the 60's. Too often on sticky summer nights the house is hermetically sealed with air conditioners running in every room. Opening the windows and letting in the fresh air is a rare pleasure. Until your ears are assaulted by the unholy racket that also comes with the warmer weather. The main offenders? Leaf blowers, low riders, and Harleys.

Editorial: Whose Hole is it Anyway?

If you’ve looked at Mount Beacon at some time over the last two years you’ve no doubt noticed the gaping hole that appeared there seemingly overnight. You may also have wondered why, if the City of Beacon has a steep slopes law that limits tree cutting and building on slopes greater than 15%, anyone would be allowed to strip off such wide swath of trees and leave the land bare. Who’s responsible for the hole in the mountain? The answer lies not in Beacon but in the Town of Fishkill.

Editorial: A 4% Solution

Perhaps it wasn’t surprising that May’s school budget proposal didn’t pass. Not because it wasn’t a reasonable budget, but because last year’s expected increase in taxes was a far cry from the actual increase in taxes: while a number somewhere near 8% was thrown around, what taxpayer’s actually ended up seeing on their tax bills was somewhere nearer to 20%. The difference in these numbers was the difference between the school district’s year-to-year budget increase (8%) and the increase in the tax levy (20%). The tax levy is what you actually see, or more precisely, feel when you pay your tax bill.

Editorial: Two Years, Volunteers, and a Love for this Town

With the publication of this issue—our 22^nd—the Beacon Dispatch marks the completion of two years in print. During these two years we’ve grown from a small newsletter with our first issue to a full tabloid-sized newspaper from our second issue on. All the while our intent has been to provide the City of Beacon and its residents with a paper they could call their own. A paper that sees the City as the jewel it is and that recognizes and documents Beacon’s strengths and weaknesses.

Editorial: All Politics Are Local

So many thoughts go through your head on a typical day in Beacon. Why are we still at war in Iraq? What happens if the price of oil goes too high? Why are school taxes going up? Is the police chief good for Beacon? Who is accountable? And none of these questions have simple answers.

Bruce Springsteen just released an album of Pete Seeger covers, and one of the songs is an Irish anti-war ballad first written in 1815. In it a son comes back from war with his two legs missing. His mother laments the loss of her son wailing:

"All foreign wars I do proclaim
Live on blood and
a mother's pain
I'd rather have my son
as he used to be
Than the King of America
And his whole Navy!"

This song is just one example of the songs that Pete Seeger continues to sing at elementary schools, river festivals, and other gatherings around Beacon.

Editorial: On the Waterfront

Scenic Hudson has been a champion of the Hudson River, guaranteeing that the River that Flows Both Ways will remain alive, thriving, and flowing for years to come. Over the last several years this commitment to the River has also resulted in a more specific commitment to the City of Beacon and it’s waterfront.

This month’s focus on Beacon —via The Great River Sweep—is just one of literally dozens of initiatives that Scenic Hudson has made to help recreate Beacon and its waterfront as a destination point for outdoor enthusiasts from throughout the state, the country, and, quite possibly, the world. But Scenic Hudson’s focus on Beacon’s riverside assets also highlights one of this City’s major weaknesses.

Editorial: Too much (development), Too Little (planning), (But it’s still not) Too Late

Spend a few minutes here on the Beacon Dispatch web site and you’ll discover that there’s a minor furor going on with regard to the City’s recent million-dollar pseudo-bond, which resulted in 500 hundred residents signing a petition to put the bond to a referendum. There’s also a continuing debate about the development/salvation of the Hiddenbrooke property and whether or not this and a number of properties within the Beacon City limits—including University Settlement—should be developed and how.

Editorial: A Christmas Wishlist for the Beacon City Council

Forgive us for being a bit giddy this time of year, but something about the season has got us dreaming about the future. And, like a couple of bright-eyed cherubs sitting up on Santa's lap, we've got a little wishlist for the Beacon City Council. A couple of items that we think will make the New Year bright:

Better Business Policies: New and vibrant businesses are a necessity if the City wants to make Beacon's downtown a destination for visitors to DIA:Beacon and the Hudson Valley. The City can't beg businesses to come to Beacon, but they can make it easier for businesses to get started here by reducing bureaucratic hurdles. One example? Parking. If someone wants to start a restaurant in the City of Beacon they shouldn't have to prove to the City that their patrons will be able to find parking. It's up to the City to make sure that there is parking available for the restaurantís patrons. Parking is an infrastructure issue. Hello Master Plan.

Water Meter Amnesty: Thanks for the new water meters. Glad you can read them with one man in one week rather than 2 men over two months. Now, put the money you save in man-hours toward the money you lost when the existing meters failed. Back-charging homeowners for the failure of city-owned equipment is just plain cheesy.

Beds For Heads: There are plenty of people coming to Beacon to take in the scenery, hiking, and the arts. Thereís almost no place for them to spend the night. The zoning board and city council have done well by allowing variances for B&Bs in the City, but there needs to be a more proactive stance taken on overnight accommodations. Make it safe, but make it easy to open restaurants and B&Bs in the City. Let's not just get people here for the day, letís keep them for the weekend.

Do Something About Damaged Buildings: Over the last several years there have been buildings around the city that, due to fire or some other catastrophic event, are neither livable nor reparable. They're unsafe and they're an eyesore. Change the zoning laws so that unsafe and fire-damaged buildings have to either be rebuilt or knocked down.

Fix The Sidewalks: Ask any mother with a stroller and youíll discover that a sub-Saharan road race is easier to navigate than are Beacon's sidewalks. Let's get ëem fixed!

Oh Yeah, Streets Too: Not too many smooth rides on these City streets. Let's get those fixed too.

Clamp Down On ATV Access To Mount Beacon: Being the only town surrounding Mount Beacon and the Fishkill Range thatís chosen not to enforce existing motor vehicle laws is no badge of honor. Sign on to Scenic Hudson's ATV abatement plan, put up signage, and enforce, enforce, enforce. We're willing to bet that there's more money to be made ticketing illegal riders for trespassing than there is for back-charging homeowners for water usage.

Not much, right? And like any kid at Christmas, even one or two items scratched off our list is guaranteed to make us happy. Plus, we think it will make Beacon better too.

Editorial: Government That’s Good for All

If you’ve walked or driven down the west end of Main Street lately you’ve seen the purpose and the power of a determined City Council at work. While Ron Piccone is to be commended for transforming his street level apartments into beautiful storefronts, this transformation wouldn’t be taking place if it weren’t for our present City Council. Their vision and their willingness to exert the force necessary to bring about these changes is exactly what has changed the face of the west end. 

Today there are many issues that are at the same tipping point that west Main Street was a little less than a year ago. Hiddenbrooke, East Main Mills, hydrant pressure, taxes, vandalism, affordable housing, the police department, and the master plan to name a few. Due to the retirement of several longtime council members, this month’s election will result in changes to nearly every seat on the council. If the City of Beacon is going to continue moving in a positive direction, it’s important it have the best group of council members possible.