Beacon Dispatch

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.

City Installs New Water Meters

But some residents get soaked

by Karen Maserjian Shan

At first, Bennett Gray was pleased to find out her old water meter was being replaced with a new one.

“I got the postcard in the mail that just said, ‘We’re coming around installing new water meters,’ and I thought, ‘That’s probably a good idea,’ “ said the City of Beacon resident.

After the new meter was installed, however, she received a water bill for $140 – three times the usual $48 amount for each billing quarter. She called the city offices for an explanation.

“All I heard from the city was, it (the water bill) was estimated before and now it’s an actual reading,” Gray said.

But Gray’s bill wasn’t her usual quarterly fee. It was for back charges for past water usage that was unaccounted for in the estimated billings.

“I didn’t like that I wasn’t told what was going to happen,” Gray said.

She’s not the only one.

Top Stories of 2005

by Michael Daecher

It wouldn’t be a year end issue without an end of the year list, and this year is no exception. 2005 was a busy year in Beacon: we saw the dilapidated New York Rubber factory burn to the ground, we broke ground on the new Wee Play Children’s Park, and we enjoyed the first Spirit of Beacon photography show. Below you’ll find—in no particular order—some of the stories we heard people talking about the most, whether we were getting a hot dog at Beacon Lunch or buying nails at Nichol’s Hardware. Think we’re missing something? Tell us what you think!

1. Howland Library Vote
Opinion was sharply divided in Beacon (heck, we couldn’t even decide on one position for our editorial) over the new design for the Howland Library, but the people of Beacon decided by a 3 to 1 margin that this version was too much, too fast. Some say it can be done better, for less money. Let’s hope that’s the case, and this issue doesn’t lose steam. Beacon needs a new library. Anyone who stood in line for hours in the current library to cast their vote in the sweltering heat would attest to that.

Wood Burning: an Alternative to High Fuel Costs

by Jack Sine

With fuel oil and natural gas prices significantly higher than last year, many people are turning to firewood as a way to stretch their heating dollar. If you’re thinking of becoming one of them, there are several things you should know.

First, burning wood in your fireplace won’t reduce your fuel bill very much. It may even increase it. That’s because, unless you’re using a newer energy efficient unit, most heat from a fireplace goes right up the chimney. And, because a fireplace draws air from the home, it may be taking already heated air from your home, requiring your furnace to work harder.

The Care and Feeding of the Live Christmas Tree

by Jack Sine

There are a great many things to be said for getting a live Christmas tree. And there are several thousand reasons not to get a cut tree. They’re called pine needles. They hide in your carpet, your furniture, and your flooring waiting for the first warm day of spring when you walk barefoot through your living room and discover, painfully, that the vacuum cleaner doesn’t pick up everything.
If you’re opting for a live evergreen this year and foregoing the doubtful pleasure of discovering hidden pine needles well into summer, there are several things you need to know in advance.

Beacon Voices: Mr. Albert Bell, Barber

by Michael Daecher

The tv was tuned into the Iowa / Minnesota football game on a sunny Saturday afternoon in mid-November. Iowa was killing, but few of the customers seemed to notice. Above the tv a hand-written sign quoted the Bible, “In all these ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thee” and signed photos of semi-famous locals and knick knacks from 16 years in business cluttered the walls. I sat in the back of the Main Street Beauty Shop and watched as the proprietor of the shop, Albert Bell, played an animated game of checkers with a friend. From the looks of it, they’d played a few times before. But Mr. Bell (all the people in the shop call him that) showed me a tally sheet proving he held the advantage over time.

There are three generations of barbers cutting hair at the Main Street Beauty Shop: Albert, his son Michael Sr., and his grandson Michael Jr. They run a successful business, and have done for many years. All were busy clipping, shaving, chatting, and listening (yes, barbers are like bartenders in that way.) During my all too brief visit, Mr. Bell sat with me and shared his philosophy of biweekly haircuts and a good shave.

Chevron-Texaco Property to be Sold in Glenham

by Jennifer Sipple

The Chevron-Texaco property in Glenham is about to be sold to a developer. The red brick buildings that glow in afternoon light and the aluminum warehouse-like structures scattered among them make up the former research facility at Old Glenham Road. But that is only part of the 150 acres. Fishkill Creek winds through the property, centering on a waterfall that thunders alongside the brick buildings. At the base of the falls and throughout the narrow gorge, fishermen can often be seen tossing their lines. Across the creek, along Washington Avenue lies a section of the property known as the “recreation area.” This 93-acre parcel runs up the base of Fishkill Ridge and is bordered on two sides by Beacon Hills and Hiddenbrooke. Decisions made by developers and the Town about this property will have a large impact on residents of both Beacon and Fishkill.

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Paul Petel of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) says that there is still evidence of Volatile Organic Contaminant in the Texaco recreation area. Petel says that the contamination may have been caused in 1986 by a drum tipping over, and that the DEC will have the contaminated area excavated and then back-filled with fresh soil “in the very near future.” At the time this article was written, a public meeting to discuss the clean-up of the recreation area was scheduled to be held at the Glenham Firehouse on November 30. Spokespeople from Chevron-Texaco and from the DEC were to be in attendance.

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Christmas in July Revives Beacon’s Winter Symbols

by Jeremy Freeman

According to BACA director Sara Pasti, last year’s Main Street decorations were a wee bit anticlimactic, “There were beautiful wreaths (donated by the Tioronda Garden Club) hung along the street, but they weren’t lit and you couldn’t see them at night.” She mentioned things might be different this year and suggested calling up Alan Paiva owner of “Finder’s Keepers” who had hatched a plan eight months prior to improve on Beacon’s decorative Winter turn-out. Alan, perhaps like a few others, wondered why a town with such a creative and artistic contingent and a Main Street lined with friendly and enthusiastic merchants wouldn’t want to seriously deck the halls, light up restored buildings and reintroduce the decorative symbols of the winter season.

Highland Wanderer: Gateway to Mount Beacon Park

The holidays typically lead to a great deal of indoor business and frivolity with very little in the way of outdoor recreation. With time of the essence, but a breath of fresh air essential, Scenic Hudson’s Gateway to Mount Beacon Park is the perfect solution for a quick hike. Enough to get the blood flowing without trashing your wrapping and cooking schedule. Plus, what better way is there to work off that Butterball or the pound of fudge you finished off in one sitting!