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Since this blog started, it has doubled in readership every year, and is climbing! Over 3,000 pages are viewed each month. Articles are shared and spread on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram streams, seeing impressions of over 12,000 views per month. We know our readers and how they like to see and click on articles, and we take special care in our visuals and graphics to make a lasting impact on their day.

A Little Beacon Blog is read by Beaconites as well as people living in surrounding towns in the Hudson Valley. Day-trippers from all boroughs of New York also discover and subscribe to the blog as they plan their visit. This publication is an online destination for those looking for things to do, things to know, and aspects to celebrate and support in this community. It is through the support of sponsors and advertisers that we are able to bring fresh stories to the community and highlight the wonderful lifestyle that is available here. Our advertising programs are designed to deliver your message in a most authentic way to be a welcome eye-opener to new customers, or to reinforce your brand to your existing customer base.

Blogs are traditionally extensions of people's personalities, and A Little Beacon Blog is also that - an extension of Beacon's personality - one of many personalities that shape this town that is rich in diversity and culture. Get to know the team behind A Little Beacon Blog, and consider the advertising packages below to get in front of readers in a meaningful way! If you have any questions, please email katie@alittlebeaconblog.com.

READERSHIP - WHO ARE THE WONDERFUL READERS?

A Little Beacon Blog is honored to have captured the attention and loyalty of long-time Beacon residents of all ages, as well as new people moving here from all areas of New York and even the country. People who live all over the Hudson Valley read A Little Beacon Blog, including Beacon, Fishkill, Cold Spring, Poughkeepsie, Wappingers Falls, and other towns. People from all boroughs of New York including Manhattan and Brooklyn also read A Little Beacon Blog and find it while doing Google searches and Instagram hunts.

As one reader says, who researched moving to Beacon from Boston:

Adri Cowan
Social Media Manager,
Marvel Comics

"Through all my searching about what to do and where to go in Beacon, A Little Beacon Blog was everywhere I looked - and was the most informative, helpful and colorful source for how best to enjoy this wonderful city. Beacon has really needed a one-stop-shop for all its goodness, and ALBB has done it. I learned about some amazing new businesses through the blog, and even discovered my new favorite restaurant!"




A LITTLE BEACON BLOG IN REAL LIFE

A Little Beacon Blog is a proud sponsor of a growing number of events, including Windows on Main, Beacon Open Studios and Beacon Riverfest, as well as walks like the 3rd Annual Sickle Cell Awareness Walk for Hope and Heroes. You may see us in parades and out and about collecting pictures for our Instagram friends.

BEACON IS HOT (and not just in the summer)

Have you seen these articles about Beacon? It's exciting. Those of us who live in Beacon know it's not all Brooklyn that makes Beacon what it is, as Beacon has a deep history of change-makers, and everyone helps!

Beacon, New York City Guide (Travel) - Design Sponge 

Beacon Housing in High Demand After Ex-Beaconites Transform Beacon - Poughkeepsie Journal

Brooklyn to Beacon Transfers Share Their Stories - Poughkeepsie Journal

Beacon, N.Y.: Quaint City Rediscovered - New York Times 

A Midwinter Playground In The Hudson Valley - New York Times 

Earl’s Chimney: Family-Friendly Hike in Garrison

Please welcome our contributors: Brian PJ Cronin, editor of Hudson Valley Parent magazine and local writer extraordinaire, shares his writing talents in focusing on family-friendly hikes for our new Hiking Series. The beautiful photography is by Kristen Cronin, local do-gooder and co-founder of For Goodness Bake. Enjoy!

  

Hi! My name is Brian PJ Cronin and I’m honored that Katie has invited us to share some of our favorite family-friendly hikes in the Hudson Valley with the readers of A Little Beacon Blog.

For our purposes, we’re defining “family-friendly” as “any hike that our 3.5 year old son Cooper can walk all by himself with a manageable amount of complaining.” Although we also always tell him that if he can make it through the entire hike without being carried, he can have ice cream. Your mileage may vary.

For our first hike, we’ve chosen Earl’s Chimney in Garrison. This out-and-back hike is just over two and a half miles long (round-trip) and features a scenic overlook at the site of an old camp cabin. Only the stone chimney remains at the site, hence the name. In case you’re wondering who Earl was, or when the cabin was built, or when it was destroyed, here’s your answer: I don’t know. I even checked with the Putnam History Museum, the Putnam County historian, and the Garrison Fish & Game Club and they don’t know either. But your kids are going to ask, so better make something up. My suggestion? Ninjas.

This hike starts at the Moneyhole Mountain Access trailhead, located just across from the Garrison Fish & Game Club.

1. Begin by taking the green trail north, as it rises and falls through pine forests and next to the bubbling Phillips Brook. There are a few opportunities to go off trail and head down to the creek if you wish, but the creek will be coming to you soon enough. We always hear woodpeckers during this first section of the trail, so keep those ears open!
2. Soon you’ll hit the first intersection as the green trail ends and meets up with the yellow Catfish Loop. Turn right.
3. Now the pines thin out and are replaced by scores of mountain laurels. The trail flattens out and crosses over the brook a few times, as well as a few swampy patches. Now would be a good time to mention that you should make sure you’re wearing waterproof boots. This middle section of the trail is short, but offers plenty of opportunities for puddle-splashing and creek-dipping, so you might want to factor that into your time management. One of the creek crossings also features a small hole in the rocks that you walk over, so that you can look down and see the water rushing beneath you. I am pretty sure that Cooper would live at this part of the trail if we let him.
4. Eventually things dry out and the white trail begins to the right. The pine trees return, and during one point the trail even passes under a broken tree that fell against another tree, creating a sort of “tree arch.” As you take the white trail, you’ll finally begin to notice that you’re starting to ascend. Actually, you’ve been climbing this whole time, but so gradually that you (and your little ones) probably didn’t even notice.
5. Soon you’ll top out at Earl’s Chimney itself, 216 feet above the trailhead. Your view is directly facing the Highland Gap across the river, which holds West Point inside of it. Look down and you’ll see parts of the Garrison County Club spread out before you.
   (Note that around the summit are several blueberry bushes, but also several buckthorn bushes as well. Buckthorn berries are similar to blueberries except they’re slightly darker, lack the distinctive “crown” that blueberries have near the base, and can cause severe cramping and diarrhea. So make sure you pack enough snacks so that hungry little hands don’t get grabby.)
6. Backtrack from here to return to the trailhead. Just remember to turn left at both intersections now instead of right. Then, family reward time!

Round-trip distance: 2.7 miles

Where to park: By the Moneyhole Mountain Access trailhead, across from the Garrison Fish and Game Club, 183 South Highland Road. There’s a parking turnout down the street a bit, across from the lake.

What to pack for the kids:
    • Waterproof shoes or boots
    • Snacks and water
    • First aid kit
    • Binoculars (We always forget to bring these and always regret it.)
    • Sunscreen and hat (most of the trail is shaded, but the terminus is open and sunny)
    • Bug spray (just in case)
    • A map (See the “East Hudson Trails” map #103 of the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference Series, which is sold at Mountain Tops. On this map, Earl’s Chimney is referred to as “Chimney Top.”)

Several Beacon Businesses Celebrate Long Time Anniversaries

Starting a business is easy. If you can make it past your dream stage. Sustaining and growing a business is no joke and takes a serious amount of motivation, stamina, deftness to change with the direction of the wind, and passion for what you do. In the past week, at least three businesses in Beacon are celebrating milestone anniversaries. Sometimes a local business that you walk or drive by becomes a fixture on the street. You may never have walked in it before, but it's always there. These businesses are like that, and over the years have earned their place as a reliable fixture in Beacon's streets. Here are their stories:

Beacon Dental on Wolcott celebrates 10 years in business.

Did you know that Dr. Hongli Wang opened Beacon Dental when her son was five? While her son was even younger, she was learning English and earning her second dental degree at NYU, after moving here from Beijing, China and leaving her first dental career behind. I attended their 10th Year Anniversary party with my own 5 year old on my hip who insisted on being carried. Any parent of a young child knows how stretched you are as a parent, not to mention as a young business owner. Beacon Dental opened in Loomis Plaza on Wolcott back when it was a rough area. Thanks to Dr. Wang's gutting her office space to build it as she envisioned it, she contributed to the ongoing improvements of that area along with other businesses who have renovated the shop spaces. Loomis Plaza is a nice extension to quick and easy access to services you need in Beacon.

Beacon D'Lites celebrates 10 years on Main Street.

Beacon D'Lights started as a home-based business in founder Donna Trappe's home where she hand poured soy candles. After three years, she outgrew the space and opened up the shop on Main Street we all know today. She attributes her early success to the support of her friends and social base. Add to that the recent tourism boom to Beacon, and the candle store is doing very well.

Blackbird Attic celebrates 5 years and counting in Beacon.

Speaking of social, Michelle Caves opened Blackbird Attic five years ago at a time when there was a shift in how many antique shops and quiet vintage stores were surviving in Beacon. Today there are several antique and vintage shops that have since closed or moved, but there are also several new vintage boutiques, plus flea markets, to compete for our fashion delights. Great for us shoppers! But it requires Blackbird Attic to stay sharp on her game. She is an early bird getting worms and always has fresh ideas about how to feature the shop in social media (her Instagram feed is how I learned of the celebration), and the styles she sells.

Congrats to these three businesses, and the rest of you who are making it happen too! And I know I speak for all businesses when I say thanks for shopping nearby, because buying local improves quality of life for us all.

Beacon's City Wide Yard Sale - List Pictures In Our Instagram and Twitter!

Getting ready for Beacon's City Wide Yard Sale in a few weeks? List it in our Instagram via our newly to be coming Classifieds section! Details coming soon! Hashtags we will be using include: 

#beaconny #hudsonvalley #northofnyc #yardsale #shedsale #beaconcitywideyardsale #alittlebeaconblogclassifieds

Open Studios is Open for 2015!

You've been waiting for this city-wide gallery hop all year and it's here! When I first discovered it upon moving to Beacon years ago, it was while I was out jogging and stumbled upon a studio in someone's shed/garage.

A defining annual event in Beacon and in other towns in the Hudson Valley, Open Studios is the opportunity for artists to showcase their work from their homes, studios and any establishment who will host them. For a map on who is showing where, stop into any store and pick up a brochure!

Where will you visit this weekend?

Helicopters, Carjacking at Memorial Park and Shooting on I-84 At Exit 11, Create Traffic Blockage and Scare

Ben Royce of BeaconCitizen.com's first statement
at BeaconCitizen about his first encountering the
shooting event.

Rumors are swirling on an otherwise beautiful day here in Beacon, where the most startling thing to happen all day is the dodging of wood bees while walking outside.

Helicopters started hovering this afternoon at around 4pm, as well as early this morning between 7:30am and 8:30am.

Rumors of escaped inmates from our neighboring jail circulated, but have not been confirmed, and have in fact been denied by an anonymous source.

A phone call to Beacon Police at 4:30pm revealed nothing as they were tight lipped, saying they "could not release anything" and that all was fine, nothing to be worried about. When asked if I-84 and 9D were closed, they said no. However, drivers on I-84 reported closures, and 9D were very backed up with tractor trailers, and quite closed, causing traffic for hours. @Michael, K?, a commuter stuck in the traffic wondered via Twitter if he should stay in Beacon and have a drink.

UPDATE (5/8/15, 7:30am): Police have confirmed that a man carjacked a car at Memorial Park at knifepoint at around 3:30pm, state police in Poughkeepsie said late Thursday night, according to RecordOnline.com. The man abandoned the car on North Elm street and was chased on foot by Beacon officers as he ran across eastbound and westbound lanes of I-84. After threatening officers with a knife, he was fatally shot.

There is yellow police tape around the bathrooms at Memorial Park across from Ron's ice cream, a reader reported into us at A Little Beacon Blog's Facebook page.

I don't know who was carjacked as of yet, and thoughts and prayers go out to that driver in a scary situation.


At around 5pm (as far as I could tell) Facebook started lighting up with reports of helicopters. Prior to that, there was no talk of any mayhem as everyone was enjoying the beautiful day. One source said they were news copters. There were indeed at least 2 helicopters hovering above and east of the Newburgh-Beacon bridge.

Then a tweet tip came from @Cath619 in that a driver, Ben Royce of BeaconCitizen.com on 84 saw a knife wielding man get shot on Exit 11 of I-84 by a cop at around 3:45pm. Picture of that statement from Ben Royce of BeaconCitizen.com is above.

UPDATE: (5/8/15 10:10am): Ben has since flushed out his statement after having been to the Beacon Police Department the night of the shooting to give them his statement. Excerpted with his permission, here is Ben's experience (you can read his full description here). Ben had no prior knowledge of the carjacking at Memorial Park by this man who was to later run in front of his car and make eye contact with Ben. Ben's kids were also in the car with him, and he told them to duck as the man came running out of the woods:

"I slowed down on the entrance ramp Eastbound I-84. Because of all the police cars, I didn't want to hit a cop. As I crept forward past the police cars to where the ramp merges with the highway, the guy runs out of the woods directly in front of my car, holding a large knife.

"He motioned at me with his hand and head as if you would to someone when you're just crossing a parking lot, like: just trying to get my attention, casual. For a split second, I was afraid he wanted to get in my car. But the cops were too close on his heels, yelling at him."

***

Editors Note: I asked Ben for a description of how the guy was running. He said: "He jogged out of the woods, then he slowed in front of me. Then as the cops closed in and were yelling, he full on sprinted across the highway, which was completely insane."

***

Back to Ben's original account:

"So he booked it across four lanes of highway as if it were nothing. He hesitated more for me going 5 mph on the ramp than he did for the whole highway. Two cops ran after him, and were directly on his heels by the time all three got to the other side. It absolutely blows my mind none of them got hit, the traffic was heavy and fast.

"I turned my head to deal with my safety because now cars are honking and screeching everywhere and I'm merging, and so I didn't see the actual shooting. But I heard it. It was close quarters and with the knife, so it was justified as far as I can tell."

For Ben's full account from his perspective, read it here. He calls the event "random and insane."

In what is apparently an unrelated coincidence, Key Bank in Fishkill was robbed (or at least held up) at 4:40pm Thursday by a man who waved "what appeared to be a handgun, demanded money, and then fled" according to the Poughkeepsie Journal.  

At 6:27pm, The Beacon City Schools sent out a robo-call that the Middle School Choir Concert would be canceled for the evening.

Helicopter whirring has subsided from Beacon bridge on the Beacon side as of 6:30pm, but continue to fly low throughout the city. Not sure if they are police or news helicopters. Traffic continues to be stopped on 9D and parts of I-84, as pictured below.

Pictured below is a snapshot of 9D traffic at 5:30pm headed north after passing about 10 tractor trailers which rarely frequent 9D. Side roads had to be taken by Beaconites if anyone wanted to get home within a reasonable amount of time, but many were stuck in their cars.

Traffic stopped at 9D and 1-84 as troopers were posted all along I-84
all the way back to the Taconic Sate Parkway, according to @BoredBehindBarn
Photo Credit: @BoredBehindBarn

Making a Few Design Changes Around Here!

Hello!

This blog was started four years ago in 2011. In that time, with our coverage of different businesses popping up and rocking it with their interior design updates and website makeovers, I started to get an itch to redesign the overall look and feel of A Little Beacon Blog. The original logo is very dear and personal to me, but current shifts in web design are making a redesign just too appealing!

So we're trying out the new look of the blog over this weekend to see how it all feels. Like a new outfit, we need to see how it moves, how it stretches, and how it makes us feel. I also need approval from certain VIPs like mothers, fathers, grandmothers, brothers, sisters, husbands, and great designers around town, so I'm letting everyone look at it here in the real setting (verses me sending design mockups to their inboxes at odd hours, hoping for their instant feedback).

Thank you so much for your support so far! It has been amazing, and I hope that the redesign opens up even more opportunities for coverage for what you love in your life here in Beacon and beyond.

Most importantly, I hope that YOU like the new look!

UPDATE [6/1/15]: The new design has been made and announced here!