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Hi,

We are moving the blog from Blogger to Squarespace this weekend. This is my first time doing that, so I'm not sure if your RSS feeds will change or stay the same. Just keep in mind that if you start to not hear from us anymore, then visit the blog to pull a fresh RSS feed.

Thank you for your patience as we make this move, which makes it easier for us to edit, publish images, and bring you more information! I love Blogger, but the code has gotten too thick and clunky. Plus, Squarespace offers some built-in, drag-n-drop, easy design tricks that made it very easy to fall in love with.

Over and Out for a bit as we tinker under the hood!

Going NOW!! Funnest Mail to Open All a Month - The Beacon Pool Pass

It came! The Season Pass to the Beacon Pool. One doesn't need a pass, but they sure are handy when dashing to the pool without thinking of day pass dollars to scrounge up.

Snacks in bag, RestoPresto.com go-anywhere ground-cover in bag, now all I need is a SimpleSarong.com buttonable towel (small business friends from my Tin Shingle world) and I'm all set!

Oh, and goggles for the 5th time this year.

Latest Updates This Week In The Things To Do In Beacon Guides 7-3-2016

With the Holiday weekend, things are a little quiet at ALBB but we do have some updates to share this week. Here's a quick list of what we added to ALBB this week so you can plan ahead. As the weather gets warmer, there will be more and more fun things to do! We've also made it easier to follow our Shopping, Beauty, and Restaurant guide sponsors by including their social media links with their listings.

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• Come on Beacon, Let's Dance!: At The Howland Cultural Center, Friday July 15th.
• Open Mic Night: At The Howland Cultural Center, Saturday July 16th.

These dates and more are in the Events Guide, organized by month. Take a look to get a big-picture view of your month ahead!

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• Kadampa Meditation: At The Howland Cultural Center, Thursdays July 7th & 14th.

Find direct links to these items and more in our Adult Classes Guide.

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• Hudson Valley Seed's OPEN GARDEN: see our article for details

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Do you have a class or workshop you would like us to consider adding? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or via email at editorial@alittlebeacon.com. 

Kids Can Spend Summer Mornings at Open Gardens at All Elementary Schools with Hudson Valley Seed

Part of what has changed Beacon for the better and forever are the agricultural initiatives that spread into different interest groups from all age groups. We have highlighted the children's gardening program before from Hudson Valley Seed, and there is a new program everyone must know about for the summer: every weekday morning from 9:30am - 11am, Hudson Valley Seed staff and volunteers are hosting open gardens, and all are welcome to join in planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, reading, and crafting. These programs run from June 27- August 19, 2016.

The open gardens will rotate between each elementary school in Beacon and one in Garrison.

Support for this article comes from our sponsor Savage Health.

Gardening tasks and kids’ activities are offered in one of the school gardens managed by Hudson Valley Seed. Participants will read books, harvest produce, and take home fresh-picked veggies and herbs!

Open Garden Times and Locations:

Mondays 9:30-11am at Glenham Elementary School, 20 Chase Drive, Fishkill
Tuesdays 9:30-11am at J.V. Forrestal Elementary School, 125 Liberty Street, Beacon
Wednesdays 9:30-11am at The Garrison Union Free School, 1100 NY-9D, Garrison
Wednesdays 3:30-5:00pm ‘Stories-n-Snacks’ in the shade of a beautiful tree beside the South Avenue school garden. All ages are invited to come hear a garden-related story book while snacking on fresh veggies from the garden. 
Thursdays 9:30-11am at South Avenue Elementary School, 60 South Avenue, Beacon
Fridays 9:30-11am at Sargent Elementary School, 29 Education Drive, Beacon

Open garden times also run in Newburgh at Horizons on Hudson Elementary School, Temple Hill Academy, the Newburgh Boys and Girls Club and the Newburgh Armory Unity Center. Visit www.hudsonvalleyseed.org for those times and locations.

If you are doing Summer Camps (see our guide for great camp ideas in the area), and you are not going weekly but are selecting days, Hudson Valley Seed's program is a great supplement! Participation in this program is free, but donations area always accepted online.

The Beacon Pool and the River Pool Open in Beacon! Grab Your Swimsuit!

Summer is here and it is just the right time to go swimming. We have a couple of great options for places to swim right in Beacon, starting with The Beacon Pool opening TODAY! Be sure to sign up to the Beacon Pool's Facebook Group for weather closures, Lost and Found postings, and group picnic opportunities.

The Beacon Public Outdoor Pool

The Beacon Pool reopened last Summer after years of sitting idle, and its first season was a big hit.  Once the city announced the pool was reopening for 2016, people anxiously waited for opening day to arrive and bought season passes early.

Season passes are still available and you can also purchase day passes at the pool for you and your family.  Day passes will be $3 for kids and seniors, $4 for adults.

The River Pool At Beacon - Floats In The Hudson River

The River Pool at Beacon will be returning in early July and will be located just off the north shore of Pete and Toshi Seager Riverfront Park.  As is tradition, the pool will be open to the public and free of charge, but you can make donations at any time.  This is a unique chance to say you swam in the Hudson River.  The pool is circular and is really a floating net, with benches lining the brightly colored perimeter under water for you to sit on, or small children to walk on. Lifeguards will be present during pool hours which will be Tuesday to Sunday, noon to 6:00 pm (weather permitting).

Speaking of swimming in the Hudson River, the 13th Annual Great Newburgh to Beacon Swim will take place on Saturday, August 6, 2016.  This is good for experienced swimmers to help raise funds to keep The Beacon Pool afloat (get it??).  The distance of the swim is about 1 mile from Beacon to Newburgh, which is 72 lengths of a standard 25 yard pool.  Pre-registration is required as they will not be able to accommodate walk-ups the day of the swim.

Don't forget, there's also always room for you to take a dip in Fishkill at All Sport's outdoor pool.

Latest Updates This Week In The Things To Do In Beacon Guides 6-26-2016

Whether's a new gallery or tattoo parlor opening, there's always something new to check out in Beacon! Here's a quick list of what we added to ALBB this week so you can plan ahead. As the weather gets warmer, there will be more and more fun things to do! We've also made it easier to follow our Shopping, Beauty, and Restaurant guide sponsors by including their social media links with their listings.

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• Film Night: At The Howland Public Library
• Independence Day Picnic: Saturday, July 2nd at Fishkill Farms
• beBhakti Yoga Grand Open: coming in September!
• For Goodness Bake: the sweet fundraiser we all love will take place September 24th. 

These dates and more are in the Events Guide, organized by month. Take a look to get a big-picture view of your month ahead!

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• Flower Readers: new class at the Howland Public Library  
• nOMad Yoga Summer Series:  new Summer yoga series at Long Dock Park, every week classes will be hosted by a different yoga studio from the area

Find direct links to these items and more in our Adult Classes Guide.

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• The Vault in-house DJ will be spinning dance music Friday and Saturday night at BAJA328.
• Barb's Butchery specials are updated every week. Every day, you can find her special burger topped with sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions and swiss cheese on a brioche bun.

You can always check our Restaurant Guide for the latest openings and promotions!

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Do you have a class or workshop you would like us to consider adding? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or via email at editorial@alittlebeacon.com. 

Experimental Fine Artist Painter Jeffrey Terreson Moves to Main Street - Opening Tonight (Sponsored)

Jeffrey Terreson is classified as a fine artist. One look at the deeply sourced lighting in his horse paintings in his Equus collection, and you know you are standing in the light of a master painter. Further inspection of the paint reveals layers and layers of textures of not just paint, but maybe sand, wax or other mediums that Terreson experiments with, which he then carves into to reveal tiers of visions applied earlier to the canvas to create the impressionistic effect.

This painting you need to experience in person. Jeffrey Terreson's Beacon gallery is at 475 Main St.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Terreson was a born artist, his talents being revealed in kindergarten, and rewarded at the collegiate level with a four-year Merit Scholarship to Columbus College of Art and Design. In his earlier years twenty years ago, national magazines such as Time and Newsweek published his fine art. Private collectors, including Ralph Lauren and Joseph Abboud, purchased or commissioned his paintings, encouraging him to challenge himself to stretch the ways he translates what he sees onto canvas.

Shadowy and beautiful.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

“You don’t need a brush to be a fine artist,” Terreson says. “Painting can be done in so many exciting ways of creating; why limit it to a brush?" Terreson can be seen using a blowtorch to further melt the painting, or carve into it with other tools. Terreson uses oil paint as a base of much of his work, and like other artists we have covered, is known for mixing other textures into the oil foundation.

Terreson is new in Beacon, but established in the professional illustration world, in Westchester and entering the gallery world in New York and the Hamptons. In the past two years (2014 and 2015), seven of nine of Terreson's museum entries were accepted. Juried by Eva Respini, a curator of MoMA, Terreson’s "Driven" was included in the Katonah Museum of Art as part of their "Line to Cone" exhibition. In addition, six of his entries were accepted into the Hammond Museum curated by David McFadden, Chief Curator and Vice President for Programs and Collections at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. In December 2015, Jeffrey was asked to donate to the collection of the New Britain Museum of American Art in New Britain, Connecticut.

Like all artists who work for hire, it can take a while before the work of passion takes the lead. After years of experimentation, Terreson is devoting his career to showing his work, in addition to making commissioned work. One of Terreson's mottos leads the way of his work: "If you don’t take a chance, you never move forward."

What would you make of these colors, and the details up close? Come in to the gallery to see for yourself.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Mixed media in Terreson's paintings.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Please welcome Jeffrey Terreson tonight (Thursday, June 23rd, 2016) at his opening at 475 Main Street from 6 to 9pm. His new home in Beacon is the former Back Room Gallery, where he has been working for weeks to set up this show. Be sure to notice his new shingle, and newly painted storefront!

We caught him last night as power drills and ladders were scattered in various parts of the room, paintings still being hung and leveled on the walls. In the hours leading up to his opening night, Terreson is moving his studio from Westchester to Beacon, where he will be painting in the back of the gallery. His works average 8-10 feet tall, so watching him paint these oversize canvases is a sight in and of itself.

A video posted by A Little Beacon Blog (@alittlebeacon) on Jun 22, 2016 at 8:01pm PDT

Because I love behind-the-scenes shots, and because I love power drills, here are a few photos of the setup on the eve of the Thursday, June 23rd opening. Hope to see you tonight at the opening! And every day after that, peeking into the windows or walking in to take a look around.

The window paper is down... Come on in!
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

All level.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

This ladder has since come down, and the horse paintings from Terreson's "Equus" collection have gone up.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Another ladder that has since come down! Ready for you to enter the room
behind it, where several paintings from Terreson's collections hang.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Also see our previous article that went deep into the back rooms of this gallery, showing you the bones of this building that you've not seen before.

Thank you for supporting businesses in A Little Beacon Blog's Community Partner Sponsors who help make this publication possible! Please contact us if interested in getting involved as a Community Partner Sponsor.

Beacon Bees Unite and Call for New Bees for Battle of the Books withthe Howland Public Library

The kids might be signed up for a week of camp or four, but maybe you can help them squeeze in one more summer enrichment activity. Starting next Thursday, June 30th, those entering grades 6 through 9 can join other kids from around our city as the Beacon Bees prepare to defend their 2015 Battle of the Books title! Battle of the Books is a nationally recognized literature contest in which young people answer trivia questions based on specific books that they have read during the summer.  The goal of the program is to promote a love of reading in students by exposing them to titles and authors that they might not encounter in school, and to inspire teamwork and good sportsmanship while engaging in friendly competition. The middle school program is entering its 12th year of participation in 2016, and Beacon's high school division is set to join in next year. (Ten regional libraries started a high school division this year, but it will take some time for Beacon's to get up and running.)

“It has always been a challenge to libraries to get middle- and high school-age students to read for pleasure and enjoyment. Yet it's so important to keep up with reading skills during the summer,” says Ginny Figlia, head of youth services for the Howland Public Library. “This is a great way to introduce them to great books and give them a feeling of teamwork and accomplishment.”

Reading is so hot right now.

For the past eleven years, Beacon's Howland Public Library has sponsored a team that competes with two dozen other library teams in the Mid-Hudson Valley for summer-reading supremacy. The Beacon Bees took summer reading first-place honors in 2010, 2013 and 2015. Beacon students in the middle-school grades gather Thursday evenings from 5 to 7 pm at the library to read and discuss eight books on a reading list. Head coaches Kristen and Tom Rigney put students through their paces as they prepare for game-show-style trivia quizzes about the assigned books.

Support for this article comes from our sponsor Savage Health.

Kids can represent Beacon proudly all summer in mini-battles against teams from Poughkeepsie, Fishkill and Cold Spring. According to Ginny, “By making it a friendly competition where good sportsmanship is encouraged, it enables kids who might not otherwise be part of a team, experience the camaraderie it induces.” The Battle is not just for born bookworms, either: The selected books span a variety of genres such as mystery, fantasy, classics, historical fiction, adventure, sports, and contemporary fiction, and this year even includes a graphic novel.
There really is something for everyone.

The program culminates with each library team’s all-stars battling in a regional competition, to be held September 17 at Columbia Greene Community College in Hudson. “It's a huge, all-day event consisting of almost 300 players, coaches, and a huge audience supporting the kids,” Ginny says.

To get involved, talk to Ginny and get your Beacon readers signed up. (Did we mention there will be pizza?) Give her a call at 845-831-1134, extension 103, or e-mail her at youth@beaconlibrary.org.  

If the Battle of the Books doesn't fit your needs, the Howland Public Library does offer the Summer Reading Program through Wandoo Reader that is worth looking into.

Arm yourself for battle - with bookworm knowledge!

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PS: We are using this moment to highlight another program at the library that parents will recognize:  the Box Tops program, where you can clip the little pink Box Top image from some of your favorite brands, like Land O'Lakes Butter, Cheerios, and more, and drop that box top in this collection box at the library. General Mills will donate funds to our local schools from the box tops collected! Usually kids do this in their school, but with school being out, a box will be available at the library. You don't have to be a kid to donate. Anyone who buys groceries and clips the box tops can participate in this donation program.

New Tattoo Parlor Moving to Main Street: Tree City Tattoo Opens This Friday

Just what is going on at 319 Main St.? We have a traditional, old-school tattoo parlor moving in, Tree City Tattoo! Larry Davis is the owner and sole artist who will be working out of Tree City Tattoo. Larry has over 30 years experience tattooing, and he runs another shop, Gateway Tattoo, over in Suffern, NY (Rockland County), where he is from.

The Beacon tattoo shop will feature a variety of well-known national and international guest artists. "I feel that Beacon and the Hudson Valley in general can and will support a rotating roster of some of tattooing's best artists. I set Tree City up like a traditional tattoo parlor, with a private studio feel." Beaconites and other ink fans on the Hudson's east side will have amazing opportunities to get a tattoo from a visiting artist we wouldn't see otherwise, because they're from another part of the country or the world!

Tree City Tattoo is on the same block as Binnacle Books and Get Frosted Cupcakery.  So after sitting through a session like a champ, you can treat yourself to something sweet!

Tree City Tattoo officially opens this Friday, June 24th. An official website is in the works, but you can check out and follow Larry Davis' work on Instagram at @treecitytattoo or @larrydavistattoo. To book an appointment, you can email him at treecityny@gmail.com or call (845) 765-8686.  Welcome to the neighborhood!

June Happenings at All Sport Health & Fitness To Start The Summer Off Right! (Sponsored)

Happy first day of Summer! Now that the pool and outdoor park at All Sport are open, this is the perfect time to visit All Sport Health & Fitness this Summer! With long summer hours, the pool and outdoor park are open to you to cool off in the hot afternoon sun! In addition to their outdoor and pool activities, All Sport is hosting special events and classes throughout the Summer.

Check out what is scheduled for the remainder of June. It includes outdoor classes like Aqua Boogie, H2O Body Blast, Yoga For Tennis Players, and live music!

As you may have heard, the New York Blood Center is in need of donations. All Sport will be doing their part by hosting a Blood Drive today from noon to 6 pm.

Summer Camp registration at CampFIT is still open and includes Summer Day, Teen Travel and/or Tennis Camp.

Let All Sport be a part of your family's Summer fun!

All Sport is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and this article was created with them as part of our Sponsor Spotlight program. It is with the support of businesses like this, that A Little Beacon Blog can bring you coverage of local happenings and events. Thank you for supporting businesses who support us! If you would like to become a Sponsor or Community Partner, please click here for more information.

Latest Updates This Week In The Things To Do In Beacon Guides 6-19-16

Happy Father's Day! Here's a quick list of what we added to ALBB this week so you can plan ahead. As the weather gets warmer, there will be more and more fun things to do! We've also made it easier to follow our Shopping, Beauty, and Restaurant guide sponsors by including their social media links with their listings.

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• The Nighttimes, Pontoon, and Fearless Super Pictures: Live performance at The Howland Cultural Center, Friday, June 24th
• Beacon Independent Film Festival Fundraiser: Saturday, June 25th
• Chronogram Block Party: Uptown Kingston on Saturday, August 20th
• Speed of Sound Festival: With The Lumineers on Sunday, August 7th, at Dutchess Airport 

These dates and more are in the Events Guide, organized by month. Take a look to get a big-picture view of your month ahead!

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• Language Classes: More classes added from The Beacon Pantry  
• Zumba: Dates added from Beacon Recreation Center
• Flamenco Dancing: Workshop at Ballet Arts Studio on July 2nd

Find direct links to these items and more in our Adult Classes Guide.

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• Chocolate croissants from Get Frosted Cupcakery make any breakfast in bed worth the crumbs left behind.
• The Vault offers lunch deals and special deals and discounts for residents, also Happy Hour listings

You can always check our Restaurant Guide for the latest openings and promotions!

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• Reservoir & Wood will be hosting a Pop-Up shop the weekend of July 9th-10th.

See more Pop-Up shops coming your way in our Pop-Up Guide.

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Do you have a class or workshop you would like us to consider adding? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, or via email at editorial@alittlebeacon.com. 

Movie Filmed on Main Street is by British Romance Novelist Katie Fforde to Air in Germany

Get out your lawn chairs, because you've got a lot of binge reading or viewing to do. Last week, a movie from British romance novelist Katie Fforde filmed on the West End of Beacon's Main Street, filled with extras, hair and makeup people, and even yellow cabs from New York City. This made-for-TV-movie called "Dancing on Broadway" will air in the fall in Germany on ZDF, "one of the biggest and most renowned television broadcasters in Europe" (according to ZDF's website). This movie is part of a collection of other made-for-TV-movies from Fforde that are set in the Hudson Valley. According to ZDF, "Katie Fforde’s romances are ideal for transposing to the TV screen. Everything that makes her novels so popular – sparkling dialogues, love of life, beguiling characters – also infuses the TV movies based on them." Beacon's City Administrator, Anthony J. Ruggiero, informs us further: "From what we were told, in the past they have shot fifteen episodes of this series in the Hudson Valley over the past seven years, also working in Beacon in episodes past, both in private homes as well as on Main Street."

The camera tent covering camera equipment.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Yellow cab New York taxis used in a scene.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Last Monday and Tuesday, the film crew was in Beacon to film a short street scene with a fancy car, perhaps a leading man, plenty of extras walking up and down the street, and even yellow cabs straight out of New York City. Beacon was chosen because of its likeness to Brooklyn with tree-lined streets with small shops. According to American crew members, Fforde is in love with the Hudson Valley and Beacon itself, which makes sense being that she lives near Stroud, Gloucestershire, which is described by Wikipedia as being "noted for its independent spirit and cafe culture."

To see a clip of what life on a part of Main Street was like that day, see this footage from citizen reporter, Jean Noack:



You may have rubbernecked to see what was going on as you slowly drove by, only to see a lot of people huddled around a TV monitor in front of Berkshire Hathaway, Notions-n-Potions, or down the street from Artisan Wine. The movie did close the street for short periods of time, and the production hired a police officer to help direct traffic. Says Anthony J. Ruggiero, "They did a pretty good job of keeping the sidewalks and street open. The City insisted that they work with the Main Street businesses." The City of Beacon was paid a rate of $2,500 per day for a total of $5,000 which goes into the general fund. Ruggiero stated that "the production did rent space from some of the property owners for the movie." Several other storefronts may have been "in the shot," meaning, the front of stores were part of the filmed scene. Hopefully these parts make it past the cutting room floor!

The film crew may have looked like a bunch of New Yorkers, but several of them were from all over the country, including Massachusetts and Florida. This was a non-union film, so there's a larger pool for hiring crew members who are not in unions associated with filming like the DGA (Directors Guild of America). Usually, Beacon is too far a distance from New York for unions to let their crew members travel without generating further travel compensation.

Look for this film in the fall if you know how to watch German TV, or if you register to view at ZDF. According to someone at Reddit, the movie collection in Germany is wildly popular. Watch it, and see which spots you recognize!

Watch this clip with Fforde to get an idea of her spirit if you have not read her books yet. She is a mother of three, and did not begin writing under after her third child was born. Inspiring.

New York Blood Center Declares Blood Emergency

As we approach the summer months, the New York Blood Center (NYBC) has declared a shortage of blood and is in a state of emergency. NYBC urges the public to donate at blood drives, centers or mobile units to replenish the community’s critically low blood supply. Recent national tragedies are reminders that it is imperative for NYBC to always have an adequately stocked blood supply to respond when communities are faced with patient traumas (accidents usually increase in the summer) or other events that require life-saving blood products.

The closest donation locations to Beacon can be found here listed by date and address, and include All Sport Fishkill, Adams Fairacre Farms in Wappingers Falls, St. Mary's School, and the East Fishkill Donor Center.

In order to maintain a safe blood supply, a seven-day inventory of all types must be continually replenished. Companies, organizations, and community groups are encouraged to donate or host their own blood drives to help rebuild the blood stock - NYBC’s staff can help each step of the way.

O-negative blood donors are considered “universal,” and their blood type is needed most in trauma situations and emergency rooms across the country. Due to its high demand, O-negative blood is in short supply and NYBC encourages individuals with this blood type to consider stepping forward to donate today. "Our local blood supply has reached a critically low level, with under a two-day supply of O-negative, B-negative, and A-negative," according to a press release from the New York Blood Center. "As we head into the summer months, we are reminded of how essential it is that our community maintain steady participation in blood donation. Preparation for events such as these - having blood on hospital shelves in advance - is key to potentially save lives. "

“By spreading the word or even hosting your own blood drive, inviting friends, family, and community organizations, you may save lives in your community,” said Andrea Cefarelli, executive director of NYBC. “We are in dire need of O-negative blood with a reserve that is currently below a two-day supply, and that is just too low.”

Historically, during the summer months, blood centers have had to focus on building up the community’s blood product supply, as it tends to diminish due to seasonal factors. While summer months are marked by a long vacation period, with schools in recess and leisure time, the need for blood never takes a vacation. NYBC urges individuals to seek out nearby blood donation centers and to engage in the selfless act of donating, helping to prevent a summer blood shortage and potentially saving the life of someone in need.

More About Blood Donations

The entire donation process takes less than an hour and a single donation can be used to save multiple lives. Donors with O-negative blood type, or “universal donors,” are especially encouraged to donate, as their blood can be used in emergencies. Nearly 2,000 donations are needed each day in New York and New Jersey alone. About one in seven hospital admissions requires a blood transfusion, and with a limited shelf life, supplies must be continually replenished.

If you cannot donate but still wish to participate in bringing crucial blood products to patients in need, please ask someone to donate for you, or consider volunteering at a local blood drive.

Any company, community organization, place of worship, or individual may host a blood drive. Blood donors receive free mini-medical exams on site including information about their temperature, blood pressure and hematocrit level. Eligible donors include people who are at least age 16 (parental consent is required for 16-year-olds), who weigh a minimum of 110 pounds, are in good health and meet all Food & Drug Administration and NY or NJ State Department of Health donor criteria. People age 76 or older may donate if they have a doctor’s note on file with New York Blood Center or if they bring one on the day of the blood drive.

About New York Blood Center

Now more than 50 years old, New York Blood Center (NYBC) is a nonprofit organization that is one of the largest independent, community-based blood centers in the country. NYBC’s mission is to serve the 20 million people in the New York metropolitan area - and more broadly, our nation and our world - by alleviating human suffering and preserving human life using our medical expertise.

Each year, NYBC provides approximately one million blood products to nearly 200 hospitals in the Northeast. NYBC also provides a wide array of transfusion-related medical services. NYBC’s National Cord Blood Program (NCBP) at the Howard P. Milstein Cord Blood Center is the home to the world’s largest public cord blood bank, which provides stem cells for transplant in many countries, and a renowned research institute, which — among other milestones — developed the hepatitis B vaccine and innovative blood purification technology. Website:  nybc.org

To donate blood or for information on how to organize a blood drive:
Please call toll-free: 1-800-933-2566

Website: http://www.nybloodcenter.org/blood

Facebook: www.facebook.com/newyorkbloodcenter

Twitter: @NYBloodCenter

Instagram: @newyorkbloodcenter

Yay City-Wide Yard Sale 2016 in Beacon, NY!

Despite the rain, people are turning out for all that Beacon has to offer today. Events include Beacon's City-Wide Yard Sale, and the art-based Second Saturday, which retail shops also piggyback on to help kick off the excitement early in the day. Like the Niche Modern Big Sale!

A few drizzles and one or two downpours did spill into a few backyard hot-dog grills to lure in customers from the sidewalks. But otherwise, the sun is trying to peek through.

Happy June! :)

The Back Story on the Artist Taking Over the Back Room Gallery

When space opens up on Main Street, it's a dreamer's paradise and there's sometimes a silent run to see who will fill it, and with what. The gallery formerly known as Back Room Gallery, at 475 Main Street, which used to show 30 artists and had a secret back room that wasn't much talked about in recent times, has a new artist completely filling the space - and hopefully using the mystical back room.

When friends of Bedford, New York, native Jeffrey Terreson bought the building that houses the gallery, they invited him to fill the space with a Pop-Up gallery takeover from June 23 to September 25. Terreson's paintings hang on the walls of IBM, NBC and other establishments, and have been included in curated shows and several homes that owners or interior designers have fashioned. The Opening Premiere of Terreson Beacon will be on Thursday, June 23rd, a common weeknight for gallery openings.

But even more traditional in Beacon is Second Saturday, and Jeffrey will be in the space, measuring the walls that night for some of his larger works to fit through the door, and you are encouraged to come in and say hi. That's right - he has paintings that were 10 feet tall - "were" being the key word here. The door to this gallery is 8 feet tall, which is still very tall for a normal storefront door. When you do stop into this gallery to take a #behindthescenes peek, do look up at the top of the door as you open it. It's really tall! But not tall enough for a 10-foot painting, which Jeffrey had to get trimmed down.

The painting of this horse hangs first, as a welcome and representation of what more is to fill the gallery. Known for his series on horses, but not limited to them, Luxequestrian notes this about Terreson's style: "It is his abstraction - paired with dynamic color, texture, and light - that best describes his method of conveying the spirit of horses."

 A photo posted by @jeffreyterreson_fineart on Nov 11, 2015 at 5:21pm PST

The back room of the gallery formerly known as The Back Room Gallery is breathtaking. Pictured here are Terreson and his daughter. (She's also an artist, studying painting in California and how it can contribute to social movements.) This room of the gallery may be used as Terreson's live studio where he will be in Beacon, painting.

"I am inspired by the things I don’t see, including its revelation in the processes I have yet to discover."
 - Jeffrey Terreson

Terreson makes his own materials to create with, gaining inspiration from what is around him, artists he admires, and using different materials within his paint. around him. This raw space on Main Street next to the Howland Cultural Center will be just that place for him, with revealed brick walls quite unlike we are used to seeing when reading real estate listings.

Mark your calendar for Thursday, June 23, 2016 for Terreson's opening in Beacon at 475 Main Street. Follow Jeffrey on Instagram and Facebook for his latest developments. Meanwhile, pop your head in this Second Saturday, where he will be setting up shop... or, shall we say, setting up studio?