Line Dancing At Poughkeepsie Nissan! June 23rd Fundraiser For The Grace Smith House

You don't need a reason to dance, but when it's for a good cause, there's no stopping you! On Thursday, June 23rd, Poughkeepsie Nissan is hosting a Line-Dancing Fundraiser, where all proceeds will go to The Grace Smith House in Poughkeepsie.

If you've never line-danced before, no worries! Brandon will be giving lessons and the music is provided by CJ. The dance will be held outside at the new car lot, and there will be lots of space for dancing from 7 to 10pm.

The Grace Smith House is a safe haven for victims of domestic violence and provides support, legal advocacy, housing assistance, child protection assistance, counseling and so much more.

Poughkeepsie Nissan is located at 1445 Route 9, Wappingers Falls, NY across from Hannaford.

Want to join in for a rootin' tootin' good time? Learn more and RSVP on Facebook, see you there! 

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.

A Little Beacon Blog Is Moving! Literally! And RSS Feed-Wise (Maybe)

So, if you haven't been to our Instagram lately, DO check it out, because we've (we as in me, Katie), have been posting sneak-peek photos of big changes that were in my wish list dreams, but came true sort of quickly, and serendipitously.

I'll get to the point (because the Cable Guy is coming, and then Ryan from rSTUDIO is coming to hang some wall art, so time is tight for writing at moment!):

A Little Beacon Blog is taking an office on Main Street.

EEEEEE!!!!

This has prompted a move of our blog from Blogger, which I do love for many reasons but has grown too wonky for what are doing with it and the number of people working on editing articles - namely Marilyn and Catherine - to Squarespace. I've been designing and producing websites for 11 years for my services business, now called InHouse Design Media. In that capacity, we built websites from scratch and I didn't pursue these drag-and-drop website template platforms like Squarespace. Now that I have... Wow, am I amazed and excited. SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES with design, function, mobile, and more.

What you see here is a picture of Marilyn sitting at my desk, which is big enough to serve as a work desk when we are both here working Battleship-style. I've had this desk since I moved to NYC in 2002, and it has been my home office desk ever since. My mom bought it for me from IKEA when she dropped me off in NYC, to rent a living room in someone's apartment (yes, as my own living space).

We are hammering out the new website in Squarespace, which is almost ready. We are working on the home page right now. Tinkering tinkering!

More updates are to come. I just wanted to give you this sneak peek here at the blog. It's about to get a lot more bloggy up in here!

Thank you so much for reading thus far. More of what you love is to come.

A History of Beacon's Visitors Center

The Visitors Center is the first official welcome station to greet visitors who come in by Metro-North train or from Route 9D. It was organized by Beacon's Chamber of Commerce during the presidency of Ron Iarossi, with the help of the City of Beacon and the BeaconArts organization with the then-President Linda Hubbard, an artist and longtime tourism advocate for the Hudson Valley. The Visitors Center was built as a work of art by artists and people with passion for the area. Linda is one of the co-owners of RiverWinds Gallery on Main Street, which has served as a tourism information center for Beacon since 2004, and continues to be a backup for the Visitors Center. 

Created and built by volunteers in years prior to 2010 (we are awaiting confirmation on the year of establishment), the Visitors Center continues to be staffed by volunteers. They are all organized by Carmen, who also serves as the weekday crossing guard at the intersection of Main Street and South Avenue. The Center began as a modular building, constructed by George Mansfield, longtime city councilman and owner of the popular bar/restaurant Dogwood. George is known to get involved in public works, including the "Welcome to Beacon" letter blocks at the top of the train station, the restorative painting of the Dummy Light, and many other projects. George enlisted many local artisans, including Niche Modern for lights, to fill out the project. Interior designer Bill Miller secured a donation of paint from Benjamin Moore.

The Visitors Center sees thousands of people through its doors each year. In 2015, it saw almost 4,000 people, and that only reflects those people who registered in the official book. Many people don't write in the book, volunteers note, so the number is surely higher. People do collect information about Beacon and the Hudson Valley from the rows of brochures made available to everyone. Businesses are encouraged to distribute their flyers or brochures in the Visitors Center at no cost. Destinations ranging from the Vanderbilt Mansion to Beacon-based businesses are on display there.

Today, maintenance and updates continue on the Visitors Center. Most recently, donated air conditioning units were installed. Windows were sealed with more insulation, filling gaps two fingers wide. The Visitors Center is not totally winterized, so any bit of insulation and sealing helps. Several resources take advantage of the Visitors Center's location, including The Cold Spring Trolley, which stops there to let visitors collect information. More information is on its way: A journal-brochure about Beacon will also be produced and be distributed to Hyatt House and various bed and breakfasts.

Where to Park

Check A Little Beacon Blog's Free Public Parking Guide for parking locations and cross streets, which is sponsored by Antalek and Moore's car insurance option. There is free parking in the City Hall building from 5pm to 11pm down the hill from the Visitors Center. You will also find a small but free public lot behind Hudson Beacon Glass, and another one near Beacon Bread Company. Additionally, you may find parking on Main Street.

Latest Updates This Week In The Things To Do In Beacon Guides 6-5-16

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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• Food & Arts Festival: At Madava Farms on Saturday, June 11th.
• Strawberry Festival: The popular riverfront festival will take place on Sunday, June 12th. 
• Queen City Pride 2016: 8th annual celebration of Pride Month in Poughkeepsie, June 10th-12th.
• Family Fest: Free family expo at Dutchess Stadium Saturday, June 11th.
• Music At The Park: Free family event in Cornwall, NY, on Sunday, June 12th.
• Hudson River Exchange: 2-Day Summer Market at Henry Hudson Riverfront Park in Hudson, NY, June 25 & 26.
• Crafted HV: A new, curated 2-day shopping event coming to Dutchess Stadium in October.

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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• Hudson Beach Glass: Introduction and more bead-making classes added for rest of the year.  
• Ghost Magnets With A Twist: Paranormal group based out of Beacon added to the "Support Group" category.
• Swimming Category: New category added to include outdoor pool classes from All Sport Health & Fitness.

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

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Have you made plans yet? We've made some big updates to our Summer Camp Guide. See our Summer Camp Guide for a full listing of local camps.

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• Get Frosted Cupcakery has freshly squeezed lemonade to keep you cool.
• The Vault's outdoor patio is open for visitors to enjoy live music on Friday nights. Make your reservations now.
• BAJA 328: If you work in the Service Industry, enjoy a special dinner at BAJA 328 Service Industry Night (SIN), the first Tuesday of every month.

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

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• The Blushery is hiring! They are looking for a licensed person to work their magic for makeup and skincare treatments.

Find more ways to pamper yourself in our full Beauty 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. 

Black Bear Sighting in Beacon: What's Going On and How to Stay Safe

According to Beacon Chief of Police Douglas Solomon, an adolescent black bear cub has come out of the woods into our people-populated area. Chief Solomon confirms that the last report of anyone seeing the bear and reporting it to the police was at 8:30am Friday on Sargent Avenue near Wodenethe Drive, on the "town" side of Fishkill Creek (away from the mountain), near the Beacon Board of Education.

Local parent Erin Giunta, who lives near Sargent Elementary, was getting her young daughter ready for school and just happened to look out the front door when she saw the bear crossing the school playground this morning at 8:20am. Her eye-witness account: "The bear ran across the large field near Sargent Ave. and Knevels, then crossed the gravel path, then ran on the grass between the playground and the stone wall." Giunta called Sargent Elementary School to report it, and staff acknowledged they were aware of the bear.

Right at 8:30am, a robo-call was delivered from Interim Superintendent of Beacon Schools Ann Marie Quartironi, alerting parents of "walkers" (aka kids who walk to school) that buses are out and about to pick walkers up, to bring them to school.

Chief Solomon explains it's not uncommon to see bear cubs in the springtime in this area. "Every two years, the mother bears kick their cubs out. The cubs get confused and disoriented and end up in populated areas. At some point, it will go back into the woods," he says. To aid in that effort, the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) will come down to assist police with guiding the bear back into the woods. Chief Solomon says that efforts the police department may employ are using rubber bullets or bean bags to hit the bear and encourage it to go back into the woods. Black bears are known to be docile, and are looking primarily for trash to eat.

Both Chief Solomon and local survival and tracking expert Shane Hobel, founder of Mountain Scout Survival School, say that black bears are not aggressive, but if anyone should see it, one should not engage it. Instead, says Hobel, quietly and slowly back back away without showing aggression. Hobel says that black bears are generally scared of clanging pots and pans and bells and whistles, which is why hikers often wear the latter when they are taking on mountain trails. Black bears can be skittish, and if you encounter one in your yard, Hobel says, take the approach of a docile dog on the retreat:

• Back away slowly.
• Don't show your teeth - it's a primal sign of aggression.
• Don't raise your arms.

Bear sightings are also a time to raise awareness to contain trash and to keep it from blowing around. Press it down into your garbage can so as to reduce overflowage. Perhaps weekly recycling pickup will happen in Beacon, which would contribute to contained garbage cans. If you have a food compost pile in your yard, look into ways to seal it. Zero to Go are the food compost experts, and they include plastic bins that seal tightly in their food compost pickup program.

If you do have a bear sighting, make sure you're safe, then call the police to report where you saw it. This will help them guide the bear back into the woods. The information hotline to the Beacon police is 845-831-4111.

Big Update to the Summer Day Camp Guide - Time To Schedule Up!

Summer is happening, and as always, the schedule calls for flexibility if you want to take advantage of everything: Summer Camp opportunities in the Hudson Valley abound, for kids to vacation with friends or meet new ones at an awesome week of camp. Some even have a special focus, including kayaking, or writing at the Vanderbilt mansion with SUNY's program for young writers. Even local teachers and business owners are percolating with new ideas and creating programs that will appeal to families in the area.

Therefore, after a flurry of submissions over the past few weeks since we launched the Summer Camp Guide, we are issuing an update with more options you might want to consider in your grand planning! Because if you're like most parents, you haven't committed 100% to all of your camp intentions. Some programs have filled up, some have expanded, and some are totally new.

Highlights you'll find in this update include more short-term morning options, great for those who are not committing to full days of camp, but want their children stimulated during the day. Also great for grandparents who are in charge of kids for a week, and are looking for something to do.

Morning events are especially prevalent at the new location of Compass Arts with a variety of teachers in music, Spanish, building, and more. Compass Arts is in the middle of town near the Yankee Clipper Diner, nestled in with music destinations like Beacon Soundworks, a new recording studio on Main Street, Lord of the Strings, a repair shop for string instruments, and Main Street Music, a guitar store (and more) and a source of lessons.

Cooking camp is also in the mix now, in the lovely back outside courtyard of Beacon Pantry. Another short-day option for kids learning to cook and at minimum, learn to make their own snacks! But possibly also the family dinner.

Budding writers of different ages have a plethora of weekly options from the Hudson Valley Writing Project. Classes have been designed around different destinations for different weeks, like a week at Storm King Art Center (sold out already but there is a waiting list) to inspire the mind, and a week for “Courageous Writers” in Hyde Park to “explore the power of history” as kids visit FDR’s Presidential Library, his family home, Eleanor Roosevelt’s Val-kill, and the Vanderbilt estate.

Musical theater enthusiasts can take a summer intensive at Ballet Arts Studio on Teller Avenue for a mixture of dance training and workshopping of a performance piece.

We have a new recommendation for gymnastics camp, and that is at Dutchess Country Gymnastics Center in Fishkill, who has a different theme for every week, including "Disney Week" and "The Games in Rio."

If there are waiting lists for any option, do get on them! You never know who will pull out at the last minute.

This update was made possible by:

Eva Deitch Photography KIDS

View her photos also at Instagram: @edp_kids   

Eva is booking kids and family photo sessions now for summer.
Get creative and have Eva and her camera come to your favorite park or summer destination, or in your home or backyard!

Thank You. Memorial Day 2016

Thank you. Your service is the reason we can live in communities full of unique, deep spirit today. Beacon honors the fallen today.