Beacon Bits -- Beacon's Buzz

When you look at a beehive, you know there's a lot of productive activity going on inside. Every bee has a purpose and mission to fulfill, and collectively, the outcome is greater than the sum of its parts. So it's no coincidence that the Common Ground Farm Fair Food Committee* chose to host a free showing on July 15th of the documentary The Greenhorns, about young farmers, at BEAHIVE, the innovative and progressive workspace in the center of Beacon. The "hive" was the perfect venue to bring Beaconites together to view this film, which depicts the choices and challenges of sustainable farming, and to personally meet the local farmers and apprentices of our CSA with time for Q&A, refreshments and prizes.

In speaking to Scott Tillitt, founder of the BEAHIVE's Beacon site, the mission of the BEAHIVE was greatly clarified; I understood that the hive is more than renting work space to those who need an office, rather, it is an interconnected system of individuals who have common goals and values for sustainable living while advancing the level of community for all participants. It is a place  to come together to support the larger Beacon community and collaborate on projects of mutual interest. It is a place for belonging and membership.

*The Fair Food Committee offers support in the form of stipends for individuals who qualify for a subsidy to purchase a share for Common Ground's CSA; purchases a share that is distributed to two local food pantries (St. Andrew's in Beacon and First Reformed in Fishkill); and collaborates with the Cooperative Extension's Green Teens program that educates students about food justice by scheduling deliveries to seniors and those who may not ordinarily seek out healthy food choices based on convenience, habits, or limited funds.
Some food for thought: The buzz about Beacon has reached notoriety with the recent CNN advertisement with designer Mark Bastien's drive to Beacon and the New York Times article by Paul Appelbome after his July Second Saturday visit. But the real buzz in Beacon occurs in the center of Main Street, which Appelbome characterizes as middle America--"waiting for better days", the stretch between the east and west coasts--"where the cool people hang out". However, it is this very middle ground that brings Beaconites together as a community in the form of partnerships, meetings, gatherings and events, such as free film showings at the Howland Library, community chorus at the Howland Cultural Center, dancing at Rosa's Exercise Dance Studio or Yanarella's, purchasing chocolate delights at Alps Sweet Shop or bread at All You Knead, working together on a fundraiser at BEAHIVE and attending a book signing or  lecture sponsored by BIRE--where former Mohawk tribal chief James Ransom shared insights about Native American spirituality and the environment on July 19th at BIRE's Dennings Point location. He spoke volumes about community spirit; his comments about building community through common interests and activities amplified my own beliefs about finding meaning and purpose through participation and engagement in diverse activities (i.e., occupations) that are valued and important. This shared sentiment is what the real buzz in Beacon is all about. Take time to get involved. Sign up. Join in. Gather together. Reach out. Meet up. Support local business and nonprofits. Do something new. Contribute. Receive. Belong. Become a member of the hive!

Beacon Bits - Glass Half Full

The fundraiser, "Brewed, Baked and Blown", held on Saturday, June 18th, for the benefit of renovations for The Beacon theater in affiliation with 4th Wall Productions(http://4thwallproductions.net/Beacon_Blog/Beacon_Blog.html) offered tastes of Keegan Ales (http://www.keeganales.com/) in handblown beer glasses by glass artist Kathleen Andersen of Hudson Beach Glass (http://www.hudsonbeachglass.com/). The perfectly shaped-for-every-size-hand, classic beer glass measuring 1/2 pint was a gift to those who attended the benefit; each glass wore it's Frost & Justice medallion in honor of the recipes of two local brewed beers from rival families that apparently brought everyone in two neighboring towns together. Kathleen demonstrated her glassblowing technique and was a joy to watch as she effortlessly rolled, sealed and stamped a finished product. In her own words, she explains how she uses her creative talent under the watchful eye of John and Wendy, co-owners of Hudson Beach Glass, in the landmark firehouse with the kiln that is always fired up at the west end of town: "I graduated in 2008 with a BFA from Alfred University, with a Concentration in Glass and Painting. My love for teaching comes from the basic joy of sharing something I love with others. Being present to see the surprise and wonder on a student's face the first time they work with the glass, to seeing the satisfaction and joy that is present when they finish a piece, is what makes teaching glass so amazing, and fun." Kathleen radiated as she spoke about her passion with her own inner fire;  she exuded enthusiasm and undoubtedly inspires others to give it a try in one of her classes. She makes it look deceptively easy, a hallmark of an excellent teacher.

The evening was gentle with the extended evening light of early summer under a tent on Main Street with local artisan cheeses from Sprout Creek Farm (http://www.sproutcreekfarm.org/), tastes of All You Knead Bread (http://www.facebook.com/pages/All-You-Knead-Bakery/118752014803510)  and three choices of ale. A vote was cast to determine which ale would be served on tap at one of the theater's storefronts.


While the tastings were in the foreground, the background held the variety of Beaconites who had come out to support the event. I met a few new neightbors and by chance, two of them were new to Beacon and both had started a dog walking business. I was fascinated with Liz, formerly employed as an aerospace engineer, and married to a physics professor at West Point, she re-invented herself to become a service provider ( http://beacondogwalker.com/). She, like Kathleen, was full of youthful energy, drive and passion. Their positive mood was contagious.


So the overall theme of the evening was hopeful anticipation - new creations, new adventures, new performances. Some food for thought: the community of Beacon is like holding a glass that is half full. Halfway to reaching its full potential. Half of the journey complete. Halfway home. It feels right to join in to support the momentum so we can move forward together.

Beacon Bits - One Bite At a Time

An occasional blog (otherwise known as "food for thought")

in celebration of community life in Beacon, NY

After pondering the utility of sharing my personal reflections regarding the goings-on and momentum of Beacon's reformation into a modern community of artists, professionals, families, singles, locals, working class, innovative and all-around creative folks, I decided it was time to put pen to paper (since I knew nothing about how to start a blog on the internet); but by now, if you are reading this, you can see that I've begun to enter the world of blogging. So here is some food for thought.

This past weekend, early Saturday morning, I drove down Main Street and caught a glimpse of the newly opened All You Knead bakery (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/nyregion/12qbitewe.html) and began humming the Beatles' tune, "All You Need Is Love", which turned into the image of only needing a fresh-baked loaf of bread (how about gorgonzola walnut, cheddar jalapeno or olive?), some local and

international cheese from Homespun (http://www.homespunfoods.com/) and a bottle of wine

purchased at the Artisan Wine Shop (http://www.artisanwineshop.com/). With this classic trio

of bread, wine and cheese, I could imagine a hike along Dennings Point (http://nynjctbotany.org/lgtofc/nydenngs.html) or a walk towards Riverfront Park (http://wikimapia.org/1699688/Riverfront-Park) or just a quick ride home for a late brunch while reading the Times and scanning the local Poughkeepsie Journal or Beacon Press for events. But since this local shopping visualization was virtual because I was about to embark on my first MTA train ride(http://as0.mta.info/mnr/schedules/sched_form.cfm) from Beacon to NYC, I held my simple feast in my imagination until the end of the day when I could collect my local delicacies and savor the taste of home.

Inaugural Posting Written on June 13, 2011