Beacon Bits -- Reach for the Stars!

I attended the annual meeting of BeaconArts on June 24, which was held at the "Red Barn" at Long Dock, and hosted by Scenic Hudson. It was a beautiful evening with overcast backlighting and a muted sunset as the ferry crossed the river with commuters on board returning to Newburgh from the Beacon train station. 

It felt fitting to be down by the river close to the eve of "Sankt Hans", a traditional Norwegian festival when bonfires are lit by the water's edge commemorating the festival of John the Baptist along with Viking-pagan rituals performed on midsummer's night. There were no bonfires in Beacon, just a lovely gathering of BeaconArts members, celebrating the culmination of a year with news and announcements of wonderful projects that they have been involved with -- Riverfest, Beacon Independent Film Festival and Constellation.

The energy in the room was high as Stephen Clair spoke of the line-up for Riverfest  on 6/28/15, rain or shine; when Terry Nelson reviewed the entries and theme ("Identity") for the coming year's BIFF to be held at the University Settlement on 9D on September 18-20; and when Melissa McGill spoke of her dream come true with the opening of the landscape art exhibit called Constellation on June 28th, an installment of lights on Bannerman's Island surrounding the castle and evoking the ghost of the building's skeleton and remniscent of the Lenape Indian's guiding stars. 

I sat at the meeting and felt the impact of human ambition and drive as I witnessed each person telling the tale of their dream unfolding successfully. I realized there were more dreams in the room that had unfolded and/or are still in the works and not fully developed. I realized that the culture of Beacon supports people dreaming dreams. Big dreams. Dreams that get realized. I knew that everyone in the room had the hope of reaching for the stars, from Scenic Hudson's success in land conservation to BeaconArts' promotion of the art culture in Beacon for over ten years with support for gallery openings, the music scene and film and live theater. And I remembered another person, not in the room, but ever present to Beacon, and his own dreams; how Pete Seeger would be so proud to see Beacon flourishing with all of its dreams!

Food for thought: It's my 4th anniversary of blogging (my first post was 6-21-11), and I believe that I can claim I have the longest running and extant blog about Beacon NY. "Newcomers" (A Little Beacon Blog, and Beacon Streets) outshine my blogging skills with their high tech, hipster presentations, but my down home approach will continue to highlight the heart and soul of Beacon. I will always write from the heart. I am proud to celebrate my 81 posts; 17 followers; 15,603 hits; and free-of-advertising blog posts that are written on the fly, in between my involvement as a friend and supporter/volunteer  of many groups in the community, while working 6 days/week--work not related to my blog at all, with the exception of practicing positive psychology. I think I can refer to myself as the NPR of Beacon blogs -- the independent and commercial-free 'station' for people who think, feel, react and want to explore wide-ranging and diverse topics without bias or influence from marketing. I guess that was my dream when I first starting blogging and it continues to be my dream. So do, please, come 'dream a little dream with me'; it just might turn into a big dream, as you too might reach for the stars!

Thanks to Beacon Citizens Network for having a link to Beacon Bits!

Proud Supporter of BeaconArts and River Champion for Scenic Hudson.

Beacon Bits -- Hudson Fjord Valley

Two weeks ago, I attended a well-run and very organized meeting for the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail at the Chalet on the Hudson down by the Breakneck Ridge tunnel on Route 9D. There was an overwhelming turnout for this "final" public presentation of the proposed development plans. I was impressed with the slide presentation that broke down the project into seven segments: (1) Cold Spring station to Little Stony Point; (2) Little Stony Point to Breakneck; (3) Breakneck Ridge to Metro North railroad whistle stop; (4) Metro North Whistle stop to Dutchess Junction Park; (5) Dutchess Junction Park to Fishkill Creek; (6) Crossing Fishkill Creek; and (7) Fishkill Creek to Beacon train station. The initial segment of the project will begin this summer with the expansion of the Washburn parking lot and improvements for walking and biking along Fair Street to Little Stony Point.  The environmental review and draft master plan will proceed during 2015-2016 with ongoing community and public input. The next phase occurs in 2016 with funding already provided for the Breakneck connector in segment three above. Needless to say, this is a very large and expensive undertaking and is not without controversy. Specific information about the development plan can be found on the Hudson Highland Fjord Trail website and the slides from the presentation can be found on Scenic Hudson's update on the project.

One of the members of the audience asked a question about the 'f-j-ord' trail, clearly enunciating a hard 'j'. I realized that many people might not only know how to pronounce this Norwegian word correctly, but they may not also know exactly what a fjord is! 

The best way to describe the correct pronunciation for the word 'fjord' is to think of 'fj' as a blend of 'f' and 'y' in one syllable (making it a unusual dipthong in the English language) -- 'fy' followed by 'ord' (like 'orb' with a 'd') which maintains its monosyllabic nature. You may want to ask fellow Beaconite Sunny Gandara, who hails from Norway and who writes the blog Arctic Grub, to say it a few times the next time you see her. (Today would have been a perfect day since it is the Norwegian holiday celebrating its constitution, which was written 201 years ago. Happy Sytende Mai -- 'congratulerer med dagen'!) 

A fjord is an inlet from the sea that has been formed by glacial movement. Technically, the fjord in the Hudson River near Storm King mountain qualifies as such a formation since the valley was formed from glaciers moving southward through our region and the river is tidal from Narrows Bay to Albany. Of course, the fjords of Norway are the most famous, dramatic and majestic, but the view from river in this region is reminiscent of the fjords in the new world.

So it is exciting to think of the natural beauty of the region being enhanced by improved access for walking and biking along an historic area north of West Point to Newburgh Bay, by the roadside, close to the river and through the woods. It will create the opportunity to slow down the travel from Cold Spring to Beacon paralleling the train ride that never fails to amaze someone seeing it for the first time or on a daily commuting basis. The fjord, the river, the mountain, the trees -- it cannot get much better--or so it seems.

But it can get better since the safety for pedestrians and hikers and vehicles in the 9D corridor from Cold Spring to the Breakneck Ridge whistle stop leaves much to be desired. I travel the route twice daily and have witnessed cars that pass on a double yellow line, speeding cars going 65 mph and passing two to three cars at a clip, eager hikers standing in the road right outside of the north end of the Breakneck tunnel, bicyclists navigating parked cars hoping someone doesn't swing the door wide open without looking, as well as garbage piles along the roadside on any given Monday after a weekend of hikers, It's an accident waiting to happen---including the possibility that any incident at the Indian Point nuclear power plant could necessitate emergency evacuation through the region on a busy hiking weekend just like the recent fire in the transformer on Saturday, May 9th brought to mind. 

Food for thought: Some ideas and suggestions that might not have to wait until the final approval and funding of the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail comes to pass include the following: (1) lowering the speed limit through the corridor immediately; (2) posting no passing zone signs and having double lines only; (3) reclaiming the small parking area near the Breakneck trail head for emergency vehicle parking only and sufficient space for large garbage containers; (4) hosting a campaign offered by Leave No Trace for outdoor ethics to educate hikers about conservation and respect for nature; and (5) raising awareness that free parking should not be taken for granted with outreach and publicity to support the Empire Passport program, which supports state parks through its parking fees. Most of these suggestions would benefit the local people driving through the area on a daily basis, not only when hikers are present, and the suggestions would enhance the experience for all the visitors who may come to conquer Breakneck, but who could learn more about respecting and treasuring the highlands for future generations.

Beacon Bits -- Re-Imagining

We are always remembering what we no longer have or do. I am sure that is how the small group of dedicated volunteers who started the Mount Beacon Incline Railway Restoration Society (MBIRRS) felt when they looked at the mountain and no longer saw the railway, but could still remember the ride up to the top. Mike Colarusso, the current president of the MBIRRS, and all of the individuals who ever worked on the project (including former Beacon mayors Clara Gould and Steve Gold--among others) and those who are still working and moving forward together on the capital campaign (including Frank Skartados, Jeff McHugh, Mayor Randy Casale--among others) had a strong memory of the past or an acute imagination or vision for the future. The MBIRRS website tells the history and the narrative story leading up to the present state of affairs with accuracy and details far better than I can.

But I can tell you that after attending the Annual Gala for MBIRRS at Dutchess Manor on 12/19/13, the word is official that the support to move ahead on rebuilding the railway is stronger than ever. The most recent initiative is to have the mountain itself become part of Hudson Highlands State Park, which will occur sometime in the spring, while the acreage at the foot of the mountain (e.g., the area surrounding the parking lot and back towards the remnants of the railway) will remain part of Scenic Hudson. It certainly makes sense from a logistical standpoint to gain further support from New York State. After all, it is Mount Beacon that is in our state flag, as you will learn when you view the MBIRRS video entitled "Excelsior."
 

So if you haven't become a member of the society as of yet, now is the time to support MBIRRS. You can even order items online from their gift shop, like the cap with their logo. If you already have one, get one for a friend as a gift. It is a true vision to get everyone to the mountaintop - those who can still climb and those who may require a ride with ADA accommodations. We all need to get on board.

Food for thought:  This idea that one can use memory to remember the past (retrospective memory) or imagine the future (a form of prospective memory) caught my attention this Christmas season. I said to a friend the other day during a moment of reflection, "Remember, we are always making memories." I realized that this is a good reminder for those who have  either bad memories or good memories about past holidays. Grounded only in the present moment, we can recreate new and better memories that we can take with us into the future or we can recapitulate the memories that we hold dear, but cannot have in the same way because we have lost the people or the places that were their context. The choice of our memories going forward is in our hands from each moment to moment. What a gift!

 

In Search of New Memories

Four Side Dishes for a Boneless Center Cut Pork Roast Holiday Dinner

(Inspired by my company--Danish friend,Jens Bille and his wife Bettyann, from Gallery  508)

Braised Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage
1 head red cabbage, canola oil, caraway seeds, organic balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, salt & pepper

 

Mashed Butternut Squash
Cooked butternut squash, butter, maple syrup, touch of cream, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract
After mashing all ingredients, place mixture in bowl and bake in oven to serve.

Holiday Stuffing-All the Ingredients
1 1b. loaf whole wheat bread, cubed; sautéed celery and shallots in 2 tbs .butter; poultry seasoning, parsley,
salt & pepper, 2 cups chicken stock, 1 beaten egg, 2 handful chopped walnuts, 12 diced, pitted prunes

Holiday Stuffing - Ready to Bake
Mix all ingredients until blended/wet to bake in oven in covered dish.

Vegetable Mélange for Roasting
1 fennel bulb, 8 small yams, 5 cored and peeled apples--all sliced lengthwise; canola oil,
juice and zest from 1/2 navel orange, tarragon, allspice, salt & white pepper 
Mix well to coat vegetables and bake in oven until tender.

Please note: The pork roast was not shown in deference to my vegetarian and vegan friends. Most of the side dishes shown can be adapted to be vegan. With the exception of the holiday stuffing, the recipes are gluten free; substituting gluten-free bread is possible.

Beacon Bits -- B-"ECO"-FRIENDLY

A recent visit to the new materials recovery facility, ReCommunity Recycling, at 508 Fishkill Avenue (Route 52) during an Open House, sponsored by the Beacon Chamber of Commerce, was quite informative and a far cry from last year's publicized resistance to the project voiced by some concerned Beaconites fearing additional truck traffic in neighboring areas. The public relations presentation touted all the virtues of recycling that has come of age because companies, such as this local affiliate of the largest recycling company  in the U.S. headquartered in Charlotte, NC, can turn a profit on the abundant waste of plastics, bottles, aluminum, and paper.  The business opportunity for the resale of recycled refuse has fostered education and encouragement for consumers to use their increased awareness that garbage needs to be separated while capitalizing on the ease of "single stream" recycling, which does not require pre-sorting materials at home; this is left for the automatic conveyors and 44 newly hired employees in a 7.5 million, 52,000 square feet, renovated building that opened in the Spring 2012. ReCommunity Beacon promises to reduce the local carbon footprint by recovering material that would ordinarily add to greenhouse gases and take up landfill space.

My choice for a theme song for this venture is clearly Dan Einbinder's "It Really Isn't Garbage"....."til you mix it all together.....it really isn't garbage til you throw it away". The song, popularized by Pete Seeger and the Rivertown Kids, can now be front and center, but it doesn't eradicate the history of recycling since the 1970's when volunteer environmentalists would sort through garbage for "free". Nor do the 'de rigeur' recycling plants negate efforts of local heroes from the Beacon Sloop Club who led the way to convert the former  garbage dump north of their current building by the train station into the popular Riverfront Park.

Beacon has been and will continue to be at the forefront of environmental activism; people here seem to always be leading the way. Just take a sample of recent and upcoming events in town that focus on water pollution (Poisoned Waters, a film on new toxins from everyday life on 8/16/12 at CEIE at Dennings Point), environmental crises (Plan B, Mobilizing to Save Civilization, a film shown on 7/24/12 at The Beacon Theatre), and ecological concerns (One Earth, an upcoming group exhibit at Fovea, opening night on Second Saturday, 9/8/12)

Beacon still has further potential for leadership in this groundswell of renewed fervor to save our planet. With Pete Seeger as champion of the cause living in our midst, being home to the Clearwater organization and having the support of neighbors like Scenic Hudson, Beacon has many role models, including Victor 'Roland' Mousaa, inventor of the Solar Electric Sun Bulb, a Rocket Hub project to be premiered at the Solar Expo Jam Festival on 8/18/12 at 12 noon at Rickey & Son's Organic Farm, 442 Rt. 94 North, Vernon, NJ.* This may just be the newest chapter for Beacon to once again stand as a 'shining light' for the Hudson River Valley; from the historical signal fires of the revolutionary war to the current urgency of creating alternate energy sources, using solar, wind and geothermal technology.

*Pete Seeger will be playing at 2pm on Saturday 8/18 at the Solar Expo Jam Festival along with Princess of WOW and Her Smile Revolution Band, Roland Mousaa and many other musicians from Friday night (8/17) through Sunday (8/19).

Some food for thought: Beacon's role may be truly 'enlightening' for environmental issues. For those of us who have always been aware, we are in good company. For those of us who need encouragement to prace eco-friendly habits, we have the social support and resources at hand to do so. For those of us who need that extra push, someone will be willing to apply some peer pressure. Hopefully, there will be an appropriate showing of 'b-eco-friendly' advocates in the form of educational floats and community activities at this year's 35th annual Spirt of Beacon Day in September to light the way.


Beacon Bits -- Year's End

Resolutions are always made to be broken. So I'm not planning to write about my resolve for the coming year. I will take into consideration what I have learned about the effectiveness of goal setting rather than succumbing to the tradition of the New Year. To truly change behavior, one needs to be mindful of one's interest and motivation to do so, and then be painfully aware of the patience required to develop new habits. Breaking down the goals into measurable and attainable 'baby steps' is imperative. So is rewarding oneself sooner rather than later; delayed gratification is never effective. Modest expectations and recognizing one's progress, however slow, will be reinforcing. The "tortoise effect" is real. I believe this is somewhat true for two issues that have been important to Hudson River Valley residents who have voiced opposition to fracking in the Marcellus Shale and who are against the re-licensing of Indian Point. Within the past year, activists have gathered, emailed, protested, raised funds and awareness and reached a critical mass that has gained steady momentum over time.

I'm pleased to report that as 2011 comes to a close, some minor victories have been won:   

(1) Entergy lost an appeal with the NRC "A federal commission dismissed an appeal from the owner of Indian Point Energy Facility on Thursday, declining to hear arguments on a previous ruling requiring the company to beef up its plan to deal with major accidents" suggesting that emergency procedures related to its proximity to the Ramapo fault need to be addressed before re-licensing for 2015 can proceed; and (2) "The action of the Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC), to postpone its vote on natural gas drilling and hydrofracturing (“fracking”), demonstrates both the critical importance of this watershed and the political power of the natural gas industry." Both of these 'victories' have been the result of forces that want to contain reckless energy development and curtail corporate assumptions that their rights and values are more important than quality of life in the near and distant future for all residents. These are initial successes, however small, that speak to the need for continued lobbying and activism on both fronts.

Some food for thought: It would be great if there were some 'Public Service Announcements' about energy conservation to highlight the need for ongoing behavior change related to our interaction with the precious environment we live in. (Maybe this could be a theme for Beacon's Electric Windows 2012.) If we want to deter development of deleterious energy sources, we have to look at our side of the equation as well. If we require less power, we are responsible stewards of our limited natural resources. So here are the "top 10" small steps to take for daily care and concern for the use of our natural resources to keep 2012 green.

1. Turn off the computer, TV and lights when not in use. Avoid outdoor lighting unless absolutely essential for safety or visibility.

2. Stack the dishwasher to capacity; use the energy efficient cycle and run early in the AM when rates are lowest because use is down.

3. Turn off the faucet while flossing in between brushing.

4. Recycle, recycle, recycle.

5. Learn to compost.

6. Respond to email requests to sign a petition or write a letter or make a phone call to officials in support of conservation issues.

7. Plan for your next vehicle to be hybrid.

8. Join Scenic Hudson, our region's steadfast advocate for land conservation and sustainable development.

9. Follow the Rivertown Kids and learn some of their lyrics and environmental tunes

(e.g., Solartopia, It Really Isn't Garbage).

10. Pick up litter that you see when walking down Main Street in Beacon.

Make 2012 a green leap of faith with modest behavioral change that with slow and steady action that is guaranteed to truly make a difference. After all, the hare thought he could slack off and still win the race, but the tortoise stands alone as the iconic example of how slow and steady always wins the race.