Beacon Bits -- (Unoffical) Summer's End

Labor Day weekend, the unofficial end to summer, arrived in Beacon with temperatures in the 90's, clear skies and bright sunshine. It made me think about the "top 10 list" of things to do in Beacon to celebrate summer's farewell in the next few weeks. There is still time!

10.  Take time for a cold beer at The Hop in its expansive location at the site opened almost  a year ago;  the menu offers so much more than craft brew and unique architectural design.

9.    Start planning a fall wardrobe at Echo, with the help of all the "fashionistas", or get a jump start on holiday shopping for unique toys for the kids. (More to come soon about this women's boutique and children's store in a future featured blog.)

8.    Tune up the bicycle or purchase a new one at People's Bicycle; Jon and his crew are expert and will get you up and peddling for the fall season.

7.     Get ready to buy advanced tickets for the weekend Beacon Independent Film Festival ('aka' BIFF, 9/18-9/20) at the University Settlement on 9D. 

6.     Visit Beacon Natural Market to celebrate 10 years of organics and natural foods; lots of specials and activities happening from September 7th to 12th to thank the Beacon community for its support.

5.     Grab a seat at the outdoor aerie at Beacon Pantry and have a carefree meal and relax with a friend.

4.    Make a plan to get out an old instrument or take up a new one with music lessons available at Main Street Music. Ukulele anyone?

3.     Make more frequent visits to Zora Dora to indulge in delectable and uncanny fruit sorbet and milk-based pops; my pick of the day Mojito (lime and mint), with an eye on the Roasted Beet-Goat Cheese-Walnut and Cardamom-Ginger-Pistachio before season's end!

2.     Purchase some fresh field flowers at Flora Garden & Home; have a chat with Mary, and make a plan for weekly visits to purchase beautifully potted plants and gardening accessories to hold onto to summer's greenery in your own home.

1.     Anticipate the flurry of activity when everyone is in the street on the Spirit of Beacon day (Sunday, 9/27/15), as well as upcoming Second Saturdays -- including a visit to St. Andrew's Episcopal Church to hear Vassar College student Sarah Johnson's piano and organ recital on 9/12/15, with a reception to follow, from 4-6pm.

Food for thought: All of the top 10 activities and even 10 more may help with that tinge of melancholy that begins to set in with the waning daylight at this time of the year. Looking back at what didn't get done during the summer gets in the way of holding onto all that was accomplished, including being able to make a jump start on plans for next summer starting with all the to-do's that didn't get done or all the places that you didn't get to go. Seems like the turn of the season will be slow this year with the warm weather continuing and the hope of Indian summer to come, yet, all the while, the time for this summer will indeed run its course. But it is also good to feel that change is in the air and that letting go of all that was is the best way to (officially) begin again!

(For my own unfinished business, a visit to Saugerties to explore the eclectic shops, including The Perfect Blend; and a day trip to NYC for the on board Circle Line viewing of the 23rd annual tugboat race organized by the Working Harbor Committee, made this Labor Day weekend complete.)

The Perfect Blend -- Yarn and Tea Shop in Saugerties, NY

Early morning train to NYC

Tugboats gathering for the parade to the starting line for the race

Historic NYC harbor fire boat, John D. Harvey, pivotal during 9-11, celebrating at the end of the race

Beacon Bits -- "To the Nines!"

I stopped by Artisan Wine Shop for the Friday pour and delighted in a taste of champagne that Tim and Mei were offering to both celebrate Tim's birthday and to recognize their 9th anniversary in Beacon as of 8-18-06! Congratulations on both!!

Since I have been educated by Tim and Mei through the last 5 years of tastings and classes and consultations for purchases, I value all that they contribute to the Beacon community with their expertise and charm. I had so much catching up to do on learning about wines, that I have not really paid much attention to everything else that they offer -- spirits, beer, cider, accessories -- despite my frequent visits. Tim and Mei are always ready for a friendly chat and catching up on gossip; I learned that the company they keep in celebrating nine years in Beacon include Beacon Pilates, Max's on Main, and Homespun, with whom they plan to collaborate for a tenth anniversary celebration next summer. Artisan is in great company, all within a few blocks of each other, with all the venues having much success to celebrate. In fact, Max's was recently featured on Fios News 1's "Restuarant Hunter" feature show (air dates 9-2-15 and 9-5-15), along with other local foodie magnets, The Hop and Beacon Bagels.

What better way to spend a Friday evening than to celebrate good things with friends before moving on to pick up my Obercreek Farm half-share of vegetables and fruits.,,,,perhaps trying out the CIA recipe for tomato jam?

Food for thought:  The one word that comes to mind at this time of the year is "ripeness". When one thinks about the entrepreneurs who arrived in Beacon over a decade ago with a vision of potential success along Main Street, those who planted their seeds, weathered the uncertainty, and who worked hard to fulfill their desires -- it is wonderful to take stock and celebrate some of their ripeness of being during this Labor Day weekend! Despite what Shakespeare says, Love's labors are never lost!

Beacon Bits -- Good, Better, Best

Earlier this summer, a good friend in Beacon was becoming a US citizen. I thought it would be great to surprise her with something evocative of being American, so my mind went to apple pie, which led me to the Beacon Pie Company.

I had seen the "piecycle" across from the Beacon Theatre many times and had previously spoken to Heidi Bernhart, the owner, in June at the Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park. 

I made contact with her by email (beaconpiecompany@gmail.com) and ordered the Classic Apple pie to be picked up the next day; it was delivered fresh from the oven! Other than the timely service and the flexibility to make an apple pie a bit ahead of apple season, it was a pleasure to see another women testing out her culinary and entrepreneurial skills for all the foodies in town! Sweet pies are 9" and savory pies come in personal size (5") as well as the standard 9" size. All ingredients are fresh and you can tell each pie has heaping tablespoons of love and pride in the hand-crafted method that was passed down from women across generations. [In fact, I had my own fond memories of The Pie Lady & Son in Nyack when she first started her business in 1996 from her home.] 

Beacon Pie Company is a very good edition to the food scene on Main Street. Can't wait to order the Veggie Curry Pot Pie and the Salted Honey Butter, which always seems to be sold out! In addition to contacting Heidi directly by email or catching her or her partner, Christ, at the piecycle, pies can be purchased at Barb's Butchery and Tito Santana's in Beacon and other locations. I am sure Heidi will be getting very busy for the upcoming fall season, so it's time to sample the variety and begin thinking about holiday orders to place.

Speaking of 'very good', I visited Drink More Good for a BeaconArts meet-up last week and found the cupboards to be filled with teas, spices and herbs and hand-crafted soda syrups and bitters being produced in-house with an ample supply of over 50+ flavors available for purchase. While the syrups are billed as the basic ingredients for making your own soda and cocktail drinks, my own 'foodie' mind went to the other possibilities that eliminate the need to make one's own simple syrup from scratch, which is not always so simple given the exact temperatures for producing the condensed sweetener for many basic recipes. (see recipe below.)

In addition to redefining soda with his local business, Jason Schuler has global interests in mind as he partners with Generosity.org to donate at least $4000 per year in order to supply sustainable water systems where needed by generating funds through two annual fundraisers in town. I learned that More Good products are available in Whole Foods; who knew? And that the production area is available as an 'incubator' kitchen for those who are in need of a professional kitchen approved for food distribution. Local Beaconites can continue to drop into the store during hours and take a seat to drink in the ambiance of yet another success story since the venue opened in 2012 and relocated to its larger space in the last year. The products will make great gifts for friends who can then re-stock their cupboards by ordering online. It is a win-win all around with this social entrepreneurship!

Food for thought:  Doing good is better than being the best. But when all the ingredients line up -- as they do for our local food craftsmen who creatively apply their skills and talents to make something deliciously good for others, it can make you better---perhaps, the best. This trifecta of looking for the good to be better is purpose-driven and goal-directed. It gives meaning to the mundane existence we all face in our daily chores, routines and habits. It reminds me of another trifecta quote  that I came across years ago, which reminds us that to establish a good life, we all need 'something to do, someone to love, and something to hope for'. Two out of three isn't bad, but the search for all the ingredients is the best recipe for 'more good' living!

Simple Gingered Peaches

Slice 4-6 peaches, that have been blanched, cooled with skins and pit removed. Place into a small 'bell jar' and add a generous amount of "More Good Ginger Ale Syrup". Refrigerate. The marinated peaches will be ready to add to vanilla ice cream or for a topping on pound cake with whipped cream for dessert on a summer's day.

Beacon Bits - The Growing Season

It's been another long hiatus from blogging, but I've been busy having fun this summer, both in and away from Beacon. I've attended a high school reunion with friends traveling to the Hudson Valley and a joy-filled wedding; I've been to a knitting retreat sponsored by The Ethelridge Road Knitting Salon in the Berkshires where I was challenged to learn new woven stitches and finishing techniques; and I've been to NYC to two Mostly Mozart Festival concerts, a throwback to a time when I had more frequent trips to Lincoln Center. Now I just have to remember it is not that far away from home and always such an 'extraordinary' experience; I'm looking forward to next year's 50th anniversary of the festival! Where does the time go??

In between writing puppy reports and attending a graduation ceremony for Puppies Behind Bars, I've also been able to go to the three productions offered by Hudson Valley Shakespeare under the tent at Boscobel and attend two concerts at the Towne Crier Cafe
-- to see a touchstone performance by Peter Yarrow and a bittersweet farewell to the dynamic female trio, Red Molly, who will be taking an indefinite break from performing.

While in Beacon, I've been busy picking up my Obercreek Farm shares every other week, including a new fruit share offered this year. Lately, the growing season has created the need to make lots of ratatouille, and the juicy peaches have offered opportunities for peach crumble and a peach chutney (see recipe below.) It's amazing to have such wonderful local farmers who grow our food when we may not have the time or space to do it ourselves!

My Obercreek Ratatouille=olive oil, garlic, onion, peppers, zucchini, eggplant, tomatoes,cooking sherry, salt/pepper/basil/oregano

I always make time to stop at Zora Dora, whose season is short, but Steve's 'crops' are always delicious and bountiful. Two favorites in the last week have been 'blueberry pie' and 'watermelon-lemon-basil'. I think I've decided that the Zora Dora Meter starts at 10 on the usual 1 to 10 scale (with 10 being the best), so in my estimation, the milk-based blueberry pie registers '14' and the sorbet-style, watermelon-lemon-basil registers a '19'. Remembering that Steve usually closes up around Halloween is incentive to make more frequent stops at this gourmet hot spot for visitors and townies alike.

Another venture this summer has been helping with establishing Second Saturday events called 'Art in the Sanctuary' held at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. The inaugural event in July featured the Tiffany stained glass windows in the church and a retrospective art show featuring T.Hugo Williams, the father of the Vicar, Father John Williams. The August event focused on the posthumous showing of art by local Beaconite, Earl Teachey, and to further honor his life, the African drummer Maxwell Kofi Donkor and his drumming group Sankofa Drum and Dance Ensemble performed west African beats to a large crowd. The September event (9/12/15) will feature a recital by piano and organ student, Sarah Johnson, who studies at Vassar College, followed by a welcoming reception for the community.

So while I've missed Beacon's first Jazz Festival and the annual Corn Festival, I look forward to the Pumpkin Festival (Sunday, 10/18/15) and the Spirit of Beacon Day (Sunday, 9/27.) But I especially am looking forward to seeing more of Mary Fris, proprietor of Flora-Garden & Home, a new venue in town located at 197 Main Street that will be growing all kinds of greenery, pottery, gardening tools, and offering classes about plant care. Mary is not contrary at all, so you can ask her 'how does your garden grow' and get informed responses to questions about ferns, orchids, amaryllis, English and Italian pots and what is in store for this new Beacon gem. Here is to a long and fruitful growing season for Flora, located next to Beacon Bread Company, Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries, Zora Dora and across the from the fauna of Beacon Barkery---a garden of friendly neighbors to have close by.

Food for Thought: Just when you think you have your routines down pat, surprises can come your way and take you in new directions, which offer unique adventures and satisfying activities. It is good to be reminded to enjoy the 'life that is happening when you are busy making plans'. Summer is a wonderful season to meander and blaze new trails rather than just following old paths. There's still time left before the autumn equinox steers us toward an inner journey of reflection on the harvest that we reap after yet another personal growing season ends and the growing season for Beacon, which is flourishing, continues to move us all forward.

The Holstee Manifesto

Surprise Peach Chutney

10 local peaches, blanched in boiling water

Allow the peaches to cool. Rub off skin, cut in half, remove pit, slice and chop.

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 jalapeno pepper,  diced

Saute the above ingredients in a pan that has 1-2 tbs. melted butter.

Place peaches into the pan and saute until peaches totally soften and blend with savories.

Add 1/4 cup organic sugar, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, and 2 tbs. cognac. 

Add salt and pepper to season.

Continue cooking until liquids begin to thicken.

Cool and spoon into mason jars and place in the refrigerator.

Nadine's Surprise Peach Chutney

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 -- Sunday Promenade

There are so many venues, events and activities along Main Street--something for everyone as they say. I thought I would share a few of my favorites over the last month of Sundays:

Taking an afternoon workshop about creating an Etsy site taught by Hudson Valley Crafters expert -- Karen of Karmabee -- offered at Nixie Sparrow, where every class is special and intimate and includes a cold drink :)

Stopping at the Howland Public Library and then visiting friends, Marcia and Vicky, at Beacon Reads, the used book store next door, which supports the Friends of the Howland Public Library with the funds raised from the sales.

Picking up a Farah Fawcett Vanilla paleta at Zora Dora and spending time with its owner, Steve, for a chat that last long enough to sometimes get a second pop to take home.

Checking out The Beacon Bite food truck (parked next to Ellas Bellas); an easy stop to pick up a casual lunch and make a new friend while dining al fresco.

Previewing the sculptures on display for this year's Beacon 3D project; I couldn't resist the virtual doughnut (just like the others who photographed this iconic image for the event.)

Doing many of the activities above with a service-dog-in-training as a volunteer with Puppies Behind Bars (PBB.) PBB works with inmates at Fishkill and Downstate Correctional Facilities in Beacon to be puppy raisers for service dogs for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. After all, everything is better with a puppy!

Food for thought: I have to laugh out loud when I remember one of my favorite, classic 1960's film, Never on a Sunday with Melina Mercori, that portrayed a Pygmalion-like character transformation. Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact that in my life, all things happen mostly every  Sunday! I often wonder what happened to the day of rest I was promised. But with simple chores and a walk down Main Street with its myriad permutations of things to browse, consider, visit, participate in, the act of ambling along provides rest and renewal in its own unique way. So take a stroll; saunter down Main Street on a Sunday afternoon on a no-rushing, slow-walking, community-focused promenade.

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.