Beacon Bits -- There's Work to Do

July was a long and difficult month. Not just because of the high temperatures. Or because of late night television viewing of political conventions. But it was troubling because of the current events and news focusing on acts of violence, reactions to violence, and violence to end violence. It has never been more true that violence begets violence. It surrounds us. I even seemed to notice more reports of local violence in Poughkeepsie and Beacon in the newspaper in the past month. Overall, the type of global and national violence was even more upsetting since it was dominated by racial, religious and ethnic tension, discrimination and bias. So many of us hoped that black and white violence had been left behind in the 60's. But I can remember vividly in 1991 when racial violence erupted in Crown Heights in NYC and how I needed to 'do something'. I was involved with a grass roots project which sought to counter that violence with education, understanding, and re-focusing on the big picture. In the midst of feeling overwhelmed with reports from Louisiana, Minnesota, and Dallas, I found a few left-over t-shirts from the initiative, which focused on cultural awareness. I think a picture is still worth a thousand words, so I offer the images here.

"Project ME to US", Multi-Ethnic Unity and Strength ©

Food for thought: There is no need to preach to those who are trying to live into this reality as we make our individual and collective choices to switch from 'me to us'. Beaconites recognize diversity as a good thing in our community; Beaconites have consciously chosen to live in diverse neighborhoods. But the question to ask is how woven together are we in this community? Do we live in parallel neighborhoods, playing and shopping, meeting and eating, befriending and socializing, separately? Are we more segregated in the mundane activities of daily life than we would like to believe? What work still needs to be done to cross boundaries that would easily blur  the dividing lines so that the fabric of our community life can be strengthened by how we weave all the strands of who we are together? How can we really get to know our neighbors? What small and personal things can be done so that larger goals can be accomplished together? I will be thinking about this a lot as I recognize the need to update the original vision that Project ME to US imagined 25 years ago. Because it is still an 'us thang'. And we have not really understood. At least, not yet.

#StrongerTogether

Beacon Bits -- "HomeTown Grace"

Art in the Sanctuary

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church

15 South Avenue

Beacon NY 12508

One block south of Bank Square and Beacon Visitor’s Center, next to the fire station

2^nd Saturday Event

JULY 9, 2016

5-7 PM

HomeTown Grace

Photos by Markie Baylash

“A one day show of photographs of the people, events, and sights of my hometown, as seen through the lens and my mind----

of simple grace of my hometown Beacon NY.”

Beacon Bits -- Status Report

5 years. 100 posts. 21,684 page views. 16 followers who joined the site. Top traffic source beaconcitizen.com. Most viewed post "Are You a Friend?" (4/13/14). Average number of posts per year - 20; less than 2 per month. Community-oriented content. Nonprofit organizations. Women-owned businesses. Newcomers to Beacon. Moments to celebrate. Wine and cheese. Sweets and treats. Seasonal musings. Local CSA farms. Signature dishes and personal recipes. Music and art. Shared insights. That's what Beacon Bits is all about. 

Top 10 things to celebrate about Beacon in the last 5 years:

1.      The energy of BeaconArts and its annual events.

2.      Fewer empty storefronts.

3.     Establishment of Long Dock Beacon.

4.     The new facade for Rite Aid.

5.     The improved selection and store design in Key Food.

6.     Green Teens of Common Ground Farm.

7.     The arrival of Towne Crier Cafe.

8.     Bakeries, bakeries and more bakeries.

9.     People moving up to Beacon from Brooklyn (even if they weren't born there)

10.   A better view of Beacon Falls.

Top 10 Items on My Wish list for Beacon in the next 5 years:

1.     Fewer new establishments that focus on alcohol; drinking and driving is a public health issue in communities that are car dependent.

2.     An integrated community calendar to see an overview of all events, especially 

fundraisers, to facilitate awareness and collaboration across nonprofits.

3.    Continued access to free parking with signage that assists drivers to find municipal lots.

4.    An Indian restaurant added to the multi-ethnic food scene.

5.  A state of the art movie theater for independent and foreign films like Jacob Burns Theater (Pleasantville.)

6.   Moderation and finding the middle way when considering new housing developments.

7.   Additional stores that serve Beacon's households (fish store, hardware/variety store.)

8.   The return of Fovea photojournalism gallery on Main.

9.   Improved monitoring of speeding on Main Street.

10. Global connections such as making Beacon-Bergen (Norway) Sister Cities.

Food for thought: The slogan 'life is good' captures the energy of Beacon's community as it has grown into its current vibrant state. It appears that an additional slogan, 'less is more', may also be in order so that future growth does not outpace realistic planning. Beacon has the potential to be a model community that showcases diversity, exemplary race relations and tolerance for religious expression. Realizing this potential is a strong possibility; the odds are in its favor. I will bet on it!

A special thanks to all the new friends that I've met at Artisan Wine Shop, Beacon Sloop Club, BeaconArts, Beacon Reads, Friends of the Howland Library, Flora, Gallery 508 (now closed), Gwenno James, Howland Chamber Music Circle, Hudson Beach Glass, Theo Ganz, the Yanarella Dance Studio and Zora Dora who are all a very important part of my Beacon community.

And a thumbs up for Ben Royce of Beacon Citizen 

who put a link on their website to feature Beacon Bits.

Beacon Bits -- Stay Tuned (WOMS2016)

This year's Windows on Main Street, pioneered by BeaconArts and presented by Rhinebeck Bank, comes to Main Street on August 13 through September 10. As a follow up to the Worldwide Knit in Public Day held at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church on June 18th, the group created a sculpture by knitting pieces onto a woman's dress form. The one-of-a-kind result -- "St. Andie" -- is awaiting finishing touches to be a hopeful entry into this year's event. Other than a knitted cummerband to be placed around the hips embroidered with the theme "Knit Us As One", St. Andie is standing tall and is almost ready to go public. She is a lady-in-waiting with hopes of being the 'patron saint' to the planned monthly group that will gather to knit for charitable projects; it is scheduled to begin in September.....so stay tuned!

Food for thought: A thoughtful and creative community of knitters gathered together and celebrated the act of knitting as they chatted, shared patterns and projects, noted favorite yarns, and listened to the music of errant.space -- and they did so simultaneously with 1015 other events held worldwide across 57 countries! It was great to put Beacon on the map as an official, registered WWKIP day event. So it is sad to report that one of the posters placed on the two-sided placard at the corner of Main Street and South Avenue was missing; the side facing east so that those on Main Street would have easily seen it and may have been curious enough to walk down and visit the six hour gathering. It was peculiar since the west facing poster was still securely attached. It wasn't a windy day. And other posters over the last year remained intact even when windy and rainy. It was a mystery. But one that is noteworthy. It would be a shame to think that someone took objection to a knitting event that had been well-publicized and purposely removed it from the placard, tape and all. Sometimes a mystery is just that. No accusations or negative consequences are intended. Just wanted to share a mystery in case anyone has any information to shed some light.

Knitted Triangle Shawl

(Easy and fast knitting on Size 13 or 15 needles using a textured yarn of your choice)

Caste on 2 stitches. Knit across the first row. Increase one stitch on the first stitch of every row as you knit subsequent rows. Knit by increasing one stitch every row until the desired size is reached. The finished shawl will be a triangle; fringe can be added along the sides that lead to the two-stitch point, i.e.,  the first row.

(The skirt on St. Andie is made of small triangles hung from a point at the longest edge - i.e., sideways.)

Beacon Bits -- Beacon's Signature Dish@Ziatün

If you stand on Main Street long enough, another new restaurant will be opening before your very eyes! For the foodies who like to eat out and explore the world's cuisine, the time is right to join the crowds who are heading to one of Beacon's newest eateries, Ziatün, and extend an 'olive' branch to Middle Eastern cuisine.

When I first entered Ziatün in early June, the restaurant was vacant; it was early evening, betwixt and between lunch and dinner. It allowed me to focus on the simple and stark decor which evokes an exotic feel with its geometric pattern and physicality of texture and color--very pleasing to the eye and complementary to the anticipated palate.

I asked about 'signature' dishes and was told, 'everything' with a special note of attention to the two-sided menu featuring all vegan dishes on one side and meat-pleasing offerings on the other. I sensed authenticity when 50% of the meat dishes included lamb. 

On my second visit when I entered to dine, it was quite crowded, but I was able to sit at the overflow counter that is convenient for a solo diner or a small group of friends. I immediately noticed the music, which I was told was a mix of vintage Persian pieces. I chose Fattoush, a toasted pita with lettuce, tomato, cucumber and onion salad seasoned with mint, sumac, lemon and olive oil, and I added falafel in keeping with the vegetarian focus. The crunch of the toasted pita, fresh greens, and tart dressing were refreshing and satisfying for a hot summer's evening meal. (The presentation was so pleasing to the eye that I was eager to dig into the salad and I forgot to take a photo!)

On my third visit, I chose the Kofta Kebab, the closest I could get to my favorite 'kibbeh' dish, which is hard to find unless you are dining on Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn, which I had actually done the end of May. The blend of skewer-broiled ground beef and lamb, flattened and seasoned with a mix of spices, and served with a yogurt dressing and a cucumber-tomato salad and rice. I asked for more tzatziki dressing and felt the rice was a bit dry, but I enjoyed the flavors and the balance of texture and taste, and easily ate the whole plate.

There is no dessert menu as of yet, but the Moroccan Mint Tea and Rose-flavored Lemonade are accompaniments to the varied dishes on the menu, which invite one to return again and again, for the multisensory experience of Middle Eastern cuisine on Main.

Food for thought: I was lucky enough to have Syrian and Lebanese neighbors and friends growing up in my multi-ethnic Brooklyn neighborhood of immigrant families. I watched them tend to the grapevines and rose bushes, pick fresh mint leaves, make their own yogurt (leban), flavor meat pies with spices that were not in my cupboard, offer me pine nuts to taste for the first time, and bake the most delicious cookies filled with ground nuts, honey and dates that were exchanged at Christmas with our Norwegian varieties that were equally special. My mother, who was one of the only woman in the neighborhood who drove a car, was asked at regular intervals to drive down to Atlantic Avenue to visit Sahadi's for shopping expeditions. At that time, it was the only place you could purchase pita bread, if you can imagine that, and it was (and still is) filled with barrels of fruits and nuts, blended spices and special ingredients for those who craved the taste of home. (Now you can also find these specialty food stores in Bay Ridge Brooklyn where the Arabic culture dominates what used to be a Scandinavian haven.) Cuisine that evokes childhood memories and invites us into the world that once seemed foreign and now seems familiar is one that I welcome with open arms in Beacon. Now if we could only get an Indian restaurant on Main Street, I'd be in culinary heaven! Curry-in-a-Hurry anyone?

Tzatziki Dressing

3 cups Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons lemon juice (or juice of one lemon)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 large English cucumber, diced

1 tablespoon salt (or less)

1 tablespoon fresh dill or fresh mint, or both

Beacon Bits -- 1st Annual "WWKIP" Day

St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church - 15 South Avenue - Beacon NY 12508

One block south of Bank Square and Beacon Visitor’s Center, next to the fire station

Saturday June 18, 2016

Noon – 6pm

Knit Us As One

Beacon’s First Annual

World Wide Knit in Public Day

with ambient music for knitting from 1-3pm by Craig Chin

www.errant.space

Come knit with us!

Bring your own yarn and needles. Bring extras to share. Bring yarn from home to trade in a ‘yarn swap’. Join one of the knitting circles from beginners to advanced. Teach someone to knit. Learn a new stitch or pattern. Bring projects you want to ‘show-n-tell’. Help to create a ‘knitted sculpture’ depicting the theme ‘knit us as one’. Enter a ‘fastest knitter’ contest to test your skills. Come by to watch others knit. Learn about the ‘Hudson Valley Yarn Cruise’. Help to establish a ‘knitting salon’ group. Just come in to visit our Tiffany stained glass windows.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

St. Andrew’s event is official and registered with www.wwkipday.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Food for thought: Knitting offers an opportunity for community, creativity and healing. Given the times we live in, Beacon's 1st Annual WWKIP day is an opportunity for people to come together to "knit us as one" and to feel the healing power of  one stitch at a time..

Beacon Bits -- Upstaged

Nowadays, we are hearing a lot about democratic socialism and we have formed some opinions about what makes it good for the people. One of my observations from the 'other side of the pond' while visiting friends and family is that there is no 'free ride'; every benefit in a democratic socialist society comes with a cost. But another observation was made during last winter's trip to Oslo after meeting a relative who is 'house chief' for a cultural center sponsored by a large banking firm. Sentralen is a meeting place, workshop and performance venue. It operates as a cultural hub with six performance stages, a restaurant, various kinds of studio space for up to 350 people working for nonprofits, social enterprises, as well as, musicians and artists. The amazing thing is that the project was funded by the bank itself (Sparebankstiftelsen DNB) and continues to be managed by the 'bank', which is a private savings bank foundation, owning 10% of DNB, one of Northern Europe's biggest banks. The DNB Savings Bank Foundation has the main objective of contributing to charities in Norway, small local projects to large national ones, and most of the contributions are related to art and culture.  Imagine that -- a profit making banking institution being invested in the arts as a long-term commitment and investment, and doing so with daring creativity and by engaging all kinds of people and volunteers in local communities! Other than the opening of the performing arts center in downtown Oslo in February 2016, DNB has an art collection loaned to Norwegian art museums; the restoration of old stringed instruments that are used by musicians; and the funding of Oliafur Eliasson's art work in the Oslo Opera House--impressive endeavors since the 2002 formation of the foundation.

 

After returning to Beacon, it made me sad to think that the bank that held the mortgage on The Beacon Theatre did not have the same prescience to hold onto the property and proceed with the original plans to renovate the theater into viable space with several smaller theaters suitable for film, music, dance, opera, live performance, and studios for nonprofit businesses and social entrepreneurs. (Think the old Beacon High School and BeaHive all rolled into one with a touch of the Bardavon and the Downing Film Center!) Why turn it over to a developer who will garner profit and develop the property as he sees fit, when the bank doesn't need a middleman to do that at all?

I think that's what I learned about the differences in corporations in a social democracy--they give back to the people and build community with their profits. That takes vision and it is always grounded in the common good. And success is bound to follow. No greed needed.

Food for thought: It still amazes me that The Beacon Theatre did not get the funding to restore the building into what it was meant to be. Maybe it was learning about  the Norwegian connection that hooked me on the theater project -- Sonja Henie, the Norwegian Olympic ice skater who turned into a Hollywood movie star performed there. I actually pledged $2700 at the kick-off fundraiser in September 2010. That was what I thought everyone in the community would do. And then to see so much progress on Main Street over six years with restaurants, stores, music venues opening left and right, while the theater renovation stalled, it perturbed me to discover why the theater renovation was never brought to fruition. One wonders if it is really too late to turn it around and get it back on track to be an historic landmark and contemporary performance space...one can only hope.

You can follow Sentralen on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Even Beaconites might feel inspired!