Beacon Bits--Signature Dish@Isamu

I have to admit that I do not eat sushi, but that does not keep me away from Japanese restaurants where my favorite indulgence is a Bento box, the complete Asian meal from soup and salad to main course presented in a visually appealing and efficient manner.

So it was to my delight to find Isamu when I first moved to Beacon. Through the years it has been a restaurant that I have frequented with family and friends or dining alone. There is never a wait for a table and there's always a friendly and peaceful ambience. Even when families with young children are present, I have never witnessed a meltdown; it must be the low light conditions and water fountain that create a calm and mindful atmosphere. Or maybe it's the sight of exotic calligraphy or a creative sushi chef in action at the sushi bar.

Of all the Bento boxes I have eaten at Isamu, my favorite repeat order, the Zen Delight, is a vegetarian choice with stir-fried tofu alongside vegetable tempura and avocado rolls.

I think the picture is worth a thousand bites. Simple tastes and a fulfilling meal. Even when they forget the request to swap the rice to brown rice, it's a winner. Arigatou gozaimasu!

Food for thought: People ask why I don't eat sushi. When I was young, I was told never to eat raw fish by my dad who fished in the fjords of Norway as a boy. Norwegians eat a lot of fish--poached, salted, pickled, even lye-soaked--but I was indoctrinated not to eat it raw. Old habits sometimes never die. But I'm ok with the choices I have in a Japanese restaurant without thinking twice about what I am missing out on. I guess one could say I can live in a both-and world; there are those who appreciate the raw fish and those who don't and they can co-exist without feeling like it is an either-or choice. And that is something to celebrate.

Beacon Bits -- Knit for Charity

A group of knitters who convened at the WWKIP Day on June 16, 2016 at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church created a sculpture that was intended to be on view during the Windows on Main Street event sponsored by BeaconArts; the Windows on Main Street did not happen this year, but the sculpture was still placed in the Beacon Reads storefront window.

"St. Andie" under construction

The sculpture, composed of knitted swatches on a women's wire form, has been dubbed, "St. Andie". She wears a cummerbund with the embroidered slogan, "Knit Us As One", which is the theme of a knitting group that will begin meeting twice a month at St. Andrew's staring Wednesday, September 21st, from 7-9pm.

"St. Andie" stands in the storefront window at Beacon Reads

The knitting group will meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays each month and the knitters will select projects to make for charitable groups that solicit donations. St. Andie won't be present at the meeting because she hopes to make the rounds in Beacon storefronts in different locations throughout the coming year. Visit her at Beacon Reads through the end of October and find where she will travel next; she hopes to put on her traveling shoes every two months or so, and hopes to settle down into next year's Windows on Main event.

In the meantime, visit the knitting group. Meet your neighbors. Learn about charities seeking handmade knitted (and crocheted) items. Embark on new projects. No previous experience needed; all levels of knitting are welcome (and those who only crochet as well.) Relax, chat, and let your loose ends unravel as you find support and community with fiber enthusiasts!

Join us September 21st, 7-9pm; 1st and 3rd Wednesdays thereafter

Food for thought:  Knitting knows no gender, nor age. Knitting knows no socioeconomic status, ethnicity, race or tribe. Knitting is an equal opportunity hobby that can quickly become a healthy addiction, one that integrates the brain, builds new neuronal pathways, allows one to engage in breath work and mindful meditation, and stimulates creativity and personal satisfaction as one takes a stitch at a time to produce a multitude of useful objects to wear, use, or gift others. With knitting, the past, present and future is rolled into each ball and skein of yarn. It's all in your hands.

Beacon Bits -- Shhh! We're in the Library - No, It's Ok to Talk About It!

Food for Thought: Of all the organizations that a community can support, the library will always have my vote. Not just when it comes to voting on the library budget once a year. But when you realize that the budget is never sufficient to cover all the costs to keep a library current with the trends that make it a community center with mixed media; libraries are not just about printed matter, but they offer computer access and opportunities to learn from others and network with others and engage in small group projects. Libraries meet the needs of everyone in a community, across the lifespan, no matter the gender, ethnicity, race or political persuasion. Libraries are that place that makes you feel welcome when you arrive in a new town; all you need to do is show up and register for the lifetime of your residency. It's always been my first stop when I've moved from one town to another. It always makes me remember how much I enjoyed my library branch in Brooklyn, only to realize after the building had been razed that it was an Andrew Carnegie treasure; the South Brooklyn Branch of the New York Public Library system was replaced during the upgrading of public buildings when the Great Society campaign offered grants to modernize facilities. It was a shame that there had never been a campaign to save the historic building at the time. When I moved to Beacon, I saw the parallel with the Howland Public Library having been originally located in the historic building now housing the Howland Cultural Center, which still stands, fortunately for us. But I also realize the library is more than a building; it is the connection to all that humanity has known and hearkens all that we will become. We need to support out library; the Howland Public Library is the center of Beacon, both in its physical location, and in the programs and materials it provides to its residents.

Please join the Friends of the Howland Public Library on September 10th to help raise funds for all the 'extras' that the library receives on behalf of its efforts. The Beacon community has been generous with donated items that you will want to purchase and/or usually support, so you will be adding to the community twice. And remember to visit Beacon Reads whenever you can to continue your fiscal support for library funds. It's time to 'pay it forward' and support future generations of library patrons!

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.)