Not that they ever completely stopped, but now the real action begins for our local farmers. We stopped in at Stony Kill at 79 Farmstead Lane off 9D, two miles north of the I-84 exit, to visit the Common Ground Farm fields and ran into farm manager Susan Paykin, who was in the greenhouse… Read More
Category Archives: People
Hudson Valley Brewery Live Tonight On Wigwam Radio
Our guests this evening on Wigwam Radio, streaming live at 8pm from The Ground, Beacon’s homegrown radio project, will be John-Anthony Gargiulo, president of Hudson Valley Brewery, and Justin Riccobono, farm director of Dutchess Hops. We’ll be chatting with them about the new brewery being created on the east end of Beacon, and how it… Read More
New Candidate For Mayor
Enters Beacon Race
A third candidate for the Beacon mayor’s office threw his hat in the ring last night, presenting his platform at the Howland Cultural Center. William Wilmot will run as a write-in candidate, joining incumbent Randy Casale, running under the Independent banner and endorsed by the local Republican Party, and Ron Ray, the Democrat’s choice.… Read More
Beacon Bike People:
Right-Sized and Matching Colorways!
Bike Friday Post An ongoing series in which we profile Beacon’s bicycle riders and cover all aspects of bicycling in our town, from the best practices for riding on our roads to equipment choices and more. Perhaps you’ve seen this deep magenta two-wheeled machine flash by on Main Street recently. Its owner is Courtney… Read More
Beacon Bike Fridays!
Hey, prime cycling weather is here, and Wigwam is adding a feature for all you Beacon Bicyclists, present and future! Every Friday we’ll do a bicycle-related post. Topics will include how to choose and equip a bicycle for riding about town, tips for riding in our local traffic and road conditions, options for riding… Read More
Beacon Adds Walls to Windows
While Windows on Main Street version 10 (aka WOMSX, which reads like a radio station call or radical women’s group), is set to kick off on August 9, several of Beacon’s walls got a makeover this past weekend, courtesy of artists Amanda Marie and X-O, aka Mando and Hyland. The works, on the side of… Read More
Ceremony Dedicating Park To Pete and Toshi Held At Strawberry Festival
Toward the end of a blue sky day for the Strawberry Festival at the Beacon waterfront, the remaining crowd gathered around the center stage to participate in the dedication of the park in memory of Pete and Toshi Seeger. Local and State politicians spoke about the couple’s lives and their passions, and how they… Read More
Riverfront Park Renamed For Pete and Toshi
The Beacon City Council officially passed a resolution earlier this evening renaming Riverfront Park. The new name is the Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park. After Mayor Randy Casale read the resolution into the public record, it was passed unanimously by the council. The mayor has also appointed a committee to carry out the further… Read More
Memorial Day 1958: Digger Phelps
Beacon native Digger Phelps retired last month from his 20-year reign as an analyst for ESPN college basketball. Previous to that he was basketball coach at Notre Dame for 20 years, beginning at the age of 29. The street next to the town clock on the west end is named for him. The May… Read More
New Constellation To Emerge Over The Hudson
“Looking at the stars always makes me dream, as simply as I dream over the black dots representing towns and villages on a map. Why, I ask myself, shouldn’t the shining dots of the sky be as accessible as the black dots on the map of France? ” —Vincent Van Gogh, in a letter to… Read More
The Node Needs YOU!
A new project is about to bloom in Beacon, with connections to New York City by railway and Newburgh by ferry. It’s an adaptive design and arts center called Node. The mission of Node is to provide a platform for education and resources exchange centered around ecological issues. It will explore low-impact, autonomous, and resilient… Read More
HV Seed Brings On New Educator
Hudson Valley Seed is springing into action with its drive to bring more students into garden programs. This includes raising funds and bringing on another teacher. From the HVS newsletter: Gretchen Larson-Wolbrink has most recently been at home with her three children, Lily, Hope, and Nathan. In spare moments, she’s outside gardening, and has a particular… Read More
Beacon Bicycle People: K*
We saw K* pull up to Beacon Natural Market to do some grocery shopping and asked her a few questions before she rode away with her bounty. How long have you been in Beacon? Almost two years. Before this I was in New Haven. How long have you been riding? My whole life. Well, since… Read More
Beacon Bicycle People: David R.
David Rees doesn’t just sharpen pencils. He knows how to ride a bicycle, too. We caught him popping into Beacon Natural Market for an energy bar. He was about to go for a spin, something he likes to do to get his head in a good space before sitting down to write. Years in Beacon:… Read More
A Visit With the Beacon Bee Lady
The Bee Lady, aka Beacon artist and beekeeper Deborah Davidovits, invited Wigwam to watch as she started a new hive. Spring is the time to set up new bee hives. Also along to learn some technique was Avi from Eden Village Camp in Putnam Valley. The first order of business is to go buy a… Read More
A Magpie Eye Oversees
the Beacon Flea
Assuming decent weather, the Beacon Flea opens for the season this Sunday, April 6. We’re big fans of flea markets, particularly ones you can walk to. This was Wigwam’s first profile. It ran last November, when the website was still in beta and when the flea market was ending for the season, so we’re reposting… Read More
The Hop Skips Down the Block
A quick look at what’s happening on the East End. It’s been a bit of an open secret recently, but since I bumped into The Chancellor himself, John-Anthony Gargiulo (aka Resident Beer Guru), for anybody that doesn’t know, The Hop is moving a bit further east to 554 Main Street, directly across from Beacon Falls.… Read More
Do NOT Honor Pete Seeger
At least not by naming the new Tappan Zee Bridge in his memory. There is currently an online petition to the New York State Senate to do just that. Naming a major industrial bridge in the New York Thruway system that links the ticky-tacky sprawl of Rockland with the ticky-tacky sprawl of Westchester is probably… Read More
Beacon Bicycle People: Helanna B.
Helanna Bratman rides to her office at the Beacon Rec Center on West Center Street most mornings. Helanna is program coordinator for Green Teen, run by the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County. She lives in Beacon with her husband John and their two young children. Years in Beacon: I’ve been with Green Teen ten years.… Read More
Beacon Bicycle People: Jay P.
Some people must work hard to develop style. Others naturally exude it. Jay Pegram is such a man. Name: Jay Pegram Years in Beacon: 22 Moved from: OB (Original Beacon) What made you decide to use a bike for getting around town? My head. Favorite place to ride: Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. Your license plate says BLUJAY:… Read More
Beacon Bicycle People: Tim D
No doubt many readers have seen this rider and/or his bicycle around town. We spotted him locking up in front of the Howland Library. Let’s get up close and personal with… Name: Tim Delaney. Years in Beacon: Four years. Moved from: I was living in Chicago. I had a car when I moved here and… Read More
Common Ground Farm Is Growing,
Rolls Out New Programs
Wigwam will check in with Common Ground’s farm manager Arielle Narva throughout the year. We emailed her a few questions to start off the dialogue for the coming growing season. Wigwam: You recently got back into town. Where did you spend your winter? Arielle: I just got back to the States from a few months… Read More
Beacon Bicycle People: Brian W
This is the second in our ongoing series of profiles of people who use a bicycle to get around our little city between the mountain and the river. Name: Brian Westpoint How long have you lived in Beacon, and where did you relocate from? 6 years, from Florida via New York City. Where do you… Read More
Alterations on Main Street
The owner of By a Thin Thread, a shop on Main Street that does alterations and custom work, refers to herself as a seamstress. “It’s an antiquated term,” says owner Allyson Vermeulen, who is in the process of relocating the shop from the west end of Main to the Beacon Theater building. “But I like… Read More