News & Events

Please be informed that free COVID Booster Shots are being offered at the pharmacies listed below. For more information and to schedule your COVID-19 Booster please click on the links below;

RITE AID PHARMACY https://www.riteaid.com/pharmacy/scheduler

CVS https://www.cvs.com/vaccine/intake/store/schedule-options

WALGREEN https://www.walgreens.com/findcare/vaccination/covid/19/landing?ban=RI22_covidvaccine_landing_hero_scheduler&vaccineType=covidS

Beacon Housing Authority wants to remind its residents of the “Outside Space Policy”

RESIDENTS AT HAMILTON FISH PLAZA:

• Entrance floor mats must be kept on the inside of the units and not in the common hallway outside the unit.
• Entrance doors to the unit must be free from all personal resident items such as notes, signs, stickers, nick knacks, decorations, etc.

RESIDENTS OF THE FORRESTAL HEIGHTS HIGH RISE:

• Entrance floor mats must be kept on the inside of the units and not in the common hallway outside the unit.
• Entrance doors to the unit must be free from all personal resident items such as notes, signs, stickers, nick knacks, decorations, etc.
• Exterior balconies are meant only for small exterior grade furnishings that includes a small table, up to two chairs, and other limited exterior furnishings (small plants, etc.) Balconies are not meant for the storage of excess household items such as interior furniture and any other items.  The hanging and drying of household laundry is not acceptable.
• Charcoal or propane gas grills are not permitted. Please use the BHA supplied resident common picnic/charcoal only grilling areas.

RESIDENTS OF THE FORRESTAL HEIGHTS LOW RISE UNITS:

• Entrance floor mats must be kept on the inside of the units and not in the common hallway outside the unit.
• Entrance doors to the unit must be free from all personal resident items such as notes, signs, stickers, nick knacks, decorations, etc.
• Charcoal or propane gas grills are not permitted. Please use the BHA supplied resident common picnic/charcoal only grilling areas.
• The front of all entrance areas to be free from bicycles, chairs, tables, toys, balls, basketball hoops, and any other items.
• Exterior porches and balconies are meant only for small exterior grade furnishings that includes a small table, up to two chairs, and other limited exterior furnishings (small plants, etc.) Balconies, patios, porches, and open areas under the stairs are not meant for the storage of excess household items such as interior furniture and any other items. The hanging and drying of household laundry is not acceptable.

PLEASE NOTE THAT COMPLIANCE WITH THESE PROVISIONS IS INCLUSIVE OF YOUR LEASE. COOPERATION IN THIS MATTER IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.

County Executive’s annual address focuses on affordability, safety, opportunity

Poughkeepsie… Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro presented his 2022 State of the County Address Wednesday evening at the Stissing Center in Pine Plains, as residents, business and nonprofit leaders, as well as local and state officials, attended to hear the County Executive’s vision for the coming year.

“The state of Dutchess County remains strong, as our County has overcome unforeseen obstacles and come through the other side more united and robust than ever,” County Executive Molinaro told the guests in attendance. “Today we are poised for more growth and prosperity because of our decade-long commitment to smart, fiscally conservative and compassionate government. To continue along this path, we must redouble our efforts to keep Dutchess County safe and affordable, creating opportunities and optimism for every County resident.”

During his address, the County Executive highlighted priorities for Dutchess County in 2022:

Affordability
Since taking office in January 2012, County Executive Molinaro has employed sound, conservative fiscal leadership to not only close the $40 million budget gap Dutchess County Government faced when he began his tenure, but bring the County’s fund balance to $60 million entering 2022.

In light of recent inflation, the highest the nation and county have experienced in four decades, Dutchess County remains committed to fiscal responsibility that cuts costs and delivers relief, whenever possible. County Executive Molinaro has provided local residents unprecedented tax relief in 2022, including the eighth straight property tax reduction, cutting the tax levy by $5.5 million – the largest tax cut in County history – and the seventh consecutive property tax rate decrease for homeowners and businesses, cutting the rate by 10 percent, all without reducing services to residents.

This year, the County Executive led the way with additional tax relief for residents and businesses, including:

• Elimination of County tax on clothing and footwear items up to $110, becoming only the ninth county in the state and the first in the Hudson Valley to provide such relief;
• Cutting and capping the County tax on gasoline, limiting the County tax on fuel to just $.08 per gallon, no matter the purchase; and
• Continuing to fund the County’s Municipal Innovation Grant (MIG) program, which in 2022 focuses on projects that improve quality of life, and strengthen and develop communities, reducing residents’ local taxes through shared services.

Dutchess County spends 28 percent less per capita than the statewide county average; has a tax levy that is 27 percent lower per capita than the statewide county average; and has outstanding debt that is 50 percent lower per capita than the statewide county average. Additionally, Standard & Poor’s has again reaffirmed Dutchess County’s AA+ bond rating, the highest among any county in New York.

Safety
During these unprecedented times, County Executive Molinaro has supported the safety of Dutchess County residents, including urging State leaders to change the bail system and discovery rules, which have led to an increase in crime.

To further safeguard County residents, County Executive Molinaro has renewed his commitment to protect by dedicating resources and funding to programs and initiatives that provide for public safety, including:

• Partnering with Westchester Medical Center Health Network to develop a state-of-the-art behavioral health Center for Excellence bringing 60 mental health professionals and in-patient beds to create one of the largest behavioral health systems in New York State;
• Investing opioid settlement funds to develop the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) program, a community-based diversion approach which focuses on a harm-reduction/housing-first framework which allows officers to re-direct low-level offenders engaged in drug or other risky activity to community-based services, instead of jail and prosecution;
• Expanding the successful Intensive Treatment Alternatives Program (ITAP), an alternative to incarceration for those in the grip of substance use disorder;
• Supporting the overall health of the community with a mobile vehicle, planned for deployment later this year, which will bring operations to every region of the County, offering immunizations, case work, sexually transmitted disease testing and education, veterans counseling, group sessions, referrals to community providers and more;
• Investing $10 million in American Rescue Plan (ARP) funding for the design and development of a new, consolidated two-way radio system for first responders, which will replace outdated and uncoordinated two-way radio systems utilized by various emergency services throughout the County, providing all agency interoperability and a reduction in costs for most emergency services;
• Allocating $4 million for this year’s MIG program, which prioritizes fire and rescue agencies, including municipal, non-profit and established fire districts, to enhance their capacity and ability to respond to emergencies;
• Investing more than $2 million to purchase three vehicles critical to the Department of Emergency Response’s mission of preparing and responding to emergencies in the community, including a new state-of-the-art Mobile Communication Command Post vehicle;
• Increasing the diversity of the applicant pool for local law-enforcement agencies, which resulted in a record number of applicants for a recent police officer examination, as well as diversity in the latest graduating class from the Dutchess County Law Enforcement Academy; and
• Building on the successful Re-Entry Stabilization Transition and Reintegration Track (RESTART) program at the Dutchess County Jail to establish the Re-Entry Community Housing and Resource Guided Empowerment (RECHARGE) program, which provides individuals housed in the jail who are at high risk for re-offending with safe and secure housing, case management and employment assistance.

Opportunity
Earlier this month, the County released its 2022 Housing Needs Assessment (HNA), an extensive report detailing countywide demographic and housing data, an evaluation of housing trends over recent years and projections for affordable housing needs over the next 20 years. To address the housing gaps identified in the HNA and help eliminate them, Dutchess County is dedicating $20 million in ARP funds to invest in several interventions, including, among others:

• The creation of a housing trust fund, with a recommended initial funding of at least $2 million per year, which will be a valuable source of flexible funding to aid the implementation of a variety of affordable housing efforts;
• Offset the costs of new or upgraded infrastructure, such as water and sewer, to ensure the viability of mixed-income housing developments; and
• Identifying sites that would be suitable locations for multi-family developments and ensure those locations are properly zoned for such development; such sites include those with access to household services, alternative forms of transportation and other necessary infrastructure, such as water and sewer.

County Executive Molinaro also elaborated on the County’s plan to use ARP funds to build a countywide emergency housing facility, which will provide both temporary housing and wrap-around services for those experiencing homelessness all under one roof, transforming the County’s emergency housing response system. Based on a nationally acclaimed model in Bergen County, N.J., Dutchess County’s facility will be based on a core philosophy of moving individuals to permanent housing by offering evidence-based programs and intensive case-management services – including, among others, addiction and substance use counseling, mental health and domestic violence counseling, Behavioral Evaluation & Assessment Team (BEAT) and community policing, financial and job assistance and faith-based connections – to help them secure and maintain stable accommodations. The County Legislature will vote on this solution approach at its May board meeting.

Among other efforts to create opportunities for local residents, Dutchess County has undertaken:

• Dedicating $25 million, including $10 million in ARP funds, to the construction and development of a countywide Youth Opportunity Union, the YOU, located in the City of Poughkeepsie;
• Investing $4.1 million in the successful Learn, Play, Create: Supporting Our Kids grant program, which provides one-time grants awards to local non-profit organizations that serve children and families and were negatively impacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, including $3 million which funded 147 projects in 2021;
• Engaging in accurately mapping internet access throughout Dutchess County and completing a strategic plan for high-speed internet access across the County;
• Investing $1.2 million in ARP funding to establish and equip the Mechatronics Lab at DCC Fishkill, which will provide local students a comprehensive classroom, laboratory, and on-the-job learning program to train them to install, alter, troubleshoot, repair, and maintain electronic, mechanical, computer, control systems and components;
• Continuation of the successful Think Ahead college program, which will graduate its fourth cohort of Dutchess Community College (DCC) students with intellectual and developmental disabilities at DCC’s graduation in May; and
• Investing $180,000 to fund various summer youth programming, including summer youth employment, through the County’s Agency Partner Grant program.

The video of County Executive Molinaro’s 2022 State of the County Address is available on Dutchess County’s website. The County Executive invites residents to participate in conversations about the 2022 State of the County at town hall forums to be held over the next several weeks, including:

• Office for the Aging Tri-Town Senior Friendship Center, First Presbyterian Church of Pleasant Valley, 1576 Main Street, Pleasant Valley on Tuesday, May 3rd at 12:30 p.m.
• Red Hook Community Center, 59 Fisk Street on Tuesday, May 10th at 5:30 p.m.
• American Legion Post 427, 7 Spring Street, Wappingers Falls on Tuesday, May 17th at 5:30 p.m.

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Frank Langella is a much-lauded American actor, performing on stage and screen since the 1960s. His list of accolades is long and distinguished; most recently, he earned an Academy Award nomination for his role as Richard Nixon in the 2008 film Frost/Nixon. In 2012, Langella published a memoir titled Dropped Names: Famous Men and Women As I Knew Them, which shared his experiences living among the elite figures of show business. In an interview about the book, Langella was asked if he liked being the center of attention, and he replied that his attitude has shifted with age. After decades in the spotlight, he’s learned an important lesson: “You should live your life as you wish.”

Hello, Beacon.

This is an important update on Main Street road work taking place in the next two weeks.

The City will begin work on Monday, April 25th.  Please note that there will be no parking on Main Street from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday, April 25th, until Friday, April 29th, to allow for milling of the road. At least one lane of traffic will be kept open during road work, and we will reopen Main Street for parking over the weekend of April 30th and May 1st.

Paving will then begin on Monday, May 2nd, and run through Wednesday, May 4th, requiring complete suspension of parking on those days and some traffic closures.

Dates may be subject to change depending on weather over the next few weeks. All updates on the work will be posted on the City of Beacon website, Facebook account, and will be circulated by phone.

We apologize in advance for this inconvenience, and appreciate your patience as we do this much-needed improvement to the entire length of Main Street.

“Kalpana” is a Hindi word that translates to “imagination,” and in 1997, Dr. Kalpana Chawla (1961-2003) became the first Indian-born woman in space. The astronaut’s passion for the skies emerged early in life, when she would bike after planes taking off from a local military school. In her youth, she also visited the airplane flown by J.R.D. Tata, the founder of India’s first airline; she later brought Tata’s photograph on the first of her two NASA missions. Chawla was among seven astronauts who lost their lives aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia when the spacecraft broke apart upon reentering Earth’s atmosphere in 2003. This quote comes from an email Chawla sent to students at her alma mater, Punjab Engineering College, as she completed her final orbits. The barrier-breaking astronaut knew firsthand that you can achieve anything you can visualize.

George Santayana was a Spanish-born American writer and philosopher in the early 20th century. A prolific man of letters, Santayana believed in the human capability to learn, regardless of age. He resigned his post at Harvard University after only five years to pursue his own studies, which led him to publish numerous works — from novels to philosophy treatises. His words here remind us that real youth is mental, not physical: In staying curious and lighthearted, we can experience youth at any age.

Dutchess County, NY sent this bulletin at 04/18/2022 04:39 PM EDT

The latest issue of Aging News is now available!

By our count, we have a record number of Dutchess County older adults celebrating birthdays of 100 years or more this year, as well as a record number of married couples celebrating wedding anniversaries of 70 years or more. As of early April, 20 centenarians and 10 70-year couples are being honored in OFA’s summer newsletter.

If you know of a Dutchess County resident who is reaching either one (or both!) of these milestones at any time in 2022, please get in touch with OFA Outreach Coordinator Brian Jones at 845-486-2544 or bjones@dutchessny.gov. Publication deadline is Tuesday, May 10th.

Other topics in this issue include:

• New Title for the OFA Newsletter
• Alzheimer’s Event at OFA E. Fishkill Friendship Center (Wed 4/20)
• Mother’s Day Bingo / Exercise Filling Up Quickly (Fri 5/6)
• OFA Now Taking Summer Picnic Reservations
• Free Dementia-Inclusive Event at Vassar College (Fri 4/22)
• City of Poughkeepsie Section 8 Voucher Program Waitlist Applications
• Striders Walking Club at Bowdoin Park (Starts 4/27)
• Other Aging News Online

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The HairShop will be open on Fridays
by appointment only

PRICE LIST
WASH, CUT, AND STYLE – $25
SHAMPOO AND ROLLER SET – $18
COLOR – $50
PERM – $50
THIS SERVICE IS ONLY
AVAILABLE FOR BHA RESIDENTS.

To set and appointment you must first contact the BHA Office to validate residency and get the number of the Stylist.

Once you validate your residency you will be given the contact information for the stylist. You may then contact the stylist and set your appointment.

SPRING IS HERE TIME TO FRESHEN UP THAT LOOK !

Poughkeepsie … As Dutchess County marks the 52nd annual Earth Day celebration on Friday, April 22nd, County Executive Marc Molinaro has announced various Dutchess County Government departments are marking the global observance by beautifying local roadways, assisting residents in recycling furniture and answering residents’ questions regarding recycling.

County Executive Molinaro said, “Preserving the planet for future generations is a shared responsibility in which we can all play a role, and Dutchess County Government is proud to take an active part in ensuring our community remains clean and green for years to come – not just on Earth Day, but year-round. This weekend, residents will not only see our County staff making a difference for our environment, but will be able to join us in helping cleaning up their homes and their community.”

The County’s Department of Public Works (DPW) Highway Construction and Maintenance Division will again dedicate several days to highway clean-up as part of ongoing efforts to maintain the County’s roadway system. From Wednesday, April 20th, through Friday, April 22nd, and then again April 25-26, DPW Highway crews will focus on litter disposal along some of the County’s most highly trafficked roadways in more than a dozen municipalities throughout Dutchess County; the Division maintains nearly 400 centerline miles of County roads annually.

To assist residents’ questions about proper recycling and disposal of household items, the County’s Division of Solid Waste Management will host a virtual information session on Friday, April 22nd from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., providing guidance and information. Residents can access this free forum, available via Microsoft Teams, at https://bit.ly/DutchessEarthDay and join the discussion with a County recycling educator and receive responses to their queries.

On Saturday, April 23rd from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Dutchess Stadium, located at 1500 Route 9D, Wappingers Falls, DPW staff will assist Habitat for Humanity of Dutchess County with its second annual Countywide Donation Day. This County park will be one of several collection sites throughout Dutchess County where residents can donate gently used furniture and household goods, including appliances, kitchenware, lighting and exterior or interior doors. These donated items will be taken to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore location in Wappingers Falls, which sells such high-quality items at discounted prices, with all proceeds helping Habitat Dutchess’ mission of affordable homeownership. Additional information is available at http://www.habitatdutchess.org.

Organizations and residents interested in helping keep Dutchess County’s roadways clean and scenic throughout the year can participate in the County’s Adopt-A-Highway program. Organizations are encouraged to apply by calling (845) 486-2925. The New York State Department of Transportation and several local municipalities also offer Adopt-A-Road programs for state and local roadways.

Dutchess County Commissioner of Public Works Robert Balkind said, “Our DPW Highway Crews work to ensure our roads are safe and beautiful. We appreciate residents’ and volunteers’ efforts to help us keep Dutchess County clean and green. Please remember to dispose of trash properly and take the time to pick up litter, when necessary.”