June CAC Meeting

The next meeting of the Beacon Conservation Advisory Committee is Tuesday, June 28th, 2011. We will meet at 7pm, in the police training room at 1 Municipal Plaza. 

May CAC Meeting

The next meeting of the Beacon Conservation Advisory Committee is Tuesday, May 24th, 2011. We will meet at 7pm, in the police training room at 1 Municipal Plaza. 

April CAC Meeting

The next meeting of the Beacon Conservation Advisory Committee is Tuesday, April 26th, 2011. We will meet at 7pm, in the police training room at 1 Municipal Plaza. 

CAC 2010 Accomplishments & 2011 Goals

Dutchess County CAC's and the Environmental Management Council (EMC) met at the annual meeting in February. The meeting was held at the Cornell University Cooperative Extension Dutchess County offices in
Millbrook. This was a chance for CAC members from various municipalities to share their successes and challenges from 2010 and their goals for the coming year.

Tom Baldino, the Beacon CAC chairperson, shared our 2010 accomplishments with the group. The first Beacon Composts: Zero Waste Garden Tour was held last June. The CAC proposed a public-spaces recycling program to the city council. Solar panels were installed on the roof of the municipal building, which was a five-year process. CAC members advised the city council and planning board on proposed projects in 2010, and will continue to do so.

Looking forward to 2011, the CAC hopes to see the installation of bicycle racks along Main Street. The Second Annual Beacon Composts: Zero Waste Garden Tour is scheduled for June 11. The CAC will assist the City of Beacon and Hudson River Sloop Clearwater with the actions outlined in the Urban Forestry Grant application.
As part of the solar panel installation, the CAC will ensure that an educational display is erected at City Hall.
The City of Beacon has partnered with Greener Corners and new recycling/trash receptacles should be installed along Main Street this spring. In partnership with the Beacon Sloop Club, the CAC is encouraging local teens to get involved with Beacon's environmental organizations. The CAC will continue its drive to recruit interested Beacon residents to become CAC members.

February CAC Meeting

The next meeting of the Beacon Conservation Advisory Committee is Tuesday, February 22th, 2011. We will meet at 7pm, in the police training room at 1 Municipal Plaza.

Compost Garden Tour 2011

Beacon Composts: Zero Waste Garden Tour First meeting for the garden and compost tour will be this Sat, February 12, 10AM at the Bank Square coffee shop. It will be in the back meeting room. After we tend to the planning, there will be a short seed starting seminar with recycled items.

Annual CAC and EMC Roundtable - Open to the Public

The CCEDC Environment and Energy Program is pleased to announce:

The Annual CAC and EMC Roundtable: Serving as Stewards of the Local Environment

Volunteer members of local municipal Conservation Advisory Commissions or Boards (CAC/CAB) and the Dutchess County Environmental Management Council

(EMC) play a critical role as stewards of the natural resources and environment in their communities.  The Annual CAC and EMC Roundtable Forum is a great opportunity for CACs and the EMC to share information about recent successes and challenges, discuss common concerns, and prioritize goals for the coming year. The Roundtable also offers members of the public (including youth) to learn about local environmental issues that are critical in our community, and how to get involved in protecting the environment in their own backyard.

When: Wednesday, February 23, 2011, 7:00 — 9:00 pm

Location: The Farm & Home Center, 2715 Route 44, Millbrook, NY 12545

Come Learn How to Get Involved in Protecting Your Local Natural Resources.  Free and Open to the Public. No Pre-Registration Required.  All current EMC and CAC Members are strongly encouraged to attend!  Light Refreshments Provided.  The GIS Special Interest Group Meeting will be held from 6:00-6:45pm.

This year’s Roundtable Forum will include:

- Short presentations on CAC/EMC responsibilities, and emerging issues for CACs and the EMC to address;

- Facilitated small group discussions on the accomplishments and priorities for local environmental protection efforts in 2011.

If you have any questions, or for more information, contact Allison at (845) 677-8223 x 136 oramc256@cornell.edu.   

Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County (CCEDC) provides equal program and employment opportunities.  The programs provided

by this agency are partially funded by monies received from Dutchess County.  Please contact CCEDC if you have any special needs.

Bikeable Beacon Meeting Summary

The second Bikeable Beacon meeting was held last Saturday. Representatives from the Beacon Chamber of Commerce, the local business community, city residents and the Conservation Advisory Committee discussed the goals for the project. The group hopes to have several bike racks installed along Main Street this year. Events during National Bicycle Month in May will address safety concerns and encourage more bicycle commuting.

If you would like to become involved with this project, e-mail beaconcac@gmail.com.

City Hall Solar Panels

The City of Beacon now has solar panels on the municipal building. The sixty panels were installed by Hudson River Clean Energy. Thank you to all who were involved in this project, particularly, Thomas Baldino, CAC co-chairman.

There is a related article in this week's Beacon Free Press.

Bikeable Beacon - January Meeting

Bikeable Beacon is a project created to raise awareness of the needs of bicyclists in Beacon. We would also like to encourage bicycling as a mode of transportation in order to reduce traffic congestion along Main Street. And we are planning a community bike ride in honor of National Bike Month in May.

CAC members, local business owners and residents met in October. The participants discussed the need for safe bike routes and bike parking areas. 

The next meeting will be held at 10am on Saturday, January 22nd at Bank Square Coffeehouse. We will review the bike routes and rack locations and begin planning for the May event.

Bikeable Beacon Map

January Meeting

The next meeting of the Beacon Conservation Advisory Committee is Tuesday, January 25th, 2011. We will meet at 7pm, in the police training room at 1 Municipal Plaza. Read more about CAC's in other Dutchess County communities on the Cornell University Cooperative Extension page, http://www.ccedutchess.org.

December Meeting

The next meeting is Tuesday, December 28th, 2010. We will meet in the police training room at the Municipal Center at 7pm.

Bikeable Beacon - December meeting -Postponed

Bikeable Beacon is a project created to raise awareness of the needs of bicyclists in Beacon. We would also like to encourage bicycling as a mode of transportation in order to reduce traffic congestion along Main Street. And we are planning a community bike ride in honor of National Bike Month in May.

CAC members, local business owners and residents met in October. The participants discussed the need for safe bike routes and bike parking areas. 

The next meeting has been postponed until January. Happy Holidays!

Bikeable Beacon Map

Application for CAC Membership

To become a voting CAC member, please fill out the Committee Application. Meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of the month in the police training room at 1 Municipal Plaza. The meetings begin at 7pm.

November Meeting

The next meeting is Tuesday, November 23th, 2010. We will meet in the police training room at the Municipal Center at 7pm.

Bikeable Beacon

This first Bikeable Beacon planning meeting was held this past week. Members of the CAC, the local business community and the public attended. We discussed safe bicycling routes through Beacon and the need for bicycle racks. If you would like to identify a route or location for a bike rack, please e-mail the CAC, beaconcac@gmail.com. There will be a bike ride through Beacon and other events in the spring to celebrate National Bike Month.

October CAC Meeting

The next meeting is Tuesday, October 26th, 2010. We will meet in the police training room at the Municipal Center at 7pm.

Garden Winterizing Workshop

Join Anna West on Thursday, October 21st, at 7pm, for tips on how to prepare your yard, garden and compost for winter.  Fall is also the time to start planning for next year's garden. Anna is an experienced gardener who will explain how to save money, limit your garbage output and decrease your yard work. The workshop will be held at the School of Jellyfish at 183 Main Street in Beacon. This event is free and open to the public.

Thank you to the School of Jellyfish for lending the space for this event. However, there will be no food service.

Beacon Composts: Zero Waste Garden Tour

Did you miss this year's Compost Garden Tour? Would you like to participate next year? Please contact jeanbrennan@mac.com.

Join the CAC!

Membership is open to residents of the City of Beacon. Meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of every month at 7pm, in the police training room. This room is in the lower rear floor of the Municipal Center.