2004 brought more positive progress to our city of Beacon, thanks to the ideas, the commitment and the hard work of our community. It's been a great pleasure to have people ‑‑both long‑time residents and those who have been here just a few years‑‑stop on the street to comment on how well things are progressing, how good things look, and on how despite the changes the friendly community attitude remains. And of course, many of the building changes are restorations of the way they were in the past. It demonstrates the wisdom of the advice given us a few years back by the Community Exchange‑emphasize your history, emphasize your scenic beauty, keep your focus on the arts, and whatever you do, put community first, because if it's a good place to live it will be a good place to visit.

We know in the public sector things always take longer than we'd like, but as a baseball player once said, "You gotta believe." And sometimes, it even means following the advice of Yogi Berra, who said "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."

Some of the accomplishments of 2004:

The Beacon Riverside Trail was finally finished late in the year, from the Station area to Dennings Point. It's a beautiful way to enjoy our Hudson River and the mountain views. Since it was finished so late we decided to have the grand opening in the spring. And we've applied for a grant to connect the trail from Denning's Point to the Madam Brett Trail, to continue our planned loop. :The Riverside Trail has received Greenway Trail designation. (During the planning process it was called the Hudson River Estuary Trail. Its official name is now Beacon Riverside Trail.)

The Dock Restoration was completed, Newburgh got their parking lot finished, and we were very close to the return of Ferry service between our two cities when the company which was to have provided the service ran into financial difficulties, and Metro North and DOT decided it would be better to wait until spring. This is a service which is eagerly awaited, not just by commuters and the relief it should give to the parking situation, but by the general public which is looking forward to the service to expand into rides during off‑commuting hours.

The Rivers and Estuaries Center opened a Main Street visitors' center in the former Alps Sweet Shop. They included displays on shad fishing, information from the Beacon Historical Society, and generously allowed their space to be used through the year for meetings, including the Metro North presentation on their station plans. The Dyson Foundation, one of the sponsors of the Rivers and Estuaries Center, organized a trip during the year to Woods Hole, Massachusetts, to view that operation.

The Patriots’ Garden was completed at the intersection of Verplanck and Matteawan Road, and we thank Tioronda Garden Club for organizing the efforts and all the individuals and organizations who helped them bring it to reality. A special thanks to Rob Riley and his department for their help. And thanks also to Tioronda Garden Club, the City's beautification committee, for all their plantings and seasonal decorations through the year.

The Beacon Rotary Club's $6,000 share of the funds raised by the Mayor‑i‑Ment Roast was presented to Howland Center for the Air Conditioning fund and it was a pleasure to be able to help with that.

Hudson Beach Glass completed much of the restoration of the historic Lewis Tompkins Hose Fire House, and held a ceremony to unveil the cornerstone recognizing the Company.

The State DOT awarded the bid for the reconstruction of Route 9D from Fishkill Creek to the south city line, and the first item of business was an overlay of the badly deteriorated road from the Howland Avenue intersection south. This is a project which has been in the works for years, the bridge over the Fishkill creek was thankfully made a separate project and completed a few years ago, and we look forward to the completion of the rest of the work in 2006. We have had many calls, letters, e‑mails, and public comments criticizing the length of time the road was in such poor condition. That of course was no surprise, it was in dreadful condition largely because of inadequate drainage which the reconstruction will correct. The surprise was that we actually had two letters to say thank you that the work has begun. And to remind people, this is a State project being done with 80% Federal funds and 15% State funds, with the city paying 5%.

There were 15 announced ribbon cuttings, and I know there were many other businesses which opened without that formality. The new businesses include food service, a law office, florist, storage, merchandise and two galleries. In the absence of a Main Street visitors center, to help guide visitors informational material was set up at Riverwinds Galleries.

We received the good news that Beacon Engine Company has been listed on the State and National Historic Registers. The East End Historic District is in the process.

Some official greetings were extended to visitors from Scotland, the Arts Council of New Jersey from Dover, New Jersey, Students of Consensus Design, a group of Dutchess County teachers, and Students from Columbia University and Parsons School of Design

Dia:Beacon celebrated being open for a year, and the number of visitors continues to surprise. The County trolley bus service is provided to encourage them to visit Main Street, to benefit the businesses along the way. The amount of sales tax generated by admissions and at the museum gift store is of course a benefit to Beacon and to Dutchess County.

One of the enjoyable parts of the Mayor's job is the public relations activities. Last year over 150 functions and events were attended, 20 of those representing Beacon in other areas of the State. Eleven talks were given to various organizations, Press activities, in addition to local media included a number of interviews with The New York Times, The New York Post, other regional and national publications and even a few from overseas. There was an interview with Tim Fleischer of Channel 7, appearance on a video being made for the NY Preservation League annual dinner held this year at the Waldorf, and several State press conferences.

17 marriages were witnessed.

In our continuing revitalization, 270 building permits were issued. Residential permits included 16 new homes, 28 additions and 24 renovations and repairs, for estimated expenditures of 5,119,616. On the commercial side there were renovations with estimated expenditures of $1,091,850. Other miscellaneous items brought the total estimate of funds to be spent on improvements in the city to $7,748,314.

Throughout the year, as always, grants were applied for whenever and wherever available, for waterfront improvements, for Police work, for Recreation projects and programs, etc. Beacon has a good track record for receiving grants because we try to use them promptly and efficiently. We will continue to do that. We also try whenever possible to consolidate efforts. For example, our Recreation Department this year initiated meetings of the various groups in the city which provide similar services, to be sure the best service would be available to everyone at the least cost and without duplication. This kind of effort is also important in applying for grants, as is intercommunity cooperation.

Community Development funds allocated to Beacon in 2004 amounted to $ 230,520. Most of these funds are used for road improvements, with some going to the Beacon community rebuilding program formerly called Christmas in April.

A number of planning and zoning changes were made during the year, following through on the over‑all review of our Comprehensive Plan undertaken in the past years. We need to be sure that all development is appropriate for the area where it is proposed. Keeping a community vital and growing is everyone's responsibility, and a job that is never completed, since new challenges always appear.

The City Planning Consultant has given us his suggestions for the process to review and update the Comprehensive Plan to keep it current, and this is on our agenda to begin in 2005. It covers remaining open space, Main Street, Parking and Transportation, Parks, and an update of the housing survey, to ensure retention of the wonderful diversity which makes Beacon special.

On a practical note, we need to relocate our Department of Public Works, and this is a priority. And we have for years spoken of the need for attractive screening of the Recycling Center/Transfer Station and Sewer Treatment plant, and that is also a priority. We should set the example. And with the incentives available we should also look into city vehicles using cleaner fuel.

Riverfront Park continues to be an attraction. The Dock has possibilities to attract boats which will allow residents and visitors who don't own their own boat to get out on our beautiful river. And for those who do own boats, we need to move on the improvement of the boat launch, for which we have a partial grant. In addition for use by local boat owners, the launch is needed to accommodate visitors, including the small boats using the Water Trail. Beacon has two landings for the Hudson River Water Trail, but we need the boat launch for that site to be used.

We will continue to work with our neighboring communities at every opportunity, and one really good opportunity would involve a transportation loop which would connect Beacon with Fishkill to the east, and to Wappingers to the north, so the tourists who come to the area will be encouraged to stay longer, and use public transportation while they're here. The Beacon Line train track might be a useful part of such a loop.

These are some of the things to think of in 2005, and we hope they will inspire everyone who reads them to come up with some suggestions of their own, and that they will pass them along to be considered. I read an article recently on investing your time, and the worth of time. Actually, at the Mayor's salary of $6,000 a year my time is worth seven cents a minute. That doesn't seem like much, but on the other hand, seven is a lucky number‑‑‑‑.

As we go forward in 2005 1 think of the Irish quote, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow's a mystery, and today is a gift‑‑that's why we call it the present." Let's be sure we make good use of our present.