Karen Smythe is running for New York Senate in the 41st district, challenging Sue Serino who has held the seat since 2014. She talks about health care, the economy, climate change, Black Lives Matter and other issues.

VanBuren is a five-term president of the Beacon Historical Society and current president general of the Daughters of the American Revolution. She has written two books on Beacon’s history and is working on a third, a collection of writings by beloved local historian Bob Murphy, who passed away recently. She talks about Bob's legacy, the dozens of "hat shops" that operated here and the incline railway. 

This week, Beacon Prison Action founder Laurie Dick talks about the lives of incarcerated people at Fishkill Correctional and Green Haven Correctional. She is joined by Priscilla (last name withheld), who comes up regularly to visit her husband at Green Haven. Beacon Prison Action has resumed its program offering free transportation to the families of inmates. 

The Artichoke storytelling series is preparing for the return of live shows. Organizers Drew Prochaska and John Blesso describe their addiction to storytelling, their desperate efforts to keep performing during the pandemic and what comes next.

Beacon's Green Teen program provides young people with hands-on experiences in farming and gardening, health and nutrition, and entrepreneurship. Our guests this week are Helanna Bratman, who organizes and runs Green Teen, and crew leader Jeremiah Long, who is in the 10th grade at Beacon High School.  

Alyia and Meghan are the founders of Wyld Womyn Birth & Postpartum, a collective of doulas operating out of Beacon. They talk about expecting parents' changing mindsets during the pandemic and break down some common misconceptions about doulas. 

Kalene and Dan have spawned many art happenings in Beacon, including the Electric Windows street art project, the “Welcome to Beacon” sign, Club Draw and the (late, great) Open Space gallery. During Covid19 they are working on a project called WearTogether which pairs artists with local businesses to create t-shirt designs. They talk about life, family and making stuff.

Josh is the director of The Randolph School, a pre-K to 5th grade school on Route 9D in Wappingers Falls. The school has a strong focus on outdoor education and nature experience, and it has commissioned lean-to structures to facilitate safe learning in the coming school year. 

“From the beginning I’ve called WeWork the Starbucks of coworking, and I’m like the Big Mouth or Bank Square of coworking. There’s always going to be the corporatized coworking spaces, just as there’s always Starbucks, and there’s always going to be the local Independent. “

Beacon Hebrew Alliance is a Jewish synagogue and community that dates back to the 1920s. Rabbi Brent has brought new energy, creativity and congregants since he joined the BHA family 10 years ago.