Beaconites!

Vicki is a radio professional who co-founded a Beacon-focused internet radio station called The Ground, which aired from 2015 to 2020. She talks about that experience as well as her years making radio for WBAI, Air America and SiriusXM.

A new nonprofit that was founded during the dark days of the pandemic will direct funds toward innovative curriculum in the school district.

Air Nonken Rhodes is wrapping up their time as Beacon's city council person representing Ward 2. Ahead of a planned move to Maine, Air discusses the council's role in Beacon's affairs and key challenges facing the city in 2022.

Jesse Meyer traces his family's history of leather tanning back to Renaissance Europe. He worked in his father's tannery as a teenager before heading off to study fine art at SUNY New Paltz. He later returned to run the business, introducing new ideas and processes including a method of parchment making from animal skins that dates back thousands of years.

Gina Samardge is a performer, music educator and the founder of Compass Arts, a nonprofit music and arts school. As you'll hear in this interview, Gina radiates positivity and total dedication to Compass's mission of collaborative learning.

The school district serves 2,000 meals a day across its six cafeterias. But this fall, supply chain bottlenecks are plaguing the big food suppliers it has traditionally relied on. Food services director Karen Pagano has responded by building stronger connections to local food growers.

Imam Abdullah talks about his path to Islam, the Muslim community in Beacon and the evolving place of Islam in American culture.

We're back! Beaconites returns to regular episodes with this interview with Rachel Saunders, who is running for Dutchess County Family Court Judge. Rachel describes how her local upbringing and legal career have prepared her for the often wrenching cases that come before our county's family court system.

Jonny Taylor and J Brooks Marcus compose and record music together under the name Obsidian Soundsystem. Among their music creations is the Beaconites podcast theme - a tune called Heliographs. On August 6, they are releasing Heliographs along with a bunch of other new music.

Matt and Emily Clifton are home cooks and life partners who publish original recipes, give food advice and write cookbooks – including a new one on dutch oven cooking. A funny episode about life, work and scotch eggs.