Older students present musical whodunit

Educational programs happen year-round at Philipstown's Depot Theater, but in the summer, motivated thespians from first graders to high school seniors take over the place.

The middle schoolers, known as the Depot Theater Youth Players, performed Music Man Jr. last week. On Thursday (July 31), 15 members of the Teen Players began a weekend run of the youth edition of Curtains, billed as a musical comedy whodunit, that continues through Sunday.

The book is by Cold Spring resident Rupert Holmes, best known for The Mystery of Edwin Drood. John Kander and Fred Ebb, the team behind Chicago, Cabaret and the song "New York, New York," made famous by Frank Sinatra, wrote the music.

Silvia Hardman, a sophomore at Haldane High School, portrays the female lead, Niki Harris. She says she likes "how the songs are put together; they're written in rounds and the parts fit well."

In the farce, characters die onstage, but in a campy way. To Haldane junior Julian Costantine, who plays Lt. Frank Cioffi, the dialogue is "funny and fluid."

During a recent rehearsal of a full-cast number, "In the Same Boat," Costantine delivered well-timed staccato lines in the style of Harold Hill, the lead character in The Music Man, and the con man Lyle Lanley from The Simpsons.

With acting, "you become a different you," he says. "It's fun to get crazy onstage and go all out inhabiting a character and pretending to be someone." Mistakes, he's made a few. But he takes it in stride: "That's where the improv gene has to kick in."

The players are directed by Natalie Arneson, who oversees student musicals for the Sleepy Hollow school district. "It's a real joy to help young people figure something out, either about their ability onstage or in the real world," she says.

During the rehearsal, Arneson held the actors to high standards but conveyed the message with a smooth style, starting things off with a jig and breathing exercises to get everyone loose. Sitting at an electronic keyboard, music director Daniel Kelly worked out parts with the singers.

The middle school and high school productions shared a set with a 5-foot turntable activated by foot power. For "In the Same Boat," an elaborate song-and-dance number, choreographer Justin Wingenroth crams characters onto the small stage (including nine bodies on the turntable), but the cast made it look easy.

Many actors return year after year, says Amy Dul, executive director of The Depot Theater, who established the summer program 28 years ago. Alums include film actor Charlie Plummer and Xena Petkanas, a Broadway lighting designer.

"We watch them grow and find themselves by taking on roles and being someone else," says Dul. "It's like a sports team, where they support each other and work together for the greater good."

Coming up next at the space is a week-long Sing Away Camp for first through third graders, followed by a performance on Aug. 15. The children will learn and act out three Broadway songs. According to Rachel Moody, director of youth programming, it's "highly adorable."

The Depot Theater is located at 10 Garrison's Landing. Tickets to Curtains, which will be performed today (Aug. 1) at 7 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., are $12 at depottheater.org.

Threshold Choir sings for dying patients

When Johanna Asher moved to Philipstown from Georgia in 2020, she had to leave behind the Atlanta Threshold Choir, which sings to people in hospice or palliative care, so she formed a Hudson Highlands chapter.

It came together organically, she says, as she made friends with other singers. A year ago, she and Donna Reilly, Kate Conway, Melissa Angier and Michele Wolfson began learning the Threshold Choir's songs. They visited their first patient earlier this year.

The national Threshold Choir was founded in 2000 in northern California by Kate Munger. It has since expanded to include nearly 200 chapters, spanning Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., the Netherlands, Mexico and Guatemala.

"When I heard about this, I just thought this is such a special thing," says Patti Cooper of the choir, which now has 10 members. "I want to be sung to at any crisis time in my life." Adds Conway: "This fills up that need to sing, and it's moving for the patients."

The Hudson Highlands Threshold Choir practices every other Monday at Taconic Rehabilitation and Nursing in Fishkill. It sings to patients there and at Taconic Rehabilitation in Beacon and the Sapphire nursing home in Wappingers Falls.

The national organization recommends that chapters have 15 songs they know by heart and offers about 300 selections on its website. Each chapter has five to six songs they sing often, Asher says. There is conversation and laughter between songs, although some patients may be sedated.

Because only three or four choir members visit at one time, each must be able to sing in at least two pitches and handle multiple parts of each song. The practices can be intense. "It's almost like a sport for me," says Conway. "When I leave, I feel like I got this singing workout."

The choir usually starts with "Rest Easy," by Marilyn Power Scott, because "everyone needs to rest easy," Asher says. "Rest easy. Let every trouble drift away. Easy… rest easy…"

For more information, see thresholdchoir.org/hudsonhighlands.

To request a Threshold Choir visit, see thresholdchoir.org/request-singers.

Retired volunteers claimed 'potential ownership interest'

A state judge ruled on Friday (July 25) that the City of Beacon is the sole owner of the decommissioned Beacon Engine Co. fire station at 57 East Main St.

Judge Maria Rosa dismissed four requests from retired members of the volunteer fire company that had used the station as its headquarters for 136 years, including an appeal from the firefighters to conclusively determine who owns the facility.

The basis of the complaint was the most recent operation and maintenance agreement, from 2019, between the city and the company. In it, the city agreed to pay for most insurance and all utilities and maintenance of the building while acknowledging what the volunteers and city officials had believed for decades: that Beacon Engine owned the 1889 structure, which comprises 62 percent of the 4,688-square-foot station. The city was believed to own an engine bay added in 1924.

However, after the City Council voted in February 2020 to close the station, Beacon officials in 2023 conducted a title search that they say revealed municipal ownership of the entire site. The volunteers disputed that, saying ownership was unclear because of "aged, handwritten deeds" and "incomplete searches and conclusory assertions" by the city.

The firefighters alleged that the city abandoned the operation and maintenance agreement in November 2020. Mayor Lee Kyriacou told the court that the city notified the volunteers that it was terminating the agreement in February 2021 but permitted them to use the building until the city's $14.7 million central station opened last fall.

On Jan. 22, city officials sent a notice to the retired firefighters directing them to vacate Beacon Engine by March 31. The firefighters, who had continued to use the building as a headquarters for charitable efforts and a social hub, argued that the eviction came without due process.

Rosa noted that the issue had already been "partially litigated" when the volunteers sought an injunction to halt the eviction and stop the city from selling the property. Rosa denied that request on March 31, saying that the volunteer company had "provided no evidence of ownership" of the station.

A week later, the firefighters filed a complaint asking for judgment on whether the company or city owns the historic structure. The volunteers submitted an amended complaint on May 14 claiming they had commissioned a title search that "created a potential ownership interest in [the fire company's] favor." The complaint referred to language in two deeds which "exempts and reserves the lot occupied by the Old Engine House," although no deeds were submitted to the court. The fire company asked to be declared the owner of the property.

City attorneys filed a motion to dismiss the complaint a day later. In addition to numerous deeds, the city submitted the testimony of Paul Conrad, president of the Poughkeepsie-based Real Property Abstract & Title Services.

Conrad said the firefighters had misinterpreted the two deeds and that a dozen documents, dating from 1860 to 1921, establish the city's ownership. "Beacon Engine at one point in time owned a portion of the property, which it subsequently conveyed to the city over a century ago," he said. "Beacon Engine was never in title to the entirety of the property, and it last had an ownership interest in the property in 1920, almost 105 years ago."

Rosa wrote in the July 25 decision that Conrad had "set forth in detail" the chain of title and provided evidence to back it up. The volunteers, she said, failed to assert ownership, while their argument relied "entirely upon [the 2019] agreement as demonstrative of a 'potential ownership interest.' "

Joe Green, a Beacon Engine Co. trustee, said the volunteers are "extremely disappointed" and will appeal Rosa's decision. After the 2019 agreement was terminated, the volunteer company spent more than $50,000 on repairs and utilities, he said. "We have all the receipts," Gree...

Goshen man struck and killed by excavator

A Goshen man was struck and killed on Monday (July 28) by an excavator during work to replace water and sewer infrastructure along Fishkill Avenue in Beacon.

Amalio Lombardi, 61, died at the scene, according to the Beacon Police Department. Fishkill Avenue was closed between Conklin Street and Dallis Place from about noon to 5:30 p.m. Lombardi worked for Sun Up Construction of Wappingers Falls.

"The city's administration extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Lombardi," Police Chief Tom Figlia said in a statement.

"Amalio had done many projects as a contractor for the city over the past couple decades, so he was well-liked and highly respected by our staff and consultants," said City Administrator Chris White.

Mayor Lee Kyriacou ordered flags lowered to half-staff for the remainder of the week. The Beacon Police Department and the Dutchess County Medical Examiner's Office are investigating the accident, along with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

According to the Donovan Funeral Home in Goshen, Lombardi is survived by his wife, Juliann; his children, Amanda, Marissa and Michael; his mother, Lina; and his sister, Teresa Fini.

Visitation will be held today (Aug. 1) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 5 to 8 p.m. at the funeral home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday at St. John the Evangelist in Goshen, followed by interment at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Middletown.

State law requires 'bell-to-bell' restrictions

Public school districts in the Highlands adopted policies this month to align student cellphone restrictions with a newly enacted state law that requires a "bell-to-bell" ban.

The law, enacted in April as part of the state budget, applies to public schools, charter schools and Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). It prohibits the use of smartphones and other internet-enabled personal devices by students during the school day, including at lunch, recess and study halls.

The law allows districts to provide exceptions for emergencies or to manage a student's healthcare, for students with disabilities or individualized education programs, for translation services, or for students who are routinely responsible for the care of a family member.

After a meeting on Monday (July 21) with the president of the state teachers' union and Capital Region administrators, Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that her priority is ensuring that students receive "a high-quality education, free from constant clicking and scrolling." She said on Thursday that about 300 districts had submitted their policies to the Education Department before the Aug. 1 deadline.

The Beacon school board, which last year banned student cellphone use during classes at Rombout Middle School and Beacon High School, extended its restrictions on Monday to align with state law. Beginning Sept. 2, students who bring phones to school will be required to store them in their lockers for the entire day.

If a student is found using a phone, it will be confiscated and placed in a locked space in an administrative office for the remainder of the day. The penalty for a second offense will be five school days locked in the office, and a third offense will be 10 school days. If a student is found using a phone a fifth time, it could be locked up each school day for the remainder of the academic year, Superintendent Matt Landahl told the board.

Cellphone restrictions will not change at the district's four elementary schools, as students who bring cellphones are required to keep them in their storage cubbies or backpacks at all times.

An online survey conducted by the district in June showed support for the new restrictions from the 278 students, teachers, parents and caregivers who responded, Landahl said, but "there's just an incredible variance in all of the details."

Students said in the survey that they had grown to appreciate the district's classroom ban on phones, which was adopted a year ago and allowed phone use between classes, at lunch and during recess, Landahl said. However, after adhering to that policy, students were surprised to learn that stricter rules were on the way.

Teachers asked for explicit language and consistent implementation of the policy. Some parents "had a lot of serious questions" about contacting their children during the day, either for logistical reasons or for emergencies, he said.

The state set aside $13.5 million for schools to purchase "storage solutions," but Beacon's allocation of $13,000 was far less than the $80,000 it would cost to outfit the middle and high schools with locking pouches, Landahl said. The district spent about half of the money to purchase lockboxes for administrative offices.

Rombout Principal Brian Soltish said Monday that students would be assigned lockers, whenever possible, close to their last-period class, to give them time to retrieve their phones before being picked up or boarding a bus. For middle school students, using a locker every day will be a shift "from what many are doing, which is just loading everything into their backpacks," he said.

The district next month will distribute email addresses and phone numbers to parents or guardians who need to send messages to their children during the day. Students will be able to call their parents using school phones with permission. In the event of an emergency, Landahl said he will communicate with the co...

Editor's note: Beacon was created in 1913 from Matteawan and Fishkill Landing.

150 Years Ago (July 1875)

The Matteawan supervisor, highway commissioners and town clerk, meeting at Ambler's Tavern, voted to assess taxes to purchase 33 gas streetlamps at $24 each [about $700 each today] and to sign an 18-month, $495 [$15,000] maintenance contract. "Quite a number of our citizens talk of getting an injunction to stop the tax - not because they are opposed to improvement, but because they have not been consulted in the matter," wrote the Matteawan correspondent of The Cold Spring Recorder.

The Fishkill Landing coroner held an inquest into the death of a 14-year-old student from Newburgh who drowned after falling overboard from an excursion boat on the Hudson River. His Catholic school was on a field trip.

William Henry was brought before Justice Schenck of Fishkill Landing, accused of assault. James Hunt said he had visited the Henry home to call on a young lady, and that Henry and his wife objected. Henry told him to leave and threatened him. "As all the assault and battery seemed to be on the part of the complainant, the case was dismissed," according to The Recorder.

Seventy cases of machinery arrived for a new carpet mill at Glenham, the first installment of 400 to be shipped from Leeds, England.

At about midnight, Starr Knox of Fishkill Landing heard a crack in a cherry tree outside his home. He saw dark objects in the branches and, raising his gun, ordered the trespassers to come down and stand in a row with their hands above their heads. They said they were from Newburgh, but a news account offered no further explanation for their presence.

Two laborers shoveled 80 tons of coal from a boat on Long Dock in 4½ hours.

The Lone Stars of Matteawan, in Catskill for a baseball game, complained about their treatment. After the Lone Stars broke two bats, the hosts refused to lend them new ones and offered refreshments to only half of the players.

The Fishkill census-taker recorded Aunt Katy Reynolds, a 106-year-old Black woman. She had been born in the West Indies in 1769.

A dental patient in Newburgh, under the influence of gas, punched the doctor and went "cruising about the house tops," according to The Recorder.

The Hartford Post reported that, in the office of the Hartford, Providence and Fishkill Railroad Co., was "a rare museum of curiosities" left by passengers, including fur muffs and collars, boots, shoes, overcoats, parasols, a box of musical instruments, carpet bags, music rolls, storybooks, false teeth, dolls, a cavalry saber, a little brown jug, a white hat and hundreds of umbrellas.

Three thieves arrested for "tapping the till" of a Matteawan baker admitted to being members of a gang from Tenth Avenue in New York City that had been preying on Highlands residents. The officers who took the men to the Albany penitentiary said the prisoners unburdened themselves along the way.

125 Years Ago (July 1900)

A southbound express train hit a brickyard laborer, Thomas Martin, 55, near Dutchess Junction. He was brought aboard the train but died while being removed at Cold Spring. His home and relatives were unknown; he was interred in the Cold Spring cemetery.

The Mount Beacon-on-Hudson Association issued $150,000 [$5.7 million] in capital stock. It planned to build a summer hotel on Mount Beacon accessible by an incline railway.

Brickyard owners in Fishkill Landing asked the Dutchess County sheriff to send officers to stop workers armed with sticks, clubs and stones who were visiting each yard to persuade the others to strike. A leftist newspaper in New York City alleged that the owners, to make trouble to justify police intervention, told saloon-keepers to keep the free beer flowing. The strike ended suddenly when its leader, Patrick McCann, was hit and killed by a train.

The Melzingah chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution dedicated a 27-foot-high stone monument on July 4 on top of Mount Beacon, 1,600 feet abov...

Saint Rita's opens in KuBe Art Center

Timothy Parsaca is a live-event producer who is now "captain of his own ship," says his wife, Kelly Ellenwood. The couple spent the last two months turning a raw space at KuBe Art Center in the former Beacon High School into Saint Rita's Music Room.

They hosted their first concert on July 19. Dressed in a kilt, Parsaca had a blast controlling the sound and lighting for Dick Griffin, former trombone player for free-jazz pioneer Sun Ra and his Arkestra. Griffin's quintet delivered a spirited set with comedic camping from drummer Tommy Campbell.

"We see this as an alternative and welcoming venue," says Parsaca. "It's hard to find places to put on drag shows or burlesque that aren't bars, so we want to serve the community that way, too."

Black floors and ceilings sandwich red walls. With plants, table seating, vintage couches in the back and "fandeliers" (chandeliers with ceiling fans), the vibe is fancy but unpretentious. It's easy to forget it's a former school band room.

Subtle details include the curtains, which look ornamental but improve the sound for the audience and musicians. Behind the performers, the back wall twinkles with white and blue lights to provide depth of field, says Parsaca.

The room hosted its first event on July 17 - a party for family and friends. The following night, it was the site of a sold-out performance of Broadway in Beacon. The couple's children, Rowan and Rhiannon, play pivotal roles.

On July 19, Griffin and his band opened with a furious flurry of cosmic chaos, then broke into the straight-ahead song "Blues for Sun Ra." Having some fun with his solo, Griffin tried to blow the lowest note possible. When not playing trombone, he tapped on percussion instruments retrieved from a nearby table.

On drums, Campbell hit hard and coaxed strange sounds from his cymbals, rubbing the tip of his stick into a groove and emitting a form of feedback. He also brushed a stick across the cymbal, creating another odd tone. He hit the kit with a folding fan and used the prop for slapstick gags. At one point, he did the hambone.

During the Latin vamp, he tapped the hi-hat cymbal with his foot, which sounded like he swatted them with his stick, freeing up his hands to create a more complex rhythm. Mimicking Jimi Hendrix playing guitar behind his head, Campbell crossed his arms behind his back and kept on hitting for a few beats, then delivered a furious solo with his snare muffled to provide a sound more attuned to Latin percussion.

The rest of the band also slammed. Pianist Alexis Marcelo channeled the herky-jerky style of Thelonious Monk on the Latin piece, but also delivered a feathery, cascading touch on the mellower songs.

Bass player Jeremiah Edwards provided solid support along with an upper register solo on the blues tune. Jordan Young on saxophone performed a call-and-response interlude with Griffin.

With table seating, Saint Rita's fits 99 patrons. For theatrical performances the space could accommodate up to 200. Though it will serve beer, wine and food, "this is not a bar or a restaurant," says Ellenwood. "It's a listening room."

Saint Rita's Music Room is located at 85 Eliza St. in Beacon. The Hudson Valley Flyers will perform honky tonk on Aug. 2 and Broadway in Beacon will host an open mic for singers ages 18 and younger on Aug. 3. See saintritasmusicroom.com.

Trump administration freezes $6 billion in grants

Update

From The Associated Press:

The Trump administration is releasing billions of dollars in withheld grants for schools, the Education Department said Friday (July 25), ending weeks of uncertainty for students, families and educators around the country who rely on the money for English language instruction, adult literacy and other programs. A week ago, the White House said it would release $1.3 billion for after-school programs that had been withheld.

President Donald Trump's administration had suspended more than $6 billion in funding on July 1, as part of a review to ensure spending aligned with the White House's priorities. The funding freeze had been challenged by several lawsuits as educators, Congress members from both parties and others called for the administration to release the money. Congress had appropriated the money in a bill signed this year by Trump.

A week prior, the Education Department said it would release $1.3 billion of the $6 billion for after-school and summer programming. Without the money, school districts and nonprofits such as the YMCA and Boys and Girls Club of America had said they would have to close or scale back educational offerings this fall.

Now, the Office of Management and Budget has completed its review of the remaining programs and will begin sending the money to states this week, the Education Department said.

School districts in the Highlands say they may lose a combined $140,000 this year under a Trump administration order to freeze over $6 billion in federal education grants.

The administration froze the funds this month pending a review to ensure that "taxpayer resources are spent in accordance with the president's priorities."

In Beacon, the district expected to receive $62,000 for professional development, $32,000 for a range of programs such as social-emotional learning and curriculum mapping software, and $7,000 for English as a New Language services, said Superintendent Matt Landahl.

"We've relied on these funds for years," he said. Although the grants represent a small portion of the district's $87.7 million budget, "when we have to replace this with our own funding, we're having to make decisions about things we haven't had to make decisions about before."

"Under Review"

The Trump administration said it hasn't made any decision on how much funding it would release for six programs appropriated by Congress. At risk are the following programs and funding amounts, nationally:

$2.19 billion for Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants, which work to reduce class sizes and pay for professional development for educators

$1.33 billion for 21st Century Community Learning Centers, which are before- and after-school programs that provide academic enrichment for students and are an important source of subsidized childcare for working parents

$1.38 billion for Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants, a flexible funding stream that pays for services including mental health, accelerated learning and college counseling

$890 million for English Language Acquisition, used for English proficiency and language instruction

$376 million for Migrant Education, funding that supports the needs of migratory children such as those whose parents are seasonal and migrant farm workers

$715 million for Adult Basic Literacy Education State Grants, programs that support adult education and literacy

Source: The Associated Press

Landahl said that some of the funds defray the costs of August workshops, including a program to help rising freshmen prepare for high school and a program for juniors and seniors to prepare for college-level work. Those programs are scheduled for Aug. 12 to 14 and will go on, he said.

At Haldane, the district may lose $15,000 that pays part of the salary of a reading teacher, said Gail Duffy, the superintendent. She said the district also could lose $10,000 for professional development. She said the district would m...

House member says he will seek re-election

Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican whose House district includes Philipstown, said on Wednesday (July 23) that he has decided not to run for governor next year.

Another prominent House Republican, Rep. Elise Stefanik, has been considering a campaign in 2026 against Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat. She said in a statement Wednesday that she'll decide after the November election.

Lawler, in his second term representing District 17 after defeating incumbent Sean Patrick Maloney in 2022 and Mondaire Jones in 2024, weighed his options as President Donald Trump and the Republican Party attempts to retain control of the House in next year's midterm elections. Lawler told "Fox and Friends" on Wednesday that running for reelection was "the right thing to do for me and my family and my district. Keeping the House majority is critical if we are going to continue to move this economy in the right direction."

Lawler is one of few Republicans who won a seat in 2024 in a district that went to Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. He is coming off a successful fight to raise the federal income tax deduction for state and local taxes, a significant pocketbook issue in New York state. The federal budget bill enacted by the president last month raised the cap to $40,000 for the next five years; it had been capped at $10,000 as part of Trump's first-term tax overhaul.

Lawler held a series of sometimes raucous town halls this year at a time when Republicans were being advised to skip the forums that were drawing angry questions about Trump's agenda. The president endorsed Lawler in May, calling him "a strong champion and highly effective representative" in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Hochul, a former lieutenant governor, assumed the governor's seat in 2021 after Andrew Cuomo resigned. She was elected in 2022. She also faces a challenge from her own lieutenant governor, Antonio Delgado.

Seven Democratic candidates have launched campaigns to unseat Lawler, and Axios reported earlier this month that Maloney is contemplating a return. The candidates are:

Peter Chatzky, a tech company founder and village trustee in Briarcliff Manor;

Cait Conley, a 2007 West Point graduate from Orange County who is former director of counterterrorism for the National Security Council;

Beth Davidson, a Rockland County legislator;

Effie Phillips-Staley, a Tarrytown trustee who is a nonprofit executive;

Jessica Reinmann, who founded the nonprofit 914Cares in Westchester County;

Mike Sacks, a lawyer and former TV journalist from Westchester; and

John Sullivan, a former FBI intelligence analyst who lives in Rockland County.

In April, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said it would focus on 35 House districts held by Republicans nationally in 2026 in an attempt to regain control of the House. The only New York district on its list is Lawler's.

Investigation turned over to state police

A retired Beacon police officer is being held without bail on a murder charge after a shooting late Monday (July 21) at 86 Rombout Ave.

According to the New York State Police, Edison Irizarry, 52, of Beacon, was arrested at 11:26 p.m. and charged with murder in the second degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree and criminal possession of a firearm, all felonies. He pleaded not guilty during a Beacon City Court appearance on July 22 and is scheduled to return to court Aug. 6 for a preliminary hearing.

The police identified the victim as Casey Cuddy, 58, of Beacon, who they said was found dead at the scene. Cuddy was a psychiatric mental health nurse and actor who performed for the County Players in Wappingers Falls. According to a program biography, the Finger Lakes native moved to the Hudson Valley in September 2022 after living in Los Angeles and Oregon. In November 2022, Cuddy placed a classified ad in The Current seeking a roommate to share his first-floor Beacon apartment.

A July 2021 Facebook post by the Beacon police officers' union congratulated Irizarry on his recent retirement from the Police Department. Irizarry, a Marine veteran, served as an officer at Beacon for 17 years, according to the post, including as a field training officer and detective.

Beacon Police Chief Tom Figlia said in a news release on Tuesday that officers received a call Monday night from an individual who said he had shot his roommate. Upon arrival, "it was determined that one of the individuals involved was a retired Beacon police officer," the release said. It said that, "to maintain the highest integrity, the entire investigation was turned over to the New York State Police."

The Beacon department will cooperate "fully and completely" with the investigation, Figlia said.