Mt. Beacon Fire Tower

Thanks to my friends from the Hudson Valley Four Wheeler's Association (HVFWA) for assisting the Friends of the Mt. Beacon Eight (MB-8) in changing the flags at the 1935 crash site memorial. Since there is no way to negotiate vehicles up to this crash site, members of the HVFWA hiked with me to get to this crash site. My relationship with the HVFWA goes back over ten years now. They are mainly responsible for helping the Mt. Beacon Fire Tower Restoration Committee (MBFTRC) preserve and restore the historic Mt. Beacon Fire Tower. They stepped up again this year to help the MBFTRC spruce up the tower in time for the fire tower's 90th anniversary. The HVFWA has pledged to continue to support the MBFTRC's efforts to maintain the fire tower, but also committed themselves to taking a bigger role in the Mt. Beacon Eight project as well. This couldn't have come at a better time for both me and and both organizations. The MBFTC has been experiencing difficulty in recruiting volunteers to take on projects on the fire tower. The ongoing graffiti problem has been plaguing the fire tower since we renovated the fire tower back in 2013. Lets face it, the fire tower also takes a lot of abuse sitting atop the south peak of Mt. Beacon dealing with all types of weather conditions. Since it is now been around for ninety years, lets try to keep it around for another ninety! The MB-8 organization which was a small group of individuals to begin with is also having a hard time recruiting volunteers to change the flags on an annual basis and keep an eye out on each memorial crash site. To add to the mix, on a personal level, it has become increasingly more difficult for me to hike to either MB - 8 memorial crash sites or even the fire tower despite being driven to to the tower by my friends at the HVFWA. Its time for new people to step up as well and help out if you believe either one of these projects are worth preserving. Just so you know, the HVFWA is a 501 C 3 not for profit organization whose members range in age from the late teens to the mid sixties. They come from all backgrounds. Lawyers, police officers, even a retired diesel train engine mechanic and a variety of other occupations. They are responsible jeep owners who ride their vehicles on properties where they had attained permission to do so. They also give back to the community as well. They recently organized a fundraiser drive to raise money for Wounded Veterans. Amazingly, they raised five thousand dollars which they used to purchase wheel chairs for the Wounded Veterans. If you know of any organization in the Hudson Valley that might need their help, let them know by logging onto their website. In closing, I want to wish everyone a safe and Happy July 4th weekend. Lets all get back to our normal routines and enjoy ourselves again.