10 Is The New Number In New York: Establishment With A State Liquor Authority License Must Close By 10pm; Private Gatherings Limited To 10 People

With COVID-19 cases rising in the nation and in New York, Governor Cuomo announced today via press conference that any establishment with a State Liquor Authority license must close by 10pm. The Dutchess Business Notification Network reported the news quickly. The Executive Order is to come, but you can watch the announcement here.

Hospitalizations in New York are up overall, as are deaths. While the average number of deaths over the summer was at around 4, lately it has been climbing, with yesterday reaching 32. While this is very sad, and overall low compared to New York’s death number in the spring, the increase is notable. Governor Cuomo in his daily emails has been stressing to limit private gatherings, and did remove the liquor license from a wedding venue in Long Island who hosted a wedding that exceeded reduced capacity, and ended up being a super spreader.

From his 11/9/2020 nightly email: “A Long Island country club lost its liquor license after hosting an illegal, super-spreader wedding. As we have seen time and time again, large gatherings can unfortunately turn into super-spreader events. The State Liquor Authority has suspended the liquor license for the North Fork Country Club following a wedding which violated pandemic-related guidance. A total of 113 guests attended—more than double the number allowed—leading to 34 COVID-19 infections, and scores of people in quarantine. New York will not tolerate illegal and dangerous mass gatherings.”

Said Governor Cuomo Tuesday evening: “In the micro-cluster focus areas, the positivity rate was 5.59 percent. Excluding these areas, it was 2.56 percent.” He has always indicated the “tighten the valve” method as numbers increase, and this is one of those measures, without fully shutting things down.

The Dutchess Business Notification Network also reported that while the physical location must be closed, restaurants and bars may continue to serve take-out and delivery options for food items.

Gyms are also required to close each night at 10PM.

Gatherings at private residencies must now be limited to 10 individuals maximum.

Beacon City Schools Coordinate Bus Delivery For Free Lunch Meals For Remote Learners - Sign Up Required

When in a pandemic, and when the USDA is funding your local lunches and breakfasts for kids who need it, sometimes getting access to that food can be hard. The Beacon City School District has gone to great lengths to prepare food that can be warmed up at home for kids meals, in addition to produce and packaged snacks. While the meals area available in 5 different locations on a Wednesday between a certain daytime time slot, getting to that food can be difficult for parents and caregivers who are working or unavailable during that time window. Therefore, the district has organized a bus delivery system to bring the food to the people.

Piloted in the spring when this pandemic first started, the district has had some practice at this delivery method. When the federal government funded all meals to public school districts including Beacon, lots of kids are now eligible for the free food, which can include pizza slices, chicken nuggets, and even a cucumber/tomato/feta salad. Not to mention: Scooby Snacks.

Delivery begins October 21, 2020, but signup is required by October 9, 2020. Don’t delay, sign up now. It’s easy and involves a Google Form. Delivery is every Wednesday starting at 10am, and someone must be home to receive it.

Pickups for meals is also on Wednesday at different locations, like South Avenue or Rombout. The receiver simply needs to select which location they want to pickup. Or, if they are opting for delivery, the form that needs to be filled out will take them off the pickup list.

At this time, opting into getting a free meal is easy. One should not not do it because they are saving a place for someone else. There is plenty of food. If you are in need, or if your kids miss school pizza, opt-in.

Details on the free meals program for all kids through December 31, 2020 are here.

New Food Benefit of $420 In Groceries To Kids Who Lost Food Benefits - The P-EPT Card Or Deposit

September is a breath away and most of us are either trying to ignore the “back-to-school” air August carries, or desperately trying to prepare for the upcoming school year. In Governor Cuomo’s daily coronavirus update email sent out on August 10th, 2020, he included an update regarding the pandemic and the reopening of schools, as well as an opportunity for kids who lost food benefits due to COVID-19 school closures can access meals through the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program.

P-EBT is an important update that requires attention prior to the end of August. P-EBT (Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer) is a newly implemented program regarding the food benefits for families during the COVID-19 school closures. Children who lost free or reduced-price school meals will now be able to buy food at participating stores under the P-EBT benefits, for $420, according to Governor Cuomo’s update. If your child is eligible, but your household has not received a P-EBD card and/or benefit by mid-August, call NYSOTDA at 1-833-452-0096. More details here. Benefits will be issued automatically. There is no application. However, you should call the number with any questions if you don’t have a card.

While there is not application, it may be necessary for you to be enrolled in the Free Lunch Program, which had been made available over the spring for the upcoming year, which starts in September 2020. ALBB blogged about this in April 2020, to bring awareness to the program for those who are unemployed. If you are still unemployed, you are encouraged to apply now. It is unsure at this time if the $420 deposit will be made to you if you are signing up for this program now. So it seems like signing up for the program would be beneficial.

The information you need is on this website, however we have broken it down for you below.

Who Is Eligible?

• Children who have received free or reduced-price meals

• Children who attend schools that offer free meals to all

How Much Are P-EBT Benefits?

Each eligible child will receive $420

When and How Will I Receive P-EBT?

There is different criteria for different types of situations:

• Families that receive SNAP or Public Assistance (PA): benefits will be available on your current EBT card. Expect two payments: $193 in early June, $227 in late June.

• Families who use Medicaid (but not SNAP) do not need to complete an application to get free school meals. Benefits will be available on your (or your oldest child’s) Medicaid card. Expect one payment: $420 between June and late August.

• All Other Eligible Children: benefits will be available on a new EBT card (one for each eligible child) mailed to your house. Expect one payment: $420 between July and late August.

I Have Not Received Payment…

If you have not received a P-EBT card and/or benefit by mid-August, call NYSOTDA at 1-833-452-0096.

Other Important Information:

• Immigration status does not matter:

• Using P-EBT does not affect your or your child’s immigration status. The public charge rule does not apply to P-EBT.

• P-EBT is not SNAP.

• You can use other nutrition programs, like summer meals, SNAP, and WIC, while using P-EBT.

• You can still get “grab and go” or delivered meals served by your school.

• You cannot give your card to another person or household to use. If you wish to donate your benefit, you can buy food and donate it to a food pantry.

I Still Have Questions…

Contact NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance at 1-833-452-0096 or by email at otda.sm.eisp.PEBT@otda.ny.gov

For more information, visit: HungerSolutionsNY.org/PEBT

Homespun Moves Mountains (Well, Counters and Doors) To Increase Customer Safety When Ordering

Photo Credit: Homespun

The new owner of Homespun, Joe Robitaille, took over the gem of Homespun, one of Beacon’s most well known restaurants, in November 2019, which included the cafe location down at Dia as well as the business’ thriving catering business also for Dia and other private events. A Little Beacon Blog featured them in January 2020, And then the pandemic hit and he had to shut everything down. During the shut down, he and his three small children would walk to the restaurant where his kids would scooter around the empty back patio during the cold Spring mornings, and he would resist scary visions of what might happen to Homespun if they could not open soon. Throughout, however, in the name of safety, Homespun was the first to close, and one of the last to open. And when they did open, it was with changes.

Homespun opened cautiously as others around them opened doors soon after they were allowed to. Homespun started by selling wine and specialty farm groceries. Joe is a sommelier, and introduced a deliciously curated wine selection (and their new $20 and Under wine table!).

Now with more and more outdoor parklets opening up, Homespun got in on the expanded dining experience by adding a beautiful parklet and opening their back patio. But not before making changes on the inside first. The pandemic made businesses do many things that were on the to-do list that never got done, and Homespun’s minor inside renovation was one of those.

To increase ventilation, the main counter where everyone ordered, and was often a bottleneck, has been moved to the left (see if you can see the difference in coloration on the floor). Orders would go from the register to the prep cook right behind the person taking your order. But now, that prep station has ben moved to the kitchen, with a new food window built for easier food delivery when it’s ready, as well as increased ventilation.

Diners cannot yet eat inside of Homespun, as Joe wants to keep everyone safely outside. As we reported with his neighbor Ziatun, the double outdoor dining space has helped them not rush to open the inside seating. For rain, umbrellas are at most patio tables, and full-coverage tents in the front of the parklet.

Watch our video interview with Joe as he takes us through the changes. News Channel 12 also ran a business story on the changes Homespun has been working on to stay open.

FOOD: Free & Reduced Lunch Plan For Next (or This) School Year Open To More Families Who Lost Jobs

The Beacon City School District has been supplying free breakfasts and lunches to any student in the district by way of grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches, picked up on Mondays and Wednesdays at South Avenue Elementary or Beacon High School. Lunches are prepared and bagged on Mondays and Wednesdays to be made at home over the course of the week. Meals have included pizza, chicken nuggets, baked chicken, broccoli and chicken, pancakes and chicken - lots of options.

As of today (4/27/2020), the Beacon City School District is preparing 9,500 grab-and-go meals per week, and has completed just under 50,000 meals so far, according to Karen Pagano, Director of Food and Nutrition for the Beacon City School District.

When and if school resumes, families who have lost jobs can apply now for the Free & Reduced-Cost Lunch School Meals/Milk program, Karen says. Families who have already applied to the Free Meal program and have been accepted do not need to re-apply.

“Once school resumes, the meal eligibility will be what it was before we closed schools,” Karen told A Little Beacon Blog by email. “But, if they apply now for Free Meals, their new application may then assist with their children’s meals at school for the remainder of this school year and 30 days into the next (2020-2021) school year.”

Karen points out that people who have recently lost income and had not applied before because their income did not qualify them for meal assistance might now qualify. “If they apply now while waiting for supplemental assistance - their income levels may qualify them for the Free Meal program. Therefore, now is the best time to submit an application.”

People out of work are still encouraged to apply if they had a large reduction in income but have started receiving benefits.

How To Apply To The Free Meals Program For Beacon City School District

Download the application at the Beacon City School District’s website here.

Email the complete application to: moustakas.d@beaconk12.org.

Applications will also be available at the two current meal distribution sites - Beacon High School and South Avenue Elementary and can be returned to these sites as well.

Do not download the application if you have already applied and are already in the Free Meals program. Your work is done!

As of now (April 27, 2020) kids meals from the Beacon City School District continue to be free for all kids in the district while school is part of the New York PAUSE status, and no application is required to pick up a free meal. Details about pickup are here, and include delivery options.

Free Groceries : Wednesday, April 8: Rombout Middle School & South Ave. Elementary

The Free Grocery Hour is back! On Wednesday, April 8, from 10 to 11 am, people who need them can pick up a pre-bagged bag of groceries at Rombout Middle School or South Avenue Elementary. This food opportunity is during the same time as the Beacon City School District Grab-n-Go meal pickup, but is a different program. Anyone who needs them can pick up the groceries; one does not need to be a student or parent.

Food items include nonperishable items such as pasta or sauce, as well as fresh produce.

How The Free Groceries Work

For social distancing, this will be a drive-through service. No car? No problem. You could walk, or call ahead for delivery. Delivery deadline is Tuesdays. Send your request to mutualaidbeacon@gmail.com or call/text (845) 288-2559 by 5 pm on Tuesday. 🥕 People should visit one location only.

Free Groceries Brought To You By…

This food program is brought to you by Fareground, Common Ground, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Extension's Green Teen Program, Dutchess County, Hudson Valley Seed, Mutual Aid Beacon, and the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley. This program works together with the Beacon City School District, but is a separate program from the school meals distribution.

Funding for this comes in part from donations made to Mutual Aid Beacon, Fareground, Common Ground and others.

Beacon's Farmers Market Opens For Pre-Ordering Online And Sunday Pickup

The vendors have come up with a pre-order pickup system. Order from your favorite vendor (like Eggbert’s Eggs) by Friday afternoon and then pick up on Sunday.

The website to pre-order is here.

Details about pickup guidelines will be posted to Beacon Farmers Market’s Instagram, and when they are, we will update this article. We will also update this information in A Little Beacon Blog’s Restaurant Guide as a COVID-19 status, as we have with all of the other eateries in Beacon.

But don’t wait until Friday. Do it on earlier days during the week. Here’s what an order can look like. You can see all of the options carried by that vendor. This is really neat, because in the Time After The Coronavirus, this may be a great way of pre-ordering your grocery list if you are not able to get to market early enough in the morning.

Key might be remembering what you bought from which vendor by the time Sunday rolls around! Print it out or make a pretty cheat-sheet at home and bring it with you to pickup.