Shopping In Beacon COVID-Style: Shop and Go! Here's What It's Like At The Boutiques

Retail shopping is totally different in the time of COVID, as different businesses need to comply by different sets of standards. Boutiques and shops have been able to be open for a little bit now, experimenting with their new signage and policies. Big-box stores in malls, however, aren’t faring as well for the walk-in experience, as Phase 4 just got scaled back to keep malls closed in the name of ventilation (unless the store has its own outdoor entrance, like Dicks or Best Buy at the Poughkeepsie Galleria).

The boutiques did outstanding jobs at quickly getting their inventory online and putting all of their efforts into posting at Instagram and arranging for porch drop-offs. Now that the doors can open and people can go inside, shopping is much easier. But new rules remain.

As you shop, you’ll find required hand sanitizer at the door of each store. You’ll need to sanitize each time, with no excuses of: “I just sanitized my hands at the last store I was at next door!” While this thought did enter our minds too, as we visited 4 stores in 1 hour, it didn’t matter. Who wants to hassle a store owner when you have the privilege of walking into the shopping experience they set up for you.

Masks are asked for in every store, and Governor Cuomo did grant the store the right to deny you access. So mask up! Several stores on Main Street even sell the cutest masks for men and women, so you have no excuse if you forgot yours at home. Just buy a new one and help a maker! Check out A Little Beacon Blog’s Face Mask Gift Guide, but here are some hints: you’ll find face covers in Hyperbole, Blackbird Attic, Beacon Natural, La Mere, Zakka Joy, and a few other stores.

Shop ‘n Go. The social element to shopping is there, but stores have severely limited capacity. As stated in the sidewalk sign of Blackbird Attic, only 12 people are allowed in a store at one time. Be mindful by looking around, purchasing, and leaving. Do others a favor and touch as infrequently as possible. Some shops have appointment scheduling if you want guarenteed browsing time. Like Binnacle Books. You can book a time on their website, and go. But, if you’re walking by, do drop in! If no other customers are there, or if they haven’t hit their reduced capacity number, you can probably stay. And they want you to stay!

Guest Books. These are new COVID trackers. Stores are encouraged by New York State to put out a guest list for you to sign and date that you were there, for COVID tracking reasons, but filling it in is voluntary.

One of the main goals of these restrictions is to increase social distancing, and to increase ventilation inside of a store. If it gets too crowded, and if the air is getting thick, kindly step outside and wait for a different time.

LOCALS TIP: Do your boutique shopping during the week. You know it gets crowded on the weekends! Let the visitors do their thing, and enjoy your shops Monday-Thursday.

Outdoor Seating Licenses For Dining Is Expanded By City Of Beacon - Fencing Provided To Enlarge Spaces

The City of Beacon along with Dutchess County has made a large effort to increase seating in outdoor spaces in Beacon. Dutchess County has been working with the State Liquor Authority to increase opportunities for restaurants to serve food and alcoholic beverage outside. According to a press release sent 6/3/2020 by Dutchess County: “For weeks, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, working with local supervisors and mayors, has pushed the state and State Liquor Authority for a series of innovative actions to help restaurants provide alternatives to traditional ‘dine-in’ set-ups, and enable them to take advantage of the important summer dining season. New York State has taken Dutchess County’s suggestions and yesterday (6/2/2020) authorized restaurants to offer outdoor dining once the region is in Phase II.”

Cities and towns are also allowed to expand dining space into public spaces such as sidewalks and streets “which are beside, but not immediately adjacent to, the licensed premises for service of food and/or beverages” according to the SLA guidance.

According to the same press release from Dutchess County: “County Executive Molinaro, during his biweekly conference call with local Mayors & Supervisors, reviewed the new SLA guidance and strongly encouraged local leaders to assist their local restaurant operators in taking advantage of this opportunity.”

The City of Beacon, in group meeting conversations with local business owners on Tuesday morning conference calls, have been talking about “parklets,” where more city space will be created for businesses to set up tables and chairs to serve patrons. The City of Beacon has purchased fencing and cones that businesses can use without charge to help create these boundaries for “parklets,” and can decorate them.

Some business owners in retail are in favor of expanding dinging spaces into parking spots, which encourages walking. Courtney Sedor, owner of Raven Rose, was on the business conference call and was in favor of encouraging walking foot-traffic as opposed to cars, since the intersection down by her shop and across from Echo is a dangerous one with cars coming around the sharp bend in the road. Courtney was also in favor of lending her sidewalk space to her restaurant neighbor Beacon Falls Cafe if they wanted to expand seating as much as possible.

Said City Manager Anthony Ruggiero in response to Courtney’s question on if she would need a special permit: “I think the restaurant would [need to]. We wouldn't be opposed here. The whole goal is to help people and to provide as much social distancing as possible.”

During last night’s 6/15/2020 City Council Meeting, the City voted to approve making this process easy.

Outdoor Business Area Permit applications for Beacon can be downloaded here: https://www.cityofbeacon.org/index.php/2020/06/12/main-street-parklet-program-applications-and-guidelines/.

Please direct any questions relating to the permit to the experts in the Building Department at 845 838 5020.

Property Tax Abatement Filing Extended To July 15, 2020

According to this press release, and Dutchess Business Notification Network, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today signed legislation (S.8122-B/ A.10241-A) authorizing local governments to extend the deadline for filing property tax abatements to July 15, 2020 in recognition of the hardships many families and businesses continue to face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What is a property tax abatement? Investopedia explains here.

Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman introduced the bill, and said: "The property tax legislation I've introduced and passed in the Assembly is important to homeowners and those alike across my community of District 29 and the State of New York.”

Dutchess County Makes It Easier For Restaurants To Use Public Spaces Outside On June 9

According to a press release by Dutchess County, the County Executive Marcus Molinaro cut red tape to make it easier for restaurants to go around regulations to serve outside by signing this Executive Order today. Recently, that has been confusing for business owners and patrons, as public space was available to anyone to use (such as a picnic table in a park), but private property was not (such as a patio behind or adjacent to a restaurant). According to a business briefing last Tuesday by Beacon’s retained law firm, Keane & Beane, restaurants could use public spaces such as sidewalks, but not private property yet.

The press release:

“To help facilitate outdoor dining, which can begin tomorrow, Tuesday, June 9th in Dutchess County as part of Phase II, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro today signed a local Emergency Order waiving local regulations and requirements that could cause a potential burden or delay for local establishments to expand outdoor dining space. The executive order will also aid in the local efforts to provide access to municipal-owned land, including sidewalks, streets, etc. contiguous to a licensed establishment in coordination with the local municipality.

”County Executive Molinaro said, “By partnering with our twenty towns, eight villages and two cities we are working to remove every obstacle possible to support our small businesses and Open Main Street. As you can, with what you can, please support our neighborhood businesses as we reignite our economy and restart Dutchess.”

Beacon Farmers Market Opens For In-Person, Time-Slot-Based Pickup; SNAP Available; Delivery Remains For Those Quanrantined

Photo Credit: The produce photo is by Maple View Farm.

This Sunday, May 31, 2020, the Beacon Farmers Market will open on its usual outdoor summer spot on Veterans Place, in between the Post Office and Towne Crier and across the street from Beacon Natural. For the past several weeks, the Beacon Farmers Market has been doing pre-order and delivery only, which was a huge undertaking that involved two different website builds, and order fulfillment from several vendors.

The market will remain offering online pre-orders for those who are immune-compromised, at risk, or quarantined, as well as for any SNAP customers participating in the pre-order coupon program. SNAP customers who need to use it for pre-ordering online can learn how to do that here for SNAP which includes $30 worth of groceries. Otherwise, SNAP will be accepted in person at the market on Sunday.

Like the rest of the Phase 1 opening, this will be a slow reopen, and will not be the socialness as usual. Expressed on the market’s Instagram and website: “Please be mindful that our number one priority is human health. Our mission is to make local and responsibly harvested food available to you while helping the local food economy and supply survive. It is important to remember that New York is still on pause, and undergoing a slow, phased reopening. This is not the usual social gathering space as we know it.”

While farmers markets were deemed essential businesses and could remain open, the Beacon Farmers Market opted to go delivery and pickup only. “We are taking COVID 19 very seriously,” continued the reopening message on their Instagram. “We have re-designed the layout and protocol for the safety of our patrons, vendors, and staff for this upcoming season.”

How To Shop Properly At The Beacon Farmers Market COVID-19 Style

You’ll need a shopping spot that is a 30-minute opportunity to walk the market to get your things. Sign up for your shopping time-slot here. But, according to the Beacon Farmers Market, if your desired time slot is full, or if it’s full when you arrive, walk-ins will be accommodated. In other-words, everyone is figuring it out, and you can wait in a social distanced manner around the are of the market.

Read the shopping guidelines here on the shopping signup page, so as to be prepared of how you need to be when you go to market. Highlights include:

• Wearing a mask to enter the market.

• Limit of shoppers to 1 person per household.

• Get in, get out. Shop safely and efficiently.

• About shopping: The time you pick to shop is not an appointment. It’s an approximation, according the Beacon Farmers Market: “Time slot registrations are not appointment times. If the market is at capacity when you arrive, please wait patiently for entry.”

Legal Webinar To Review NY Governor's Reopening Plan - Hosted By Beacon's Attorneys' Firm

Businesses live with a lot of risk. Entrepreneurs tend to be risk averse, and don’t mind jumping with both feet into the unknown. Success is not always guaranteed, but a business owner will do as much as they can to get there. With the new Coronavirus world, and current pandemic we are living in, a whole new world of public health risk just opened up for business owners. To answer that, federal and regional laws are being created right before our eyes to help keep people protected, employed, fed, paid if not employed, housed, etc.

Businesses have a new set of guiding regulations to comply with as the regions reopen in phases. The law firm who Beacon contracts with to advise them on several legal matters, Keane and Beane, is hosting a free webinar to help guide businesses through this new legal landscape: “Re-Imagining New York: Preparing To Re-Open And Consideration Of Legal Issues And Best-Practice Tips.”

After having followed the attorneys from Keane and Beane at weekly City Council meetings and the Zoning and Planning Board meetings, this webinar will be one you want to attend if you are a business owner. The presentation will answer considerations of what can be done to get ready, and will review the Plan and explain the preparation that can be done now to get ready. The attorneys will review the forms and documents required for the upstate regions opening now.

Topics Covered In This Presentation

Topics include:

• What’s required for the mandatory Health & Safety Plan

• Consequences of an improper certification

• Labor and employment law issues

• Lease modification considerations

• Site plan and land use compliance issues

• State requirements for re-opening retail

• State requirements for reopening construction
  

Interested attendees should RSVP to Barbara Durkin at bdurkin@kblaw.com. An email with the webinar sign-on information will be sent the morning of the program.

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Beacon Businesses Form Open Group To Discuss Safety and Best Practice For Reopening

During a City Council meeting this month, Councilperson George Mansfield, who is the owner of the bar and restaurant Dogwood, reported that he and other business owners had met on Zoom to discuss best practices and safety measures for moving forward in a reopening, and will be doing so once a week on Tuesdays. This was prior to the official opening date of Phase 1 for the Mid-Hudson Region, of which Dutchess County is a part of. George encouraged other Beacon businesses to join in, and recommends that people email the Assistant to the Mayor, Collin Milone, to be added to the invite list when Zoom meetings are posted: cityofbeacon@cityofbeacon.org

When asked what some of the topics the group was looking at, George responded with:

• “Opening streets /sidewalks for possible restaurant use. We are weighing logistics and safety concerns.”

• “Establishing safety protocols for both retail and hospitality businesses.“

• “Making sure that we present to the Public a clear and consistent message regarding safety and sanitary standards.”

“Those are the prime issues,” George told A Little Beacon Blog. “We will obviously be following guidelines determined by NYS and looking at the success and failures of communities that have opened before us.”

Mid-Hudson Region (Dutchess County) Reopens Phase 1 Tuesday - But This Ain't No Door Buster

Governor Cuomo announced on Saturday, May 23, 2020 that the Mid-Hudson region, which includes Dutchess County, may begin reopening starting with Phase 1 on Tuesday, May 26, 2020. This announcement has been anticipated by Dutchess County who has been sending press releases the past few days in anticipation.

As recently as last week on May 14, 2020, County Executive Marcus Molinaro had stated in a press release that hitting all 7 benchmarks - specifically the decline in deaths metric - would be difficult. “The final two criteria the region must meet – 14 consecutive days of decline in new hospitalizations and 14 consecutive days of decline in deaths – will prove extremely difficult for the region, including Dutches County, to meet,” he stated. “A single day with an increase over the previous day in either category resets the 14-day clock.“

However, this week, Governor Cuomo feels satisfied with the metrics in Dutchess County, having increased the amount of contract tracers based on a new requirement he set. According to a press release sent by the county: “Dutchess County had already met the original state-mandated metric of 30 contact tracers per 100,000 population with more than 90 contact tracers. Earlier this week, the state increased the required number of contact tracers to 252, basing it on infection rate.” Dutchess County put out a call for more volunteers, and were answered with the necessary amount of people wanting to be trained to trace.

While County Executive Molinaro was pushing for Dutchess County to reopen independently of the other counties in the Mid-Hudson region, which includes hard-hit Westchster (New Rochelle hotspot) and Orange County (Newburgh deaths continue to rise and the new cases metrics have not updated in the past few days), Governor Cuomo remained steadfast that all counties within a region open at the same time, stating the decision is the federal and CDC policy, according to this report in the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Governor Cuomo stated that if there is a region that has their various indicators rise after they begin the reopening phases, the state will shut that region back down.

Who Is In Phase 1?

At the county level, the following areas of business can begin to reopen: Construction, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, Retail (limited to curbside or in-store pickup or drop-off), Manufacturing, Wholesale Trade. As for retail stores, this does not mean that the shopping experience is back on. In fact, store sales are limited to pre-ordering only, with pickup at the curb, or inside if necessary, if the store owner allows it and has reduced capacity by 50% which includes employees and customers. If many doors are open, it may be because the store owner is complying with the new retail COVID-19 regulations that favor increasing ventilation.

According to New York State’s FAQ on its New York Forward plan and Business Reopening: “In-store pickup is defined as a customer placing an order for specific item(s) by phone or internet in advance, then collecting such order at the retail location. The retail location must abide by physical distancing requirements which prohibit occupancy within the location to no more than 50% of the maximum occupancy, including both employees and customers. Customers are only allowed on the premise to retrieve their prearranged order; not to browse or place an in-person order. Customers must maintain 6 feet of space from others or wear an acceptable face covering, if unable to maintain such distance.”

No Hair Cuts Yet

Salons, beauty services like lashes and nails, tattoo establishments and other touch-based businesses are not included in Phase 1. Hair salons, however can sell products, as other retail stores can. Currently, these professional services are in Phase 2. The barber in Kingston, Joseph LaLima, who was operating illicitly did so from his home, having taken the Governor’s edict to work from home literally.

The barber told the New York Times: “‘He said do not open up your shops, barbershops, beauty parlors, nail salons, tattoo parlors,’ Mr. LaLima said on Friday, referring to the governor. ‘So I didn’t.’ Mr. LaLima, who spoke just after his release from a four-day hospitalization, began to get agitated. ‘It said you can work from home,’ he said. ‘678 Broadway is my home!’”

But for the barbering profession, Governor Cuomo’s position is that it is not possible to socially distance while cutting or styling hair. According to the New York Times, the barber is being investigated by the Ulster County District Attorney: “The Ulster County district attorney’s office sees the matter differently: It has launched an investigation into whether Mr. LaLima violated public health laws, a criminal offense, and whether any of his clients may face penalties. ‘This kind of flouting of the rules is unacceptable, and it puts lives in danger,’ said Patrick K. Ryan, the Ulster County Executive. ‘We are taking it very seriously.’”

Outdoor Dining

County Executive Molinaro did provide guidance on outdoor dining at restaurants, especially in light of this holiday weekend: “While the state does not yet permit restaurants to host outdoor dining, County parks have picnic tables available for families to enjoy this weekend; residents will find social distancing measures in place around these tables.”

Safety First

The reopening comes with many new safety requirements. All businesses, including essential businesses, must develop a COVID-19 Health and Safety Plan. A COVID-19 template for a plan has been published by New York State. This plan does not need to be submitted to a state agency for approval but must be retained on the premises of the business and must made available to the New York State Department of Health (DOH) or local health or safety authorities in the event of an inspection.

The Dutchess Business Notification Network outlined this point about OSHA: “The US Department of Labor has adopted revised policies for enforcing OSHA’s requirements with respect to coronavirus as economies reopen in states throughout the country. The revised policies cover increased in-person inspections at all types of workplaces, and the enforcement policy for recording cases of coronavirus.” That OSHA policy can be found here.

Businesses wondering about what Phase they are in can use this new Lookup Tool from New York State, which includes a “Regulation Wizard” that links a reader with the relevant category’s regulations. To get an idea of how a retail business must comply with this new plan, click here to read the COVID-19 regulations, which include social distancing right of way in an isle, or barriers if social distancing cannot happen between employees or customers. For a bakery, for instance, click here for their COVID-19 regulations.

As for testing, employees of essential businesses or businesses opening in Phase 1 are eligible for COVID-19 testing. Testing sites can be found here.

Future Phases

Governor Cuomo has said there is a 14 day minimum between phases, due to the incubation period of the virus. As of 5/18/2020, “he did not clarify his remarks on the parameters being shortened to allow regions to move into the next phase before the 14 day minimum,” according the Dutchess Business Notification Network.

Phase 2:
Professional Services
Retail
Administrative Support
Real Estate / Rental & Leasing

Phase 3:
Restaurants / Food Services

Phase 4:
Arts / Entertainment / Recreation
Education

Reopening Resource Links For Businesses

Business COVID-19 Reopening Plan With New Safety Measures Template

Business Lookup Tool With Regulation Wizard For New York State

New York State’s Essential Business List and Guide

New York State’s PAUSE Enforcement Task Force

New York’s Phases For Reopening

New York State’s Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on New York Forward and Business Reopening

CDC Guidelines For Preparing Small Business and Employees For The Effects Of COVID-19

Dutchess Business Notification Network

New OSHA Policy COVID-19 Information

COVID-19 Testing Sites

"Genius!" The Most Shoppable Window In Beacon Right Now Is At Echo Boutique

Don’t all rush at once…space yourselves…but one of the most innovative shop windows in Beacon right now is at Echo Boutique at 470 Main Street, on the east end of town near the mountain. This boutiques with a wide curated selection of women’s clothing, kids toys, and some men’s accessories as well, was one of the first stores to voluntarily shut down - even before the Executive Order. Now, they are one of the first windows on Main Street to organize inventory in such a way that people can shop by number from the other side of the glass.

Owner Karen Donohue has a 14 year old daughter in school. When districts closed state-wide, so too did she on Main Street. Trouble is, Karen did not have a website to fall back on while her doors were closed, and remain closed during the phased reopening across the country and in Dutchess County specifically. But Karen is no newbie. She is a veteran of Main Street, having run her shop here for 19 years, always changing its inventory and display, depending on her mood and customer reactions. “I opened the shop a short while before 9/11 happened, so I wasn’t sure I’d survive. But I’m still here,” she tells A Little Beacon Blog. Karen also lives with Lyme disease, so summoning strength can at times be challenging.

“I started in a little 10x10 space as an art gallery next door to where the Korean deli, Seoul Kitchen, used to be.” That small storefront space she is referring to changed to a home brew beer shop for a minute, and is now part of No. 3 Reading Room & Photo Books Works, who bought the building and transformed it to an artist studio live/work space. “470 Main Street is my 3rd space on the east end of Main Street. I went from the little one to around the corner, which later became Waddle and Swaddle and is now Hyperbole. Then to my current spot at 470 Main Street, which is basically two storefronts in one.”

Extremely comfortable in the visual, physical space, Karen has a degree in photography from Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and went on to be a prop stylist for almost a decade. Her window displays are known in Beacon for being extremely imaginative.

When she was comfortable with reopening in her own way, she and her daughter headed back into the store to bring as much as they could to display in the windows. Parents were eager to buy the toys she carries in the store, both to support her, and also to benefit from her educational and science-based selection.

Each item in the window is labeled in a box, and a sign with ordering instructions is taped in the window. Customers are told to snap a picture or simply text 845-863-3166 with what they want, and porch delivery within Beacon will be arranged. We can tell you this, however: this is a fraction of what you’ll find inside of Echo. Karen is always going to market to bring back new designers and toy makers. If you need something else, just ask her!

As for the lovely bras you see in the window, those are from The Bra Fit Expert, Christina (Tina) Faraj, who permanently pops up inside the shop with her wide selection of high quality women’s under things and comfy PJs. The benefit of Tina was her expert fitting, but if you contact her, she can telacoach you through a fitting christina.faraj@gmail.com.

When A Little Beacon Blog first shared a video of her shop in our Instastories, the positive reaction we received was swift. Several people shared heart eye emojis and explained: “Genius!”

What Beacon’s shop owners (and shop owners across the country) have done to stay connected to their customers has been astonishing. Many don’t qualify for unemployment because of their business entities, and applying for the PPP loan could be challenging, depending on what type of business they are. Translation: some businesses receive a fraction of stimulus funds, as some business owners are stuck between a rock and a hard place with how rules around these stimulus monies work and change on an almost daily basis.

Main Street business owners are always hustling hard, and they rose to the challenge of this crisis.

Shop Echo at 470 Main Street by shopping their window (spacially distance yourself), and look in their Instagram for product postings, as well as their Facebook.

Boutiques In Beacon Quickly Build Websites To Stay In Business On Main Street

For some brick and mortar businesses, establishing an online presence pre-pandemic may not have been a priority. Walk-in business was good enough to keep them in business, so perhaps building an online website store was not needed. Plus, a shop owner is quite busy with customers who walk into the store, so spending a lot of time online to build a web shop is not easy. That all changed with the shutdown of Main Street back in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the doors shut and foot traffic disappeared.

Overnight, the digital way of reaching a customer was the only way to reach a customer. Any store without a social media presence on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok was cut off from their customer base (unless they had been sending newsletters, which is even less of a percentage). Anyone who did not have an ecommerce website lost the ability to sell to the customer stuck at home - looking for something to do, or who needed that special something only available at the boutique.

Some brick and mortar shops in Beacon have not committed to the daunting task of establishing an online presence - it could be because they think it’s too hard, or feel not tech-savvy enough. When once they felt it a waste of time and money if not enough customers use it, that percentage shifted as no customers are currently walking through the door.

Boutiques Build Their Webshops

A Little Beacon Blog traveled around the web to find new or enhanced websites that popped in some of Beacon’s Main Street businesses up post-pandemic. With so many resources available now to sell online, shop owners don’t need to be coding experts to get one up and running. Required, however, is a lot of patience to build it, and good ideas for how the shop owner wants the web shopping experience to flow. Below is a sampling of brick and mortars who expanded online:

Blackbird Attic

Website Platform: WordPress with WooCommerce

Blackbird Attic, a consignment shop on Beacon’s east end of Main Street, already had a website but didn’t convert it to an online store until recently. Prior to that, they utilized their Instagram account (@blackbirdattic) to host pop-up shops and gather sales through Instagram via Direct Messaging (DMs). Owner Michelle Caves-Deal tells us “Selling on Instagram definitely works - people like to see the items live in Instastories, They've said it feels like they’re back shopping in person…”

But this does come with some extra steps for shop owner Michelle in order for the sale to happen, like sharing additional details and photos with the customer prior to purchasing. Being a consignment shop, she needs to create two invoices, merchant account and one for the WooCommerce software they use for sales.

The Underground Beacon

Website Platform: WordPress, WooCommerce, eBay

2020 has already been a challenging year for The Underground Beacon, a well known comic book store with weekly comic book release days and in-person gaming events. First, they faced the risk of closing due to the usual pressures of personal life (family loss) and revenue streams to pay the rent, only to be saved by a new partner just earlier in March.

The shop has been hosting the weekly Magic The Gathering sessions on Zoom. They also created a website to sell t-shirts promoting love to the store in addition to selling comics through their eBay store.

Comic book shops were hit pretty hard when Diamond Comic Distributors - the main distributor for most comic book publishers including Marvel and DC Comics, announced a halt to all product distribution on March 23rd. This meant comic shops, like The Underground Beacon, would not get new merchandise coming in until further notice. Thankfully, at the beginning of May, Diamond announced they will resume distribution May 20th. Marvel and DC Comics have announced are being shipped to stores beginning in late May 2020.

Flora Good Times

Website Platform: Squarespace for the main website; Square for the Delivery Shopping

As we shared in this recent article, Corrine from Flora Good Times was concerned dealing with such a tactile store “from seeing the plants and flowers to the smell of the shop itself” she says “it was such an unknown for me whether or not people would continue to shop at Flora through the computer.” She created a second website through Square just for local orders. This was convenient since they also use Square for their point-of-service sales. “It is easy to integrate into your inventory and create a delivery radius..” Speaking personally as a customer, it was super easy to place an order for delivery (twice!).

Still a new business with just 8 months under its belt, the plan for an online shop was in the cards but current circumstances really rushed that project. “I find that a lot of people are looking to spruce up their homes during this time, and adding a plant or some flowers to their quarantine definitely appears very popular!” says Corrine.

RAVEN ROSE

Flower shops for the longest time relied upon centralized flower delivery websites to host their flower bouquet options. Raven Rose on Beacon’s east end of Main Street has a large space, most of which is filled with home goods, despite their large floral business. Years ago when owner Courtney Sedor bought the former floral shop that was located there, she relied upon a florist website service for her ecommerce, which locked her in into different template and selling options. After the COVID-19 shut-down, she dove in and put her home goods online, and now is part of the “release” news when a shop owner puts something new up on the website.

LAST OUTPOST STORE

Website Platform: Shopify

Getting a website up and running quick was a concern for a few businesses. When starting a brick & mortar business, a website could be on the to-do list but building it in stages like how Last Outpost Store was doing.

While timing was of the essence, the Last Outpost store still wanted their website to capture the feel and vibe of their shop, while wanting the online experience to be as close to the interior shopping experience as possible.

Co-owner Allison Cimino was able to finish the site 2.5 weeks after their March 17th shut-down. Allison shares with A Little Beacon Blog: “The response has been really good. The local delivery has been great as well. I have been learning just how many locals really love our shop. That alone really drives me to want to see through this so we can be there for all of our customers when we return!”

BINNACLE BOOKS

Website Platform: IndieCommerce (Drupal)

Binnacle Books, the small independent bookstore located in the middle of Main Street, always had a website, but did not always have the ability to shop on that website. They started with a form you could fill out if you wanted to order any book (possibly any book in the world?), and they would process the order. Different weeks into the pandemic brought different iterations of their website. First the ordering of any book got more advanced, and then their book collection appeared online in a searchable organized fashion. Binnacle Books offers a monthly membership that locks in a discount on book prices, and devised a way to make it easy to checkout without using your credit card so that the shop keepers could credit it against your monthly membership card on file.

LUXE OPTIQUE

Website Platform: Squarespace

While Luxe Optique always had a website, they were dependent upon walk-in foot traffic. Glasses fitting on your face is a personal, physical experience. Over the years, they added the ability to buy the frames online in their Collections section of the website, and even play with the SALE button to give shoppers a discount. Luxe Optique confirms to A Little Beacon Blog that they have seen an increase to the eCommerce section during this time, and they have more to come: online contact lens ordering. “Not only can you order from us using a prescription from our doctors, but you can also use prescriptions from any other practice,” Luxe Optique tells A Little Beacon Blog. “It might seem common, but it’s not something a lot of privately owned practices do. We can’t wait for that to launch. Should be soon!”

While having an online presence allows you to expand your customer reach outside of the immediate area, it appears to be a pleasant surprise to shop owners that local residents are taking advantage and showing their support. Local customers love their shops, connecting with the owners, and want to support any way they can.

Visit A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide for a list of all of the shops on Beacon’s Main Street.

Interview With Yankee Clipper Diner, Who Re-Opened As Takeout With Precautions

The Yankee Clipper Diner is a favorite restaurant with Beaconites both young and old. The restaurant was established in 1946, served customers back when Nobody’s Fool was filming in Beacon (starring Paul Newman, and is a scene in the movie) and is a regular eatery for locals like former Mayor Randy Casale. Since 2003, the diner has been owned and operated by two sisters and their husbands: Petros and Tonia; and Nikos and Katina. Tonia and Katina grew up in the diner business and their husbands — both from the Greek isle of Andros — run the Yankee Clipper kitchen.

Photo Credit: Yankee Clipper Diner

When New York’s PAUSE went into effect on March 22, 2020, the Yankee Clipper tried to stay open with takeout, but on March 28, 2020, they temporarily closed the diner. They announced via Instagram: “The health and safety of our family, employees and customers is always our top priority. We are sorry for any inconvenience. We greatly appreciate all the support from our customers and the community during this hard time.” Days later they launched a GoFundMe campaign to help raise money for the staff, which has raised $3,280 to date.

On Wednesday, April 29, 2020, the Yankee Clipper opened back up, with a “Distance Makes Us Stronger” theme. They announced ordering protocols via Instagram, giving customers the ability to pay over the phone or in person, but stating that only a limited number of people were allowed in the restaurant at once, and that if you really needed to pay in person, you could do so, but needed to wait outside. Curbside service is available, where the staff brings it to your car, or you can pick it up from a table in the vestibule. Delivery to your front door is also an option.

So far in Beacon, the businesses that put forth their safety protocols before opening are seeing success with the public - with distancing incorporated. How did their opening weekend go? Keep in mind, if you’re reading this from out of town, and want to drive to Beacon to eat at restaurants in Beacon, they are doing takeout only, so you’ll need to eat the food in your car or a secluded park spot. Most who walk on Main Street are wearing masks. While not as congested as NYC, walking past people or turning the corner quickly into a group of people is common. So bring your mask!

A Little Beacon Blog checked in with the Yankee Clipper to find out how the first weekend went. Keep in mind, they are open every day:

ALBB: How have people been with social distancing?
YC: Our customers have been very good with it. Poeple have been respecting boundaries and the set-up we have in place as precautions.

ALBB: Have customers been wearing masks when picking up food?
YC: Yes, 99.9% of customers are wearing masks when picking up food.

ALBB: Are regulars so excited to order from you again? Your Instagram photos are incredible!
YC: Our regulars have been so supportive and very excited that we are open again. The support from them in our first few days open was overwhelming and we feel very blessed and fortunate to have such loyal customers.

ALBB: Has it helped your business at all to do takeout? Or is it too early to tell?
YC: Under the circumstances, takeout is working out. We have still taken quite a hit in comparison to our normal business. But we are very grateful for the takeout business we do have.

ALBB: Do you do catering or large orders?
YC: Yes, we do offer catering. On Mother’s Day, we offered family meals. We can accommodate any size order.

ALBB: In the future do you want customers in the restaurant? Or are you comfortable with monitoring things and doing takeout?
YC: Of course we would love to open up our dining room again to all of our customers. We miss the interaction with them and miss providing the service and experience of dining out. Of course when we do reopen, we will do what the state asks of us and we will take additional safety precautions to keep ourselves, our staff, and customers safe.

Find out the takeout and delivery status of other restaurants in Beacon by clicking on A Little Beacon Blog’s Restaurant Guide.

Local Fundraisers Going On Now - Help In The Time Of The COVID-19 Pandemic

At the request of one of our reader supporters, A Little Beacon Blog complied this easy list of fundraisers to contribute to whenever you want to. Some of these are date driven. Those will be posted to the top. This is a live guide, so refresh the page, and give when you can!

GOING ON NOW - LIMITED TIME

• We don’t know of any super fast, limited time fundraisers going on at the moment, but if we missed yours, let us know about it here!

FIRST RESPONDERS

First Responders Fund

The fund will assist COVID-19 healthcare workers and first responders with expenses and costs, including child care. Donations can be made electronically at www.healthresearch.org/donation-form/ or by check, mailed to "Health Research, Inc., 150 Broadway, Suite 560, Menands, NY 12204." (For checks, the donor should specify the donation is for "COVID-19 NYS Emergency Response.")

Rombout Middle School PTO - Food For Local Front Line Workers

The Beacon High School Softball Program and the Rombout Middle School PTO organizations are organizing this. They are raising money to provide food to local medical workers. As a community, we want to thank them and make them smile! Additionally, 100% of the money raised goes directly to local families while supporting Beacon restaurants.
Donate Here >

LIFE IN GENERAL

Beacon Mutual Aid

A group started by Beaconites, for Beaconites, to help with any need anyone has. If people are in quarantine and cannot get food or to the pharmacy, this group can help. People can email, text or call with their requests, and the problem or request gets figured out. Beacon Mutual Aid is also involved with getting people in need free groceries. Donations go towards these causes.
There is no ask that is too big, and no one will ever be shamed for asking for what they need.
Ways To Donate: Email beaconmutualaid@gmail.com, call 845-288-2559 or venmo: mutualaidbeacon
Learn More (English) > or Learn More (Spanish) >

FOOD SECURITY

Beacon Farmer’s Market via Common Ground Farms

Beacon’s Farmer’s Market is managed by Common Ground Farms, and reaches a lot of people who want fresh food, and who live in economic hardship. They have accepted forms of payment from economic benefits programs including SNAP, and WIC and FMNP checks. During this time of COVID-19, two main setbacks have happened: 1. the open-air market closed and moved to an online ordering system, with delivery and pickup, and 2. the market is unable to take SNAP payments but is using a workaround to make that happen which you can read about here if you need to use SNAP. Donations made to the Beacon Farmer’s Market will help them continue making these leaps in technological advancements (they have already built 2 websites to take online orders), deliver to people in need, and give SNAP users money to use. You can also buy a load of produce for a family in need with allocation of your donation.
Donate Here >

Tiny Food Pantries in Beacon via Fareground

A Tiny Food Pantry is a 24/7 open air food pantry with a “give what you can, take what you need model.” Donate food to it by placing the food directly onto the shelves. Donate money to Fareground, who has these locations in their rotation of food security caretaking.
Locations: Binnacle Books 321 Main Street; Beacon Recreation Center 23 West Center Street
Donate Here >

Fareground

Fareground, Inc., a charitable 501(c)(3), is a women-run food justice, anti-hunger organization, dedicated to nourishing the community by increasing access to healthy and affordable food by supporting and creating opportunities for delicious meals, education, and volunteer opportunities. They currently are part of the coordination and financial effort in making Free To Go Dinner Bags available for pickup on Mondays mornings at Beacon High School and South Avenue. These are bags of groceries designed to feed a family of 4. Fareground also delivers these To Go Dinner Bags to people who live in housing communities in Beacon. This is key, because families in housing communities sometimes cannot get out to food distribution sites if both parents are at work, or a single parent is raising the family, for examples.
Donate Here >

Hudson Valley Eats

Hudson Valley Eats was started by restaurateur Janet Irizarry, who is committed to making sure everybody eats. She is an expert in food waste and tries to connect people with food. She lists many donation ideas as they come.

PETS

Safe Haven Thrift Shop & Pet Food Pantry

A nonprofit organization that has been running a pet food pantry for 8.5 years helping Dutchess County residents feed their pets. They are also involved with the Beacon Barks Parade. Normally, the residents they assist have to meet an income requirement. However, many people right now are out of work due to the virus, and they want to temporarily help them. Pet food is available for pickup on Saturdays.
Location: New address is: 1545 Route 52, Suite 8, Fishkill
Day: Saturdays only from 10AM – 1PM
How To Donate:
1. Drop off bags of cat or dog food during the pick-up hours listed above.
2. Write a check to Safe Haven Animal Shelter, P.O. Box 596, Hopewell Junction, NY 12533

SCHOOLS

Beacon High School Seniors

You can show your support for Beacon’s senior class with a yard sign. The proceeds go directly to the Senior class. Buy a sign for $20 and show it in your yard.
Donate Now >

FARMING

Common Ground Farms

LOCAL BUSINESS

A Little Beacon Blog keeps track of fundraisers launched by businesses in our Restaurant Guide, Shopping Guide, and Business Directory. Please browse there, and the link for the fundraiser will be listed with the corresponding business.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Dutchess Responds
Mutual Aid Plan For Dutchess

COVID-19 Business Loans Tapped Out For Now - PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) and EIDL

Businesses can no longer apply for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) - as of today (Thursday, April 16, 2020). The appropriated funds have been exhausted, according to the SBA: “Notice: Lapse in Appropriations. The SBA is currently unable to accept new applications for the Paycheck Protection Program based on available appropriations funding.”

The PPP loan was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, made available through the Small Business Association (SBA) and was possibly one of the most considered and researched loans that businesses, nonprofits and independent contractors would research in a very small amount of time. From the moment it was announced as an option, stipulations changed with this loan that was “designed to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll.”

When seeking local clarification from Dutchess County, A Little Beacon Blog was put in touch with Arnaldo Sehwerert, Ph D., Regional Director of the the Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center. He confirmed: “The PPP is designed mainly to keep existing workers in the payroll.”

How Much Money Were We Talking?

Money was appropriated through the first round of the CARES ACT, where the Department of the Treasury was supporting the SBA in this loan. “Up to $349 billion was dedicated toward job retention and certain other expenses,” according to the Treasury’s website.

Originally, the loan came with a low interest rate to pay back, which bristled some business owners, but that changed when new requirements were introduced. According to the SBA website and the U.S. Treasury website, the PPP loan could be wiped clean with no interest paid: “SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for 8 weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.” If the loan was not used to cover these expenses, then the low interest rate would apply, and repayment would be required.

Entities who were eligible included small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations, veterans organizations, and tribal businesses described in the Small Business Act, as well as individuals who are self-employed or are independent contractors; they’re eligible if they also meet program size standards.

The payroll, however, could only pay people who were on the company’s payroll, and not contract workers. The contract workers would be on their own to apply for their own PPP loan. For example: for a graphic design firm who regularly paid contract workers who submit 1099s for taxes, these contract workers would not be protected under the PPP with the employing company, and would need to apply for their own PPP loan.

If the business owner herself was on payroll as the only employee, she would be eligible under the terms of the loan, and the loan could be forgiven when paid out. But if client work dried up and there was nothing to pay contract workers, the way the PPP loan as written could not help her 1099 contract team, unless they applied for and were approved for their own loans.

Many Pandemic-Based Financial Options - PPP, EIDL, UI, FPUC

The amount of financial options, and homework to understand the options, as well as the severely short timeline, has been extremely overwhelming for businesses. The Dutchess County Business Notification Network has been extremely helpful with highlighting daily changes.

UPDATE [4/17/2020]: Per a reader’s comments below, we have made the following note about the EIDL:
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan started with a requirement that if one was granted it, they could not apply for the PPP loan, but that changed, and businesses could apply for both. Additionally, part of the loan became an “advance,” whereas the first $10,000 granted to the business did not need to be repaid. See the SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance page here.

Independent contractors were scrambling on what to do, because they were also permitted to collect unemployment insurance, something which is not normally allowed, which also could include an additional weekly payment of $600 of Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC). New York’s website to file for unemployment insurance deeply crashed, was rebuilt by Google, and is currently accepting applications. However, Melissa De Rossa (secretary to Governor Cuomo) today (Thursday 4/16/2020) stated during the Governor’s briefing, that there is a delay for applicants who are independent contractors, as they are a special circumstance and not normally accepted to collect unemployment insurance.

As for employees who had been collecting both unemployment insurance and Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (assuming they got through the website and were approved), the weekly benefit could exceed what their previous paycheck may have been at a local business. Would the employee want to decide to stay with unemployment insurance? That could possibly cause problems for the business owner who needs to keep all staff on payroll in order to meet the terms of the PPP loan to not pay it back. Myriam Bouchard, MBA, a Certified Business Advisor with Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center, clarified the timing of the usage of the loan: “The PPP is to be used from the moment the closing documents are signed. The employee cannot BOTH receive unemployment insurance and payroll from their employer.”

Local Impact Of The PPP Loan

The PPP loan was mandated to be processed through banks both small and large. This added a delay to the applications as banks of every size had to figure out how to process applications and avoid fraud. Banks opened to accept the PPP loan on different days. Local banks tended to open sooner than larger banks, since local banks, it was presumed, knew their customers better.

“As for PPP, we have not been approved and the well is dry until Congress can agree on how to forward. I’m really not sure what moving forward looks like for us. ”

— Joe Robitaille, Owner of Homespun

Homespun’s new owner Joe Robitaille had started applying for the EIDL and PPP loan from the very beginning, and has still not received an approval. “EIDL loan has not come through, was a far cry from what was initially offered, where they were saying they would be transferring $10,000 within three business days of application. That was three weeks ago that we applied. As for PPP, we have not been approved and the well is dry until Congress can agree on how to move forward. I’m really not sure what moving forward looks like for us. Feels like finding out the cavalry just isn’t coming after all. If they stall this too long, Beacon and lots of other towns are going to lose a lot of small businesses. Potbelly and Ruth’s Chris have secured $10 million and $20 million in PPP loan, respectively.”

A Little Beacon Blog happens to know that Homespun just got awarded with their liquor license, and with Joe’s big plans for wine, being that he was a sommelier, we are really hoping he can ride this out.

Accountants also saw a surge of activity from their clients, not only from those wanting to file their taxes by the original April 15 deadline, but from businesses who needed their business taxes filed in order to apply for the pandemic loans. “This is one of the busiest times in my life,” said local accountant Arthur DeDominicis to A Little Beacon Blog. “Everyone’s wanting their taxes filed, but they are also calling in with questions as they fill out the PPP application and banks ask them clarification questions.”

John Mitchell of Number Keepers, an accountant in South Carolina, was fielding questions from clients the day the local banks opened to applications on April 3, 2020: “Some banks are ready, some banks say later today, some banks are just taking general applications and stacking them. Some banks are not communicating anything online. Some banks, like Bank of America, are only taking applications from their business clients and you have to have account logins to even apply.”

Banks Are Standing By

Will the loan application process re-open? Perhaps.

Chase’s letter to business customers reads:

“Message from Jennifer Roberts, CEO of Chase Business Banking:

”As predicted, the SBA's Paycheck Protection Program was hugely popular. In fact, we have just learned the SBA has approved loans that will exhaust all the funding available for the initial round. By tomorrow (Friday, April 17, 2020) morning we will have notified all of our customers who received funding in the first round, and know many of you are disappointed, as are many other business owners around the country.

”We know Congress is currently considering another round of funds soon. In the interim, we will continue to work our existing queue of applications so we can be ready. We will continue to update you here.

”If you are among the many customers who have applied, we'll call you if we have questions and email you when we make a decision once additional funding is available.”

Another day begins tomorrow.

We shall see.

$400K Grant Open For Manufacturing N95 Masks and Ventilators For New York Businesses - Deadline Friday

A new grant has opened up in part from the Jeff Lawrence Innovation Fund, and FuzeHub, a nonprofit organization that serves as the statewide New York Manufacturing Extension Partnership (NYMEP) center, supported by Empire State Development’s Division of Science, Technology & Innovation - NYSTAR. This COVID-19 Manufacturing Grant will be spread across six companies who will share in a total of $400,000 in grant money available to produce N95 masks and manufacture ventilators.

Companies must be based in New York State, have fewer than 500 employees across the entire firm or enterprise worldwide, and must meet other requirements.

The grant is designed to aid existing New York State small- to medium-sized manufacturing companies that can meet prevailing FDA requirements and can quickly accelerate production of personal protective equipment and respiratory care equipment that has been depleted due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

These grants serve as a resource to assist manufacturers with increasing capacity in current operations as well as to pivot production in an effort to build and assemble these critical need items: specifically, N95 respirators and ventilators.

There Are 2 Award Tracks

$50K Awards to four companies: Goal is to increase manufacturing capacity of qualifying personal protective equipment, specifically N95 respirators.

$100K Awards to two companies: Goal is to increase manufacturing capacity of qualifying respiratory care equipment, specifically ventilators.

Apply online here. Deadline is Friday, April 17, 2020.

This opportunity was promoted in the Dutchess Business Notification Network.

Tree Falls In Beacon: Windy Gusts Take Tree On Main Street Outside Beacon Barkery

Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

If you follow A Little Beacon Blog’s Instagram, you may have seen the InstaStory we put up that was a picture of this flowering tree taken through the car sunroof. This week in Beacon is usually one of the most beautiful because it is when the white flowering trees on Main Street all open up. We were doing a little countdown of when all of the buds would open.

Photo Credit: A person who emailed this into Mayor Lee Kyriacou, who forwarded it to ALBB.

Thursday (yesterday) was a particularly windy day, especially in the morning, which ended in a hail flurry, catching some outdoor joggers by surprise. The storm system was predicted and reported on by the Daily Voice, saying it came from the Midwest (my Ohio family confirmed it; I knew of the gusty wind earlier). Friday is turning out to be similar, with a few ice snow flurries.

Thursday morning, Jon from Beacon Barkery (pet food store) wrote in with some weather-related activity outside his shop: “Good morning Katie. It's been pretty exciting on Main Street so far. The giant flowering tree in front of my store snapped and broke my flag pole.”

Good grief! Jon was OK, as he was inside the shop when he heard the tree fall. “It all started when I was in the back cleaning. I heard a loud noise and Angel (my pug) barked. I figured it was a customer knocking on the door to get my attention. When I went to the front of the store, I looked out and said: ‘Holy Cow!’ The branch had fallen and crushed the flag and broke the end half of my flag pole.”

Jon reports that the City of Beacon maintenance crew was on it in what felt like 5 seconds. They came with chainsaws to cut the tree and remove it. White flower petals were blowing around, and Jon stayed inside so that the debris would not blow into his shop.

The Beacon maintenance crew returned a few hours later to cut and remove the entire tree.

A Little Beacon Blog wrote into the mayor’s office to see what details they knew of the incident, and received this response from Mayor Kyriacou:

“Thursday morning a brief, but strong wind storm passed through the City and broke a tree on Main Street. The Highway Department head happened to pass by and immediately called in City crew to cut and clean up the debris. Even in these unusual times, the essential City of Beacon operations continue. I applaud the of the Highway Department for their help, as well as all the efforts of the City employees.”