The Prison Books Project is an initiative from Binnacle Books, here on Main Street in Beacon. Launched in early 2020 with a bunch of postcards blasting into prisons in New York State prison facilities, Binnacle Books has been getting requests in and sending the books back out. Who buys the books for the prisons? You do! Anyone can be a sponsor. It’s a great way to give in a specific way.
The Prison Books Project is an outgrowth of the Beacon Prison Rides Project, which is a free way for people to be driven to visit their loved ones in jail from the Beacon train station stop. A Little Beacon Blog interviewed Mark Trecka of Binnacle Books to see inside of the project a bit more. Mark was published in the Rivernewsroom describing the intricate requirements of visiting a prisoner, and how much can go wrong to prevent a visit (like your own wardrobe violation).
ALBB: How do the imprisoned people make requests?
The basic principle is that we distribute postcards into New York State prison facilities, and then incarcerated people use them (or send letters or emails) to request books. We then acquire the books via one of several channels, whether it's Binnacle's distributor or Binnacle's shelves or we put a query out on Instagram. If the books were not donated, we post them on the Binnacle Instagram and then Binnacle's customers / followers sponsor them, title by title. The books are then mailed directly to the person who made the request.
ALBB: What are they thinking about? What kinds of requests come in? Do they know what books they want? Or do they want a subject, like “I want to learn accounting” or “I want a biography of someone”?
“There are approximately 1,700 people incarcerated at Fishkill Correctional, which is in the City of Beacon. Between 200 and 250 of those people are in solitary confinement at any given time. Incidentally, people in solitary confinement can and do request books from us.”
— Mark Trecka, Binnacle Books
Folks have requested all kinds of books. Sometimes the request is very specific, by title, or they might request anything by a particular author. Fiction, poetry, non-fiction, comic books, academic books. We also certainly get requests for subjects, yes like accounting or finance, abnormal psychology. Sometimes we'll get a request for a book that we can't source and then we send other books that we think they might like, always encouraging the person to pass the books along. Some examples of requests: "a biography of someone who made it out of prison," "a book on how to speak Creole," Shook One by Charlamagne Tha God, Black's Law Dictionary, Haiti: A Slave Revolution, "a book of love poems."
ALBB: Has there been an increase in requests since visitation has been banned due to the pandemic?
There has been an increase in requests lately, but actually it's a bit hard to say if it's directly related to visitation suspension or if the project has just been gathering steam. Regardless, we feel that it is deeply important to acknowledge and support the nearly 6,000 people who are incarcerated within an approximately 30-minute drive from Beacon's Main Street––not to mention the more than 50,000 people incarcerated in this state.
There are approximately 1,700 people incarcerated at Fishkill Correctional, which is in the City of Beacon. Between 200 and 250 of those people are in solitary confinement at any given time. Incidentally, people in solitary confinement can and do request books from us. According to one person who is currently in solitary, reading is one of the only things he can do to keep himself occupied. We sent him a bunch of books.
So, all that is to say that Fishkill Correctional Facility accounts for more than 8% of the population of Beacon. Those people are our neighbors. Fishkill Correctional also has the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths of any facility in New York State. So folks there are feeling it hard. Although getting a free book in the mail cannot solve these systemic problems, we feel that this work is valuable, both as an expression of humanity and also as important material support.
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.
Thank You! So many of you last week contributed financially as readers, bought a tote bag, and came on board as a sponsor. Please welcome our newest sponsors to A Little Beacon Blog's super special Guides, where we can bring more about them to you:
Lewis & Pine: The adorable shop on Main Street from the designer Yali Lewis who designs the jewelry inside. Beacon is very fortunate to have her, as her style is sleek and stellar.
Beacon Mercantile: Your answer for your summertime aromas and perfumes. Toni Hacker handcrafts all of her products right in the store, and even has secret collaborations with other makers.
Find our all of this in more in this weekend's email edition!
Communities Unite: A March For Justice
Day: Saturday, July 25, 2020 Time: 11am Location: Memorial Park
Organized by Ali T. Muhammad, sister cities are encouraged to attend, from Newburgh, Cold Spring, Poughkeepsie, etc. From the organizers: "Calling all Black, Indigenous & People of Color (BIPOC): We need you to share your voice in this demonstration of excellence and community." Club Draw Beacon is leading a solutions-oriented sign making session open for all and kid friendly at Memorial Park. Beacon4BlackLives will be leading the March down Fishkill Avenue and then down Main Street, stopping at PohIll Park and walking through the police station. They will stop for a 8:46 second pause and continue marching down through the train station. Then they walk to river front and have speeches at 1:30/2pm and then breakout sessions 3pm. Information >
Howland Cultural Center Member Art Show
Day: Saturday, July 25+26, 2020 Time: 1pm
Take a peek into the Howland Cultural Center this weekend with their Member Arts Show. Mask up, social distance, and enjoy the art. Information >
Towne Crier: Stories & Songs with Jeff Daniels Day: Sunday, July 26, 2020 Time: 7pm Location: LIVESTREAM - The Towne Crier, Beacon, NY Price: Tickets $15 (Please note that Towne Crier is NOT selling tickets for the live stream. They are being sold by Jeff Daniels via Crowdcas).
The Towne Crier is presenting a live-streamed show with award-winning actor and singer-songwriter Jeff Daniels for an intimate concert experience full of original songs, personal stories from his stage and movie career that only he can tell - and plenty of smiles. Stick around for a 15-30 min audience Q&A following the show. The questions submitted will be reviewed, with some then passed along to Jeff for reply. Tickets >
Beacon's Summer Concerts In The Park Day: Tuesdays, July 28, 2020 Time: 5-5:45pm
Performances at Pete And Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park. Come out for a free evening of performance, song and magic brought to you by Beacon Recreation. Performances from Compass Arts & Gwen Laster of Creative Strings Improvisers Orchestra. Each week, different performers will be bringing different experiences for all ages to Pete And Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park Information >
Fishkill's Summer Concerts In The Park
Day: Wednesday, July 29, 2020 Time: 6:30pm
Fishkill's Summer Concerts in the Park Series. Each week features a different local band. All concerts are free to the public. Concerts are held on Wednesdays (Thursdays will be the Rain Date). From the organizers: "Please wear a mask or face covering whenever you are not in your seat such as when you are using the restrooms, to and from your car, and whenever else you are unable to practice social distancing. You do not have to wear your mask to dance but we recommend doing your best to distance yourself from the closest dancer." Information >
EAT CHURCH
511 Fishkill Avenue, Beacon
"I don't know how you do the voodoo that you do so well...!" That fresh flavor voodoo that Eat Church is known for is going back to the kitchen for a menu re-do, or menu-refresh - to deal with all of this hotness weather. Keep it tuned here for when they are BACK. Stalk Them In Instagram > Eat Church is a ALBB Sponsor!
BAJA 328
328 Main Street, Beacon
New Temporary Hours! Looks like it's dinner during the week (closed Mondays), and lunch and dinner during the weekend. Pictured here: The Baja Paella. Tuesday - Thursday: 4-9pm Friday - Saturday: 12pm-10pm Sunday: 12pm08pm Order This > Baja 328 is a ALBB Sponsor!
The Pandorica’s 6th Anniversary
165 Main Street, Beacon Day: Saturday, July 25, 2020 Time: 6pm
The Pandorica invites you to join in helping celebrate their 6 years of bringing fans together for a unique experience that pays homage to their favorite show, Doctor Who. Participate in the fun and come in cosplay, there will be prizes!!! The Pandorica Open's/The Big Bang with a live introduction from Jon Davey, the man behind the mask. Jon has played over 40 characters on Doctor Who including but not limited to the headless Cyberman in The Pandorica Opens, he will follow up his introduction with a Q&A from you the fans. RSVP: Seating is limited. Reservations only. Call (845) 831-6287. Call right now.
LUXE OPTIQUE
181-183 Main Street, Beacon
Here we have Brendon effortlessly styling a pair of Jacques Marie Mage, and guess what...you can front that style pretty easily too. The stylists at Luxe Optique make you feel amazing every time you are in there, and are looking forward to helping you find the right next pair of frames for your personality and face. Go Shopping > Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!
BINNACLE BOOKS
321 Main Street, Beacon
Binnacle Books is filling up their Prison Project initiative! This project brings books to prisoners. Each book can be sponsored (bought) by you, and Binnacle Books sends it along to the right person. See details here, and get on their newsletter or follow their Instagram for alerts on when the next batch is available to participate in. Subscribe > Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
LEWIS & PINE
133 Main Street, Beacon
Lewis & Pine is reopening! Located steps away Bank Square Coffee, it's that cute little shop that you always want to go into, but has been closed because...designer Yali was having her first baby with her husband Steve! Liora is their daughter's name. Welcome her to the world by treating yourself or your someone special to any piece of jewelry from Lewis & Pine. Featured here is the "Transformer Necklace." is minimal and elegant, but it's not simple. Their signature design hides a secret: it's actually two necklaces in one! Wear the center bar vertically to create an elegant v-shape or turn it horizontally for a unique crisscrossed style. The perfect necklace for every day, the Transformer goes with everything but looks like nothing else. Designed to transform your outfit. Materials: Sterling silver, Oxidized (darkened) sterling silver, 14K Gold-filled Price: $89 Sale! Use the code: REOPENING for buy one, get one at 50% off on all jewelry purchases! Start Shopping > Lewis & Pine is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
BEACON MERCANTILE
493 Main Street, Beacon
Beach house vibes on tap? Yes, please! Beacon Mercantile's scent collab with @salt.and.umber is inspired by the perfect beach day. Sun warmed skin on sand. Crashing waves at sundown. Salty beach clothes left to dry in the sun. Pop by the shop today and catch a W A V E. Start Shopping > Beacon Mercantile is a Sponsor, thank you!
ANTALEK & MOORE
340 Main Street, Beacon
Antalek & Moore works with a lot of different insurance carriers. One of their favorites is Travelers, who has published a few pool safety tips you'll want a refresher on. Get it...refresh...in a pool... Get These Tips > Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!
TIN SHINGLE
Tin Shingle is a resource and empowerment platform for business owners, artists and makers to get the word out about their business. This is done through webinars (called "TuneUps") to be watched on replay any time; an online safe-space forum to ask questions and get answers and support; and in-person opportunities to bounce ideas off experts in a live video format. Learn More >
KATIE JAMES, INC.
Couture branding boutique, Katie James, Inc. has started the redesign of the website for Barb's Butchery. She has outgrown her current one, and wants to be able to work the website herself more. Using Squarespace, elements of ecommerce and blogging are going to be used to sell her new candles and merch, as well as upload videos of her viral TikTok videos. Keep your eyes here. Reach out if you need a new website too! Consulting also available if you're going it yourself. Learn More >
Luxe Optique Is Hiring Private Airbnb Manager For Apartments
The owners of Luxe Optique own their building with 4 apartments above the storefront. These have been redesigned and include washers/dryers for the short term rental market using Airbnb’s platform. Job Details >
Luxe Optique Is Hiring Cleaner of Airbnb Apartments
Luxe Optique is hiring a regular cleaning person or service to clean 4 apartments between Airbnb guests. Job Details >
Readers: OMG - when some of you asked to contribute financially, we were so humbled. To date, we have raised over $1,500 from YOU, and that has made a huge impact on paying our team. You can contribute any time - from $5 to $1,000 - any amount is appreciated. You can remain anonymous or have your name listed. One Time Contribution > Monthly Subscription Contribution >
Promotion Package For Main Street Retail: For $200/month, your boutique or restaurant can be featured in this newsletter and the Guides too, with a new message each week. Get into the lovely details of what you got going on! Did you just put up a parklet? We want to talk about it. A Little Beacon Blog will continue to promote online classes for fitness studios, who remain closed. Shopping Guide Signup > Restaurant Guide Signup > Beauty Guide Signup > Submit Events Free For Consideration Here >
Got questions? Email Teslie@alittlebeaconblog.com. She's super friendly and has great ideas on how to make things work.
As business in Beacon began to increase years ago, with commercial rents and home prices inching up, A Little Beacon Blog grew curious about the sales tax, and if Beacon was benefiting from any increased sales tax. Furthermore, we wondered, how Beacon was benefiting tax-wise from the growing short term rental market from website platforms like Airbnb.
Nick Page, a local resident and Dutchess County Legislator, as well as managerial worker for his family’s commercial and residential property development company, Hudson Todd, LLC, in Beacon, was wondering the same thing. He embarked on a search, and A Little Beacon Blog brought on research assistant Yvonne DeMoss to pursue finding the total sales tax generated for Beacon. Despite following up with numerous offices, we were unable to find the sales tax number. Instead, we are publishing what we have found so far that helps clarify how Beacon earns back the sales tax generated here.
“Surrendering Of Rights Of Preemption With Respect To Sales And Use Tax As A Source Of Revenue”
When A Little Beacon Blog started this research project last year, we were looking for the total number of sales tax dollars generated in Beacon, so that we could see if the number was going up or down. Instead, we learned that Dutchess County pays Beacon a fixed sum over a scheduled period of time. Once we learned of the flat rate Beacon was paid by Dutchess County, we wanted to see if Beacon was getting a good deal or not, since the flat rate is one that is negotiated. In June 2019, we reached out to Beacon’s City Administrator, Anthony Ruggiero, to see if he knew Beacon’s sales tax total generated in Beacon, as compared with the flat rate Beacon receives, but he did not: “I am sorry, I would not have that information. We believe it is a pretty good deal.”
When A Little Beacon Blog inquired with then Mayor Randy Casale about it also in June 2019, he stated: “I’ve been looking for the number for 4 years!” Randy did indicate that by having a flat rate that does not change, it could put Beacon in a good position of guaranteed income, should it face a slump or dark period as is has before. This makes the annual budget more predictable. New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli said after issuing a sales tax performance report in 2018: “As history has proven, sales tax can be an unpredictable revenue source for our local governments.”
We have confirmed that the Department of Taxation collects the amount of sales tax generated in Beacon, but will not release it, stating that tallying a total dollar figure would be difficult, as online sales gets tricky when items are purchased from a store and shipped out of state.
Jeff McLauchlin, Senior Administrative Analyst for the New York Department of Taxation, explained it this way: “Sales tax vendors collect the tax and remit it to the State Department of Taxation and Finance and the department distributes the revenue. Sales tax in New York is a destination based. One quick example: A business in Beacon sells to a customer online who lives in Saratoga. The sales tax rate is that for Saratoga and the return filed by the business should reflect the breakdown of sales to different jurisdictions properly. Purchasers who aren’t charged the correct rate or no tax at all are still responsible for paying the sales tax.” Saratoga County also collects sales tax for municipalities, but Saratoga City, a tourist destination, collects its own separately. A finance transparency tool can be found here.
Dutchess County Legislature Nick Page submitted a FOIL to the Department of Taxation and Finance in July 2019 in order to get clear numbers, and was told that the answer would take time to process, might be completed in August 2019, would have a fee for printing pages, and was not guaranteed to be approved.
The New York State Comptrollers office also states that they are not apprised of what the incoming dollar figure is, but does track the total amount for payments paid out (aka “distributions) by Dutchess County to each participating municipality. The State Comptroller’s response in May 2019 by way of Katelyn Israelski, with the Office of State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, was: “Our Local Government and School Accountability division has informed me that OSC doesn't typically monitor monthly or quarterly sales tax distributions by counties, but that data is reported annually by both the county and those local governments receiving funds.”
Katelyn then attached the historical data that they have available for Beacon for Sales Tax Revenue Distributions from Dutchess County. “Unfortunately,” she continued, “we do not have data on the sales tax generated, for which NYS Dept. of Tax and Finance is the primary source.”
The County shall distribute to the Cities of Poughkeepsie and Beacon, collectively, a fixed amount of money from the $25 million dollars referred to in Paragraph 2 above pursuant to Section 1262(c) of the Tax Law. The City of Poughkeepsie shall receive $9,566,212 and the City of Beacon shall receive $4,158,686 subject to the provisions of paragraph 6 below.
Beginning in 2014 and continuing through 2022 the County shall make 21 equal payments of $198,032.66 to Beacon and $455,533,90 to Poughkeepsie with such payments to be made between February 1st and December 31st of each year. Such payments by the County shall be made directly to the Cities on the next business day after receipt of the County's share of the sales tax proceeds from the State Commissioner, by wire to a designated account or by check of the County Commissioner of Finance, at the option of each City.
Beacon will not exercise its right of preemption to impose a local Sales and Use Tax pursuant to Article 29 of the Tax Law of the State of New York to be effective for each year of the term of this agreement as long as the County's Sales and Use Tax remains at no less than 3.75%.
What About Airbnb Tax Revenue?
In terms of taxes collected from Airbnb renters, of which there is a healthy market in Beacon, which was just legalized in June of 2020, Dutchess County again receives the revenue from that tax, known as the Hotel Tax, or in some cases, Bed Tax or Occupancy Tax. Says County Legislature Nick Page: “Airbnb began collecting 4% Bed Tax from Hosts using the Airbnb platform on March 1, 2017. Airbnb remits one payment to the County by the 20th of each month for the preceding month’s activity. The County received $221,918 from Airbnb in 2017. The payments are not broken down by municipality and the County does not have access to the addresses from Airbnb.”
It is unclear at this time if Dutchess County sends a payment to Beacon for a portion of the bookings made in Beacon. According to James Gazzale of the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, the collection and tracking of the Hotel Tax resides with the county: “This is strictly a local county issue. It’s separate from our regular sales tax. The state authorizes this hotel tax, but the county imposes, administers and collects it. Your best bet is to reach out to the local county Commissioner of Finance.”
Onward! Consider this story ongoing as we learn more about taxes and where they go.
County Executive Marcus Molinaro released 2020 projections for a severe decrease in revenue to Dutchess County due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the release, it “includes a projected sales tax revenue decline of $20-50 million in 2020. Sales tax accounts for 41% of the County’s 2020 budget,” County Executive Molinaro said during his June 10, 2020 online Town Hall. The City of Beacon and other municipalities like Poughkeepsie pay into Dutchess County’s sales tax collection. Beacon does not keep the sales tax generated here, and is instead paid out a distribution of a fixed, negotiated amount from the cumulative sales tax collected across municipalities each year. A Little Beacon Blog conducted research into this, and reported on it here.
Molinaro went on to describe a furlough program for Dutchess County employees: “In the wake of a projected $40-80 million revenue loss, Dutchess County Government has offered its workforce a voluntary furlough program, which 66 employees across various departments have volunteered for, and implemented freezes on hiring and non-essential spending. Funding from New York State accounts for 16% of Dutchess County’s annual budget and Governor Andrew Cuomo has suggested the pandemic may result in as much as a 20% cut in state aid to local counties, resulting in a projected loss of $15-20 million to Dutchess County. County Executive Molinaro continues to advocate for state and federal aid for counties like Dutchess to avoid being forced to eliminate critical services and programs.”
Not gonna lie, turning right from N. Walnut onto Main Street has a new obstacle: people. Instead of a parked car blocking your view as you turn out onto Main Street, you now have a clear view, but actual people sitting in chairs at tables! Not that you would hit them, because you don’t normally drive into parked cars, but the new “parklet” option for restaurants in Beacon is bringing a new awareness of car safety, as well as a much pined for dining experience at our favorite restaurants.
Using the parking spaces is optional, and businesses need to apply with the city. They are then given cones to set up around their parking spots, at no cost to the business (provided by the City of Beacon). Ziatun and Max’s both opted in, and Ziatun added a decorative pallet/patio underneath their seating. Says Kamel Jamal, owner of Ziatun: “The additional parking spaces for dining has been a tremendous help in so many ways. We are more visible, and we are able to showcase our services at a different level. Our rush to reopen indoor dining is no longer a priority, so we can help slow the spread and protect our team from getting sick. Sales have been climbing and nearly our entire staff at Ziatun is back at it and loving every minute.”
Ziatune’s “parklet” with additional pallet patio. Max’s On Main is next door. Isamu sushi, also next door, did not opt for a “parklet” as of yet. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
Dining at Meyer’s Old Dutch (MODs) offers the “parklet” experience, as well as dining in their back patio (not shown).
BJ’s opted to not do the “parklets” but does offer new outdoor dining on their sidewalk.
Royal Crepes has always offered sidewalk dining outside, but opted into the “parklets.” Find sweet crepes here, as well as salads and meal type crepes with chicken or cheese.
The bar Draught is taking the step outside to the “parklets.” Normally a narrow standing or sitting closely next to someone experience inside, this will be a way to spread out for the little bar.
The Wonderbar is owned by the same co-owners of the Story Screen movie theather, which took a double hit. Movie theater closed (with recent opening news of Phase 4 put on hold due to ventilation concerns in New York) with the totally renovated, back to its bast, Wonderbar. Shortly after its opening, the pandemic forced it to close. Now diners can enjoy the cocktails and food outside on the newly installed picnic tables. Says co-owner Marjorie Tarter about the “parket”: “We’re making it work! It hasn’t been easy, but these city “parklets” will definitely help us serve more folks in a safe way.”
Across the street, The Vault expanded onto their parking lot. The Vault enjoys an outdoor patio, and a parking lot.
Have we ever seen outside dining at Brothers? While they have a healthy delivery and pickup business, tables outside is a welcome addition.
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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
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.
Support for this publication comes in part from these businesses. We have highlighted what makes them special on their own dedicated pages. Want your business listed here? See the "Sponsor Spotlight" or "Event Promotion" option in our Advertising Page.
A podcast from A Little Beacon Blog. Your hosts: Katie Hellmuth martin & Brandon Lillard.
The City of Beacon entered into a contract with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley to provide increased access to Beacon tenants facing eviction. They may also be able to help with sources of rent arrears assistance. Call the paralegal, Steven Mihalik at 845-253-6953 to inquire.
Dutchess County Helpline. Open 24/7 to take your calls, listen, and give you resources.
