Gov. Cuomo Extends NYS PAUSE To April 15; Schools Stay Closed Until April 15. Beacon's Superintendent Responds.

Photo Credit: Screenshot from the New York Times.

UPDATE 3/30/2020: The president issued a directive to extend social distancing to April 30.

Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo extended New York State’s PAUSE status to April 15, 2020. During his morning briefing, he stated that he is evaluating in two-week increments. This means many things, including that, “All non-essential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason are temporarily banned,” according to the state website.

Family Dinners (Outside Your “Sphere Lock”)

On Sunday, Gov. Cuomo emphasized that this includes dinners and gatherings related to the upcoming religious holidays, like Easter and Passover. The Governor took Sunday’s briefing, 3/29/2020, to tell people how he does his normally large Italian Sunday Dinners at 2 pm - with “Mom on Skype,” he noted.

In this blogger’s house, we take the PAUSE to mean we go on “Sphere Lock,” a term we made up in our house. It means you only are within six feet of people in your house. If your family member lives in a different house, and you aren’t on the same social distance patterns, seeing the exact same isolated people, then it’s best to not get together for a big dinner or driveway house party, or to be close with people who don’t share your Sphere Lock rotation. We can be together, but we bring walkie talkies or phones in case our six-foot distancing becomes too far to hear each other.

The reminder of Sphere Lock is illustrated by this tragic story of the family who lost family members after a big dinner, reported on 3/20/2020 by CNN: “Coronavirus kills 4 family members and sickens others after a dinner in New Jersey.” Just because you are close friends or are in the same family, doesn’t mean the coronavirus will recognize that as immunity.

New York State Schools Extended Closure Until April 15, 2020

While New York City schools are closed until Monday, April 20, the rest of the state does not have that mandate. However, Mayor Bill de Blasio thinks that even April 20 is too early. As reported in Politico: “Our first attempt to reopen public schools will be Monday, April 20,” de Blasio said. “We may not have the opportunity to reopen them in this full school year.”

Reported last week by The New York Times was the “first known death” of a New York City public school staff member: Dez-Ann Romain. She was the principal of the Brooklyn Democracy Academy, and was 36. According to the article: “‘She was one of the most innovative school leaders I’ve ever worked with — her students just adored her,’ said Courtney Winkfield, a New York City schools official who mentored Ms. Romain.”

Beacon Superintendent Matthew Landahl also anticipates a later school reopening, and issued that expectation in a letter to parents issued March 18, 2020. In the letter, he gave two scenarios. The second scenario is the one he is leaning toward:

“Scenario 2- The Governor issues another executive order closing schools in New York State for an additional period of time farther into April. Based on the current state in New York and our country, this seems like the more likely scenario. We need to be prepared for a longer school closing than April 1. This is just my opinion.”

The Technical Usage Of PAUSE Pandemic Days

According to the superintendent’s letter: “The Governor ordered schools to use their remaining snow days, snow makeup days, and spring break during this closing. We have 4 unused snow days and 6 makeup days which includes 4 days of spring break,” he said. Beacon’s Spring Break would have begun on April 6, 2020.

Distance Learning To Be Developed By Beacon City School Teachers

This is the daunting, yet exciting part. A distance learning program does not yet exist. Parents are grappling with the feeling of needing to educate our kids, yet knowing that there is no curriculum at home to do this, while the teachers desperately miss our kids, and both teachers and parents are trying to figure this out. Coupled with the fact that parents are working the hardest they ever have at jobs they may still need to do, and doing this with all family members in the house at once. It’s the blind leading the blind, but right now, it is all OK. We’re in this together.

Dr. Landahl told parents in his letter that the teachers will begin to hunker down to develop a plan. Most likely this will be done with parent input, because the teachers don’t know yet what the assignments look like on the other side. For instance, one of our teachers was trying to connect with students to get signed up for a class. I didn’t even know what getting signed up for a class meant. I asked if she could call me, and she happily did. We fumbled our way through, came up with some ideas, and carried on.

In the letter, Dr. Landahl said that he is working with teachers to find “a common understanding of distance learning, develop professional development, and develop a plan.” Throughout this process, Dr. Landahl has quickly navigated to changes that happen at the state level day by day, such as the Meal Plan that is currently being distributed to all kids in Beacon.

As for the future of distance learning, he said: “We have about 100 more questions we need to answer about how we will pull this off, but we are committed as a district to making this happen. I will provide updates on this work on a regular basis throughout this time. A huge thanks to our teachers for dealing with all of the curveballs the last few days.”

Personally, I am excited to be part of the experiment in developing this new distance learning plan, which can hopefully be used by parents when they have kids who are the least bit sick, or when one kid is sick in a multikid house, and you don’t want to send the rest of your kids to school knowing that they might be carriers.

All year this year, my kids’ noses have been dripping with mucus. We had been nebulizing day and night. Now that we are on PAUSE, and are in our Sphere Lock, those noses are clean. We aren’t using as many tissues as I bought (so far). It’s good to look at upsides, wherever they can be found.

Donald McNeal, Father And Owner of Beacon Barkery, Passes Away. Son Jon Continues To Run The Store

Donald McNeal, pictured at left, was a well-known pest exterminator who had an Orkin franchise (he once removed a hornet nest from our front bushes) and was a jazz drummer in certain circles before he bought the Beacon Barkery at the urging of his son Jon, who was an employee at the time. Donald bought the shop from Libby Faison and Nanci Pate, who were retiring, in November 2016. Soon after moving in, the landlord raised the rent, and Donald and Jon moved over to the storefront next door. The business was humming along ever since. They opened a second location in New Windsor.

A couple years ago, Donald suffered from a stroke which left him impaired. He had been recovering ever since with the help of his family. The Beacon Barkery, under Libby and Nanci, spearheaded the organization of the Beacon Barks Parade. Donald and Jon took over organizing the parade when they bought the store. This year, to help out, Libby and Nanci were stepping back in to help run the parade, when the coronavirus pandemic stopped everything.

Earlier this month, Donald passed away in his sleep, at home, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife, Arlene Golpe, and by his sons, Donald C. McNeal III, of Wappingers Falls and Jonathan E. McNeal of Hopewell Junction, according to the Highlands Current. He is also survived by the family’s four pugs, Angel, Casper, Eddie, and Louie.

Beacon Barkery Is Open And Delivers Pet Food

The Beacon Barkery remains open, and is managed by Jon and pug Angel. Jon has been doing deliveries for years, including to my front porch. Also recently, Jon designed and launched the Beacon Barkery’s website, making online ordering very easy. Jon has a system in place where he counts how many bags you get, in order to qualify for a free bag. During the pandemic, the store will be closed on Mondays.

At the Barkery, you’ll find food and treats for cats and dogs, as well as clothing for small dogs, leashes, flea treatment, and more. Jon is extremely helpful, and can get you whatever you need. If you want some of the best pet food around - you will find it at the Beacon Barkery. My cat enjoys the frozen rabbit pellets (no cans, great for the environment, and is real game meat), and mixtures of dry food.

Our prayers are with Jon and his family during this difficult time. He’s at work, the Open flag flying. Give him a six-foot wave.

HEALTH: Governor Cuomo Reverses COVID-Era Hospital Policy That Forced Women To Labor Alone, Without Support/Partner Of Choice

On Monday, March 23, 2020, New York-Presbyterian and Mt. Sinai Health System issued mandates that prohibited any visitor from being with a woman in labor when she entered the hospital to give birth. This included her partner, doula, family member, or any other single person she wanted in the room. The hospitals stated that this was in the best interest of protecting the mother and baby from the novel coronavirus, according to Fox and The New York Times. Yet, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) a support person in the room is best for a variety of reasons.

While some may have accepted this and moved on, several did not, seeing the downside of not having a representative of the mother during her labor in a busy hospital room. Often during a normal labor, no nurse is constantly present in the room, unless something goes wrong, since labors can last several (sometimes many) hours, and contractions can be slow to peak. Almost immediately, a petition was started and aimed at New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo that has gotten over 200,000 signatures since it was launched, according to this New York Times article.

Support Person For Safety (Emotional Bonding Aside)

For me, during my third childbirth and an extremely painful contraction, I fainted. It was a common occurrence for me - fainting during intense episodes of pain or pressure on nerves - but it was my husband who was in the room who pressed the emergency call button to summon a team of nurses to revive me, and keep me awake. Because of the position of my baby, I almost passed out during the next contraction - an emotion I remember vividly as I wanted to close my eyes and go to sleep. My midwife stayed in my face, yelling at me to stay awake, telling me that the time to push had come. Much to my surprise, after a fast and furious six-hour labor, when I had just been 4 centimeters dilated and suddenly had passed 9.

Labor Isn’t Sunshine and Rainbows (Yes, It’s Beautiful Magic)

It’s not always sunshine and rainbows in that delivery room. It can start off quite boring, and after hours, some action happens with regular contractions, yadda yadda. One never knows which direction a birth is going to take. So to have a woman alone in a room - without any friend (free), doula (usually paid), spouse (hopefully free?) - can be dangerous. Emotional bonding aside.

Prior to this policy being reversed, some expectant mothers were planning on driving out of state to deliver. The New York Times quoted one mother who wanted to drive to Philadelphia: “I haven’t had the best experience in hospitals, and I am not going to deliver alone,” she said. “If something happens, if there is some kind of emergency, I need someone who knows me to help make decisions in a time of stress. It is not the 1950s, you can’t just expect them to go in and sedate them and push out a baby, and then they come home and dad is there smoking a cigar,” this mother is quoted to have said in the article. “That is not our reality anymore.”

Reversal Decision Comes Day After ProPublica Article Highlights COVID Risks To Mothers During Childbirth

This decision comes a day after a ProPublica article came out profiling a woman who had gone into the hospital to give birth, with no symptoms of coronavirus, and died after birthing her baby, after showing coronavirus symptoms. This was revealed in a peer-reviewed paper that concluded: “This limited initial US experience suggests a need for immediate changes in obstetric clinical practice. Two of seven (28.6%) confirmed COVID-19-positive patients in this early series were asymptomatic upon admission to the obstetrical service, and these same two patients ultimately required unplanned ICU admission.”

One of the new mothers who did not survive was an “asymptomatic mother-to-be, a 33-year-old who had a C-section, also was having an extremely complex pregnancy; she was admitted for an induction on March 18 at 37 weeks because she had been suffering from chronic hypertension, asthma and diabetes. The surgery went off without a hitch and her baby was fine. She did not begin exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms until 25 hours after she delivered, or more than 60 hours after showing up at the hospital with her husband.”

Asthma can be common in pregnant women, and overlooked or dismissed by medical professionals. I do know this, as I have selective asthma, and all of my children have “asthma cough,” which sounds like a whooping cough when it flares up, and responds well to albuterol in the nebulizer. I’m all stocked up on medicine. But for a pregnant woman, a regular thing like a Christmas tree can send her to the ER if she can’t even speak because her lungs are so irritated (talking about myself, here).

Diabetes can be common in pregnant women, as their bodies change and Gestational Diabetes becomes a thing that caregivers watch for as they monitor the mother throughout the months of her pregnancy.

Birthing Options - Is Homebirth A Quick Solution?

Homebirth seems ideal at first, but involves a lot of logistics and backup. It is also not covered by insurance, and can be expensive, says Wyld Womyn, created by Alyia Cutler and Meghan Conway, who specialize in birth and postpartum support and have a storefront in Beacon behind Beacon Pantry. They caution against thinking homebirth is an easy alternative. “Aside from hospital births, people can choose homebirth if it aligns with their vision for their preferred birth experience,” Wyld Womyn told A Little Beacon Blog when we reached out for comment. “Homebirth is not a consolation prize for a hospital birth that doesn’t allow you to bring a partner or doula in the room, though. Choosing a home birth is a big decision and one that you need to prepare for both mentally and logistically.”

Wyld Womyn have been speaking via video about continuing to support a woman during childbirth virtually, as it can be immensely helpful during labor to hear key messages from a support person who knows you. You can watch a recent video here and here.

In some hospital settings, doctors and hospital executives may discourage women from bringing a doula or midwife into the hospital room, as the training for those professionals comes from different belief systems about the woman’s body vs pharmaceuticals and elective surgery. My experience in the birthing community included being the website manager for Childbirth Connection, an evidence-based resource for childbirth, which has since merged with the National Partnership for Women and Families.

That all may change, however, if hospitals prove too dangerous for pregnant women right now, and midwives and doulas start volunteering their time to help women give birth who should not be anywhere near a hospital. Gov. Cuomo has been retrofitting buildings like the Javits Center to house COVID-19 patients, in an effort to 1) accommodate the rapidly increasing number of cases, but also to 2) remove some critical cases from a hospital that needs to do other things, like be a location for a woman giving birth.

This will be difficult, as Gov. Cuomo has asked hospitals to increase their bed capacity by 50% or 100%.

Facing Childbirth Alone - Options

The face of this New York State reversal of some hospitals’ policy has taken on the form of Melissa DeRosa, the Secretary to Gov. Cuomo and Chairwoman of New York State Council on Women & Girls. In the daily briefings by the governor, she gets quite stern, and turned it up for this decision.

Denial of human and women’s rights during childbirth is actually not uncommon. However, it is usually dismissed. In this case, women’s rights in the maternity ward were heard.

If you are feeling alone for your upcoming childbirth, you have options of people who can be with you, even if six feet away. If you have no one to bring with you into the room, you still have options from a network of people who you may be able to work with. If the person you wanted to bring with you into the room is not available (if they are sick, or tending to your other children, or got called into the line of duty if they themselves are a medical professional), check around your sphere to see who would be a good substitute to be with you in the room to be your advocate, and watcher of your physical condition.

Wyld Womyn made these local recommendations: “Many doulas, including Wyld Womyn, are offering virtual support as a way to support their clients through childbirth without being able to join them in person. There are wonderful homebirth midwives in our area: Sadie Moss and Megan O’Conner, Beacon, and Susan Rannestad and Susan Rachel “Birdie” Condon, Newburgh/New Paltz. Both service this entire area.”

These links above are to licensed professionals listed at New York State Homebirth, which offers several other certified nurse midwives and midwives.

Saturday: President Tweets He Wants To Quarantine NY, NJ, CT; Cuomo Responds; President Retreats

Geeze.

You go off the national news for one weekend day, to try to do some mental health maintenance, and the president tweets that he is considering quarantining New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, as they are becoming hot spots for the novel coronavirus. To back up his point of using such a strong word, he put it in all-caps. The president tweeted: “I am giving consideration to a QUARANTINE of developing “hot spots”, New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. A decision will be made, one way or another, shortly.”

Here’s the screenshot in case he deletes it later:

Initially, this was a rumor that started weeks ago via text. I’m sure you received it too. I received it from three different close friends several days apart. It went something like this: “Hey, I just want you to know that my friend/client/aunt has a friend at the Pentagon, and they are talking of shutting everything down in 72 hours.”

It prompted me to spend $477 in groceries per trip two weeks in a row (my normal bill is like $197 and then quick trips of $57 or $87 in between).

Once I started watching New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s briefings regularly, my panic subsided. I could see how strongly he felt about helping New Yorkers stay outside, do their thing, but to do it social distance-style of six feet apart. With most businesses closed so that we have no reason to go anywhere, except to some trails and parks, which are now closing down because people just can’t stay away from one another. Today the governor stated in the press briefing that he was even considering closing the kids parks because people just aren’t social distancing there.

So when the president tweets “quarantine” in all-caps, it’s a really disgraceful thing to do. Those aren’t words you mess with.

Gov. Cuomo was asked about it by a reporter, and here was his response: “I don’t even know what that means. I don’t know how that could be legally enforceable, and from a medical point of view, I don’t know what you would be accomplishing. I don’t even like the sound of it, not even understanding what it is. I don’t like the sound of it.”

This is when as a native Midwesterner, I appreciate the deeply skeptical nature of New Yorkers, who sometimes cannot accept random acts of kindness without knowing the catch. It is in this case, that I really appreciate Gov. Cuomo’s response. Be sure to watch the clip here at CNN to see how the governor stated it, looking away, not looking anyone in the eye.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo on President Trump saying he’s considering a possible short-term quarantine for New York: “I don't know how that could be legally enforceable. … Not even understanding what it is, I don't like the sound of it.” https://t.co/agZ7nOEZyA pic.twitter.com/Bl9fIcrTro

— CNN (@CNN) March 28, 2020

Later in the day, the president decided not to pursue quarantine, and instead to issue a “strong travel advisory,” as tweeted by himself.

Thank you to Deadline for reporting this when it happened, and when it resolved.

The Retail Therapy Guide This Week - 3/27/2020

Happy Saturday! Apologies on the late send... My (Katie) son's eighth birthday was yesterday (Friday), and we had an early evening drive-in birthday sing for him. Hope that was OK! Most were in their cars or across the street in their own Sphere Locks (that's what I call household social distancing). Internally, Marilyn and myself wondered what would become of the event-based weekend newsletter? We decided to dedicate the Friday newsletter to "Retail Therapy," because gosh darnit, the beat still goes on! We still need good books, new shirts, new shoes, new bikes, and delivery. ALL RESTAURANT + SHOP COVID-19 STATUS ALERTS REGULARLY UPDATED Marilyn, who is A Little Beacon Blog's Managing Editor, scours the socials to find out which restaurants are still doing carry-out, curbside delivery, etc. She updates the Restaurant and Shopping Guides for every single storefront on Main Street, East Main, and West Main. If your storefront is not in these guides and your business has a storefront here, let us know. If you see a "@inkcoffeeyoga NL" in the comments of your business's social media account, it means we've been by and are going to update a Guide or feature something here in the newsletter!   NEW: Also for Main Street businesses, we have added Fitness businesses into the Business Directory to include which Beacon fitness studios are doing things online. We are doing this basic listing for free. Any other type of business who wants inclusion and promotion in the Business Directory can learn about it here. We are doing this free of charge for storefronts, as a way to support our storefronts. SUPPORT OPTION: If you do want to support ALBB, and want to include your scheduled class times and other fun details, as well as guarantee your upcoming online Zoom class schedules are included on ALBB's website and in this newsletter, you could start an advertising campaign. Starts at $100/month. Regardless, basic listings with links to the schedules are free at this time on the website. Special note: Studios from Fishkill, Cold Spring, etc. are welcome and encouraged to be listed in the Business Directory, but we can only extend the free listing to Beacon businesses at this time. We are buried in our workload, but want to help!                                        EAT CHURCH (Closed For Now) This week, Eat Church shared a super easy recipe for making bread at home. Here's what owner Mark says: "This is the most stripped-down bread recipe I've got as it makes a great standard white loaf but requires so few ingredients and so little effort. Great one to make with kids as most folks have the ingredients in the pantry." Get the recipe here > Eat Church is a Sponsor, thank you! BARB'S BUTCHERY (Closed For Now) Barb's Butchery announced their temporary closure this week. The orders came in fast and furious. There were many tears in the Instagram. But businesses have to sift through a lot right now, figuring out financing and other everyday big hurdles that any business hits. We are all anticipating Barb's return so that we can fill our bellies once we all bounce back on the other side of the wave. Barb's Butchery is a Sponsor, thank you! THE BEACON HOTEL & RESTAURANT Also announced this week, the Beacon Hotel & Restaurant is also temporarily closing. From their Instagram: "Although this was a very hard call to make, we have made the decision that it is best to close our doors including take-out and delivery to protect the health of our employees and community. We appreciate every single one of you who has been here to support us during this hard time. We will all get through this, and look forward to having you as our guests when we re-open." Other restaurants continue to be open. Do check our Restaurant Guide and order takeout/delivery! MIZ HATTIE'S - CURBSIDE DELIVERY (inside Hudson Valley Food Hall) This is your answer to comfort food cravings. Mac and cheese and fried chicken. A Little Beacon Blog has written about Miz Hattie's before, and now will be ordering curbside delivery for Saturday night. Eight-piece Southern Fried Chicken? Yes, please. Order from Miz Hattie any day of the week. Maybe even lunch! WALTON SISTERS BAKING SHOW The Instagrammer @pk_foodie_eaaaatss has been a reader of A Little Beacon Blog for a bit, and her feed is delicious. Now she's added a couple of pint-size foodies in Poughkeepsie. Check out their latest episode, it's Jell-O time! And now, the sisters seem to be Instagramming their food deliveries! Check out Friday's order... BEACON FARMERS MARKET OPENS Beacon's Farmers Market opens for online pre-ordering. Order deadline is Friday afternoon, pickup Sunday. Normally, pre-ordering ends on Fridays for Sunday pickup, but you could maybe still try! Details Here >                                   LUXE OPTIQUE Appointments can be scheduled for dates after Wednesday, April 15. Luxe Optique will accommodate sooner if possible. Contact lens orders continue through their online shop. Contact lens pricing and shipping has been adjusted to provide affordable options to their patients during this time. We miss their faces and voices too, and may ask for a video-check in. If we can do that, we Will post to the blog. Visit their website for details > Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you! LAMBS HILL BRIDAL BOUTIQUE Weddings are still happening in the time of Social Distancing. Just look at this couple in Vogue. Look at this gorgeous Justin Alexander dress on Hanna Withnoh. That detail, though! 😍 Browse Dresses > Lambs Hill is a Sponsor, thank you! The CHOCOLATE STUDIO  The Chocolate Studio is encouraging you to send E-gift cards or Snail Mail gift cards to friends and family. Well, guess what? They are now available on their website! 💝 Wholesale pricing for vegan and gluten-free baked goods 🌱 on the website too! Get more ~ Save more ~ Stay home BINNACLE BOOKS Binnacle Books is delivering stock from the store directly to local customers, or special ordering new books from their distributors, which are shipped directly to your mailbox, whether you’re local or not. Order anything through https://www.binnaclebooks.com/order-books, and reach out via their Instagram DM with any questions! Get Details > Binnacle Books is a Sponsor, thank you! PTACEK Home In this time of Work From Home Life, you need an office nook, quickly! Having an inspiring space makes all the difference when you work from home. Definitely worth the investment. Shown here is one of PTACEK's most popular designs: the Pierced Plank Shelf. Delivery is available. They can build to your own dimensions, so get the tape measure out. Get Details > PTACEK Home is a Sponsor, thank you! LLTO (LIVE LIGHT TRAVEL OFTEN) OK, be honest... How many days this week did you get fully dressed? Do you have your Zoom outfits picked out yet? If you're doing a lot of jammy time, you may as well order a few of these, and hunker down in comfort and style. Buy Online! > LLTO is a Sponsor, thank you! BLACKBIRD ATTIC  Blackbird Attic is making moves to bring her consignment shop more online. Keep shopping her Insta POP UP SHOP. DM her to purchase. Free curbside pickup and delivery to nearby customers, $5 shipping available, more for oversize items. Information > LA MERE CLOTHING & GOODS If you already love the shopping experience at La Mere, don't fret, you're going to keep receiving it at La Mere. The owner, April, continues bringing it to her Instagram to show you what's in the store, what you can order, and how fast she is at shipping or arranging curbside pickup with you. Not on Instagram? No problem. Shop her website any time. BEACON FARMERS MARKET & COMMON GROUND FARM FUNDRAISER We love seeing how Main Street businesses are coming together. For $100 you will get a Reservoir tote (pictured) along with items from Beacon Farmers Market, Utensil, Big Mouth Coffee Roasters, Reservoir, and Solstad House too! PLUS a donation to Common Ground Farm for $10, supporting their efforts to help bring fresh produce to those in need in our community! Information > Wondering if accepting packages is safe? Trevor Noah of "The Daily Show" wondered the same thing, and asked Dr. Fauci on "The Daily Show", which is now airing from Trevor's home. (Also, he's now calling it "The Daily Social Distancing Show.") SMALL BIZ PEP TALK If you're running a business, and are unsure if you should be promoting your goods or services during this time of uncertainty and mourning of human loss, you can. Running a business is part of human survival, and we all get that. If you need a pep talk to hear why, head over to Tin Shingle's Instagram, where Katie gives a pep talk on this topic (skip to the end). People have been craving schedule in their lives. Fitness centers have been providing that. Here are a few: PAVONINE YOGA Pavonine Yoga is offering virtual yoga classes (through Zoom) which you can sign up for through the MINDBODY app. See their schedule online (Beacon or Highland location) and reserve a spot. Drop-ins are $10.  ZONED FITNESS Have you gotten yourself moving at home yet, or are you still sitting on the couch? Use this downtime to start focusing on your health and fitness. Get your family and friends to start up with you, at a distance of course. Let ZONED guide you on this journey. To learn more, visit our home training website: https://www.zonedfit.com/ BUSINESS DIRECTORY FEATURES ANTALEK & MOORE Antalek & Moore has been hard at work (remotely) researching opportunities for small businesses and sharing them on their Facebook page - such as a recent SBA Webinar on YouTube about Economic Injury Disaster Loan Basics. Be sure to follow them also on Instagram! ALBB is recruiting co-owner Susan Pagones to report on highlights that business owners can focus on in the changing legislation or financial relief packages. We need to cut to the chase, and Susan is helping us do that. Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you! TIN SHINGLE Every Wednesday at 1pm, Katie hosts a live webinar for small businesses. Usually it focuses on how to pitch your business to the media for publicity (still relevant... SO many articles are being produced right now!). It alternates between free and open to all, and private for members only. This week's was private, and included Hudson Valley EATS and Fluid Running (jogging in place in a pool... sells a flotation kit and an app with running routines). Both businesses are navigating how to get the word out. Fluid Running is experiencing healthy sales from states down south as people shift running routines and run in their pool. Fluid Running wants to get the word out in a sensitive way, being mindful of people who don't have pools. Learn More > A 15% Membership Discount is available to current advertisers of A Little Beacon Blog. Email for details. We got a suggestion in from a reader, who wanted to know how to send A Little Beacon Blog financial support to help us continue to produce. Even just $5. First of all: THANK YOU to that reader for wanting to do this! If you are feeling like you want to contribute anything to ALBB as a reader, then visit the new link in the ABOUT tab, called: “I Want To Support ALBB!” Different amounts are available, starting at $5. Click here or on the graphic above to learn more about how you can help! Support Here > People Who Have Given Reading your comments about what ALBB means to your life has been humbling and keeps us going. Thank you. See Who Supported >

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

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

The website to pre-order is here.

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

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

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

The Happened Yesterday Digest - 3/25/2020

Well, hello there! A lot happened yesterday (and the yesterday before that) in the world and in the news. As a local blogger, a new thing that we're factoring into our writing and delivery of articles to you is the national news. Now that we are all watching the same thing (pretty much) on the TV, we are all hearing the different opinions about every single subject fly across different channels. This could cause anxiety at night, or during the day if you have the news on all day in order to catch live press conferences. (Pro tip: Keep the volume down until the president finally enters the room.) And yes, I did not just capitalize his job title. Not only do I not say his name, but I am no longer capitalizing his job title. Before we get to the recap of what hit the blog the past few yesterdays, I want to address what happened two nights ago in the news: the 70-year-old Texas Lieutenant Governor who stated that he was fine with dying as long as the economy continued, the president suggesting we all go back to work and simply avoid touching metal subway railings, while his Surgeon General presented that this would be a very difficult week, while Governor Cuomo introduced the concept of going back to work after (not before) the tsunami hits the hospitals in New York. Part of why we are all staying home is to make that tsunami a little smaller. Two nights ago, the national news media, and the president, were panicking about the economy. Valid. We all have been. This panic comes in waves. It is why so much legislation passed last week so quickly, that we will all be working to figure out this week and in future weeks. As a mother of three young children, I want to tell you how I get through panic, anxiety and hopelessness. The feeling of something never ending. The feeling that life as you know it is over. That your business will stop forever. That what you do is not relevant anymore. That you must resign yourself to a new life of being in your PJs, hardly showering, being stuck in your house. Walking from end to end of your house on different errands for your children, sometimes being able to go to the basement for a moment of quiet while you switch out the laundry. What I have just described is the life of a new mother. Fresh out of the hospital, her body recovering, her emotions hitting highs and lows. It's not the pretty pictures you see on the box of diapers of happy mothers feeding their babies. Sometimes it's that, but mostly it's a rollercoaster. When you are a new mother with a tiny baby, you are feeding that baby all of the time. If you are nursing that baby, you are the main source of food. Literally. Your body. When that baby is hungry, you have to stop what you are doing and feed the baby. And your body may not produce enough food. And as you sit there, staring at your baby, who is wiggling and uncomfortable in your arms, you are wondering what you can do to fix this. Are you drinking enough water? Have you eaten today? How will you get to the grocery store? It would be nice to peel an orange or eat some chicken, but both of your hands are holding a baby. Your brain cycles into this place of worry. And your reserves of nutrients aren't helping you. So your brain thinks that this will never end. But. THIS WILL END... THIS IS NOT FOREVER... TAKE THINGS DAY BY DAY But here's the epiphany. It will end! This is not forever. Every day is different. Every bite of food brings new energy to you, and you get new ideas of how to survive. And not just how to survive, but how to be in a good mood about it. I have had to tell myself, "This Is Not Forever. It Is Only For Right Now," many, many times during the baby phases of each of my three babies (now 9, 7 [almost 8, next week!] and 2). Alright. Let's get to what happened the last few yesterdays so that we can get to today! CONNECTING GOING TO THE CHURCH OF CUOMO DAILY AROUND 11 AM Listening to Governor Andrew Cuomo's daily press briefings has been instrumental to staying grounded in what is happening. He includes facts, numbers, what he needs, what he's getting, what he's not getting, and a soothing sermon. It's slightly incredible. We have tricks and shortcuts on how you can listen, and why it's so important to your mental health to connect to him daily. Read This > MAYOR KYRIACOU ISSUES REGULAR COVID-19 UPDATES Now you can get a regular phone call from Beacon's mayor with the latest updates on the pandemic. This article includes links to the archives, and the new Resources page on the City of Beacon's website. Read This > DUTCHESS COUNTY LIVE UPDATE TODAY Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro is hosting a Town Hall at 2 pm today (Wednesday, 3/25/2020) on Facebook. Details Here > REDUCED BUS SERVICE There is no G Line (the Free Loop Bus) running, and other lines have reduced service. Details Here > FOOD BARB'S BUTCHERY - LAST CALL Barb's Butchery put out a Last Call for meat orders, and is temporarily closing their doors. Go give her some love on her Instagram announcement. ALBB updated our Restaurant Guide with this status, and you can use the Restaurant Guide to find COVID-19 Updates for ALL eateries in Beacon. Get Details > BEACON FARMERS MARKET OPENS FOR PICKUP & PRE-ORDER The vendors have come up with a pre-order pickup system. Order from your vendor (like Eggbert's Eggs) by Thursday and then pick up on Sunday. Order Online Here > This link may change for future weeks. We'll keep an eye on it. BEACON SCHOOL DISTRICT BREAKFAST/LUNCH TIMES CHANGE - DELIVERY AVAILABLE Always evolving and improving to meet the needs of the changing situation, the Beacon City School District meal pickup days have changed to Mondays and Wednesdays. Delivery is also available. Details in the article. Details Here > Childcare for First Responders and Health Care Providers is also being offered. FREE GROCERIES AVAILABLE TODAY On Wednesday, 3/25/2020, groceries are available from a group of organizations. Should you be in need - or if you know of people in need - let them know about this. Delivery and pickup options are available. Details Here > FAMILY LIFE HOMELESS SHELTER IS SET UP AT PREVIOUSLY EMPTY DUTCHESS COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER & JAIL To help with social distancing for homeless people in crowded shelters, County Executive Marcus Molinaro issued an emergency order allowing the previously vacant temporary housing units (PODs) at the Dutchess County Law Enforcement Center and Jail campus to be repurposed as emergency shelters for those in need. The usage started last Saturday night. Read This > DOMESTIC ABUSE IN THE TIME OF ISOLATION While Governor Cuomo talks about the benefits of increased family time when looking for the silver lining in this, there are many who are experiencing increased or new situations of emotional or physical abuse. This article offers a list of resources to contact for help. Read This > CONSIDER FOSTERING A DOG OR CAT Some people may feel too sick to care for their pet. The DSPCA has started a form to collect names of those who want to foster. ARF, located in Beacon, lost the ability to have their major fundraiser this year. See details in this article on how you can donate instead. Read This > DIARIES OF HOME LIFE WITH KIDS Because maybe you need pictures of babies right now. ALBB wants your stories of how you are holding up. Email us a diary entry of how your Learn From Home Life is going. Got a schedule? How's it going? We want to read your true stories, because we are all in the same boat, and can learn from each other and feel not alone. COVID-19 HOPE VENTILATORS - NY NEEDS 30,000 VENTILATORS Governor Cuomo has been asking for ventilators for a while. Now he is begging, and demanding that the federal government send their stockpile of 20,000 now. NY needs 30,000 ventilators, and has 7,000. The federal government said that they would send 400. Cuomo flipped out. Here's Why > Update: The federal government later responded by saying they would send 4,000. 2 NEW COVID-19 TEST COLLECTION CENTERS For pre-screened people only, with a doctor's written order, a specimen collection center has been set up at Dutchess Stadium. Testing is not done on site, but is sent away with a six-day waiting period. Testing is a rapidly evolving situation, so expect more updates on this. To qualify for testing (per Dutchess County): - You called your doctor’s office and had a consultation. - Based on your symptoms and other information you provided, your doctor determined you meet criteria for COVID-19 testing and ordered a test for you. - You have a scheduled appointment at the collection site. Your doctor will give you the phone number to call to schedule an appointment at the collection site. HUNTING FOR ANTIBODIES Governor Cuomo is pursuing testing for people who have had the coronavirus, and have self-resolved. This includes people who may have had no symptoms, or mild symptoms. When the virus is in your body, fighter antibodies get made. Cuomo and scientists want those antibodies, to learn from them, and to possibly put them into other people's plasma. Two big goals from this: - Possibly save lives of critically ill COVID-19 patients. - Possibly send people back to work who have already had coronavirus. This was explained during Governor Cuomo's press conference on Monday (3/23/2020), but a good summation is here at Forbes. This is a developing story. LIST OF LINKS ALBB USES FOR ARTICLES ALBB made this List of Links to easily reference major websites, as we follow health changes and legislative updates. We update it as new resources become available. Get The List > A Little Beacon Blog has triaged our long-loved Restaurant and Shopping Guides to reflect the COVID-19 updates of ALL shops and retail on Main Street. Use these guides to figure out who is doing takeout, and which stores are shipping out orders you place online. FREE: Got a COVID-19 status you want to add to these Guides, and your store is on Main Street? Email it to us. We may have already stalked you on social. SPONSOR: Want to get your message into this newsletter? People are checking the Guides on repeat, but if you do want to elevate your message here, and help A Little Beacon Blog keep producing, you could activate a monthly advertising campaign. Restaurant Guide details here. Shopping Guide details here. OTHER BUSINESSES: Are you still in business, but people are finding you in different ways? List your business in A Little Beacon Blog's Business Directory. Details Here. We got a suggestion in from a reader, who wanted to know how to send A Little Beacon Blog some financial support to help us continue to produce. Even just $5. First of all: THANK YOU to that reader for wanting to do this! 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HEALTH: The Ventilators. Why The Need For Ventilators, And Why Cuomo Was So Mad

Photo Credit: A Little Beacon Blog

From today’s daily Pandemic Briefing from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo: He wants the federal government to release ventilators from the federal stockpile, and send New York the ventilators now to get set up in hospitals now as they prepare for the wave of COVID-19 cases. Federal government said they would send 400 ventilators, but New York needs 30,000. New York has 7,000 (an acquisition was made to get to that number). Said Gov. Cuomo: “Federal government has 20,000 ventilators, or thereabouts, in the federal stockpile. Secretary Alex Azar runs an agency called HHS - Health and Human Services. I asked the secretary: ‘Look at the first word in the title of the agency you run. It is ‘health.’ Your first priority is health. You have 20,000 ventilators in the stockpile. Release the ventilators to New York.”

Cuomo has been asking. He has been telling daily how many ventilators he needs. Every single day. Every. Single. Day. Math is math. Math did not change today. Cuomo went hard today because he was not getting what he needed in a common-sense, "Let's save people and not let a lot of people die at once" way.

UPDATE: Hours later, the federal government announced yesterday (Tuesday, 3/24/2020) that they would send 4,000 ventilators to New York, since New York is about to spike in usage.

Other states will and do need the ventilators. More ventilators need to be made, and existing ventilators need to get shipped now in order to be set up now as hospitals prepare for the wave to hit. Ohio, California, other states, all very important; of course ventilators need to move around to different states. But for now, New York has done by far the most testing, and has the most official cases.

According to Cuomo's press conference on March 24, 2020, New York state has 25,665 positive cases. New Jersey has 2,844 cases, California has 2,240 cases, and Washington state has 2,101 cases. For deaths: New York has the highest, at 210, and Washington state has the next highest: 109. For New York, 3,234 people are currently hospitalized, and 756 of those are ICU patients (who need the ventilators). ICU right now is 23% of the hospitalizations. The projected curve for New York's wave to hit is in 14-21 days, which was announced Monday in the press conference.

So to prepare, as different states are doing, ventilators should move to the need as different waves hit, and be strategically deployed, Cuomo said. New York is strategizing how to use one ventilator for multiple people, which is experimental, Cuomo said. More ventilators should be produced, starting yesterday, or two or three weeks ago, or January or December. Hopefully some help is on the way now.

FOOD: Free Groceries Available At High School + South Avenue Today (3/25/2020)

Free groceries have been made available for anyone who needs them. This is available to all people, not just people registered in the City of Beacon School District, confirms Helanna Bratman. "Yes! For all people! No age or location restrictions," she said. This is a collaborative effort between Cornell Cooperative Extension, Fareground, Mutual Aid Beacon, Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, Beacon City School District, and Common Ground.

DETAILS:

WHEN: Wednesday, March 25, 2020
LOCATION #1: Beacon High School 10 to 10:30 am
LOCATION #2: South Avenue from 10:30 to 11:30 am
Please only use one location.

Groceries will be pre-bagged and ready for pick up together with BCSD meals. However, for these groceries, you do not need to be registered with the school district.

DELIVERY OPTIONS

Need the groceries delivered? This can be coordinated with you.

Email: mutualaidbeacon@gmail.com or

Call/Text: (845) 288-2559

CONNECTING: How To Listen To Gov. Cuomo For His Daily Briefings - And Why They Are So Awesome

When my “woke” state on this pandemic really started, I was getting updates from Deadline.com, as all of the film and TV jobs and movie premieres and movie theaters shut down in China. Then texts from my Mom in Ohio started coming in as Ohio prepared for the coronavirus. Their Governor, Mike DeWine, was giving daily briefings, and the numbers were startling. While Ohio’s test cases remain lower than New York’s (New York’s are as of today at 25,665 positive cases. N.J. has 2,844 cases, California has 2,240 cases, Washington state has 2,101 cases, and Ohio has 564 cases; they are at 60% hospital bed occupancy as of today, and are retrofitting their hospitals.

Then blips of Gov. Cuomo began coming across my radar. Not being a political publication, following politicians closely is not our beat or of particular interest, unless it manifests into something where action needs to be taken. We don’t accept political advertising on this blog, and don’t include political fundraisers in our Event Guide. Even if they are at really fun places. (OK, if it’s an over-the-top amazing event, we’ll consider it.)

Point is, we’ve been blogging a lot about Gov. Cuomo lately, and I wanted to set the record straight that it isn’t because of any feeling about him - I really know nothing about him. I’m from Ohio. Lived in New York for 18 years (seven in NYC and 11 in Beacon), and since moving to Beacon, have felt like a Beaconite. But now with this pandemic, and Cuomo’s insistence that this is a state issue, and not an upstate/downstate issue, I am rallying as a New Yorker.

How To Catch Governor Cuomo’s Daily Press Conferences

In Work From Home With Kids Life, one needs to plan around these daily press conferences. Drinking BBQ sauce from the bottle is deemed acceptable.

We here at A Little Beacon Blog listen to the governor’s press conferences every day. They start at about 10:45 am or 11 am. We take notes and decide how to slice and dice them into smaller articles for you. But, there are shortcuts to knowing what happened in them: Twitter.

Twitter will tell you when the governor is starting, when you follow his twitter: @NYGovCuomo. Just have that open on your phone and refresh the screen to see when the live stream is starting. He has a “pinned tweet” at the top - usually about something he needs right now. Like medical supplies, or retired medical professionals.

You can stream it on Twitter. However, his press conferences have become so game-changing for the rest of the day and what the president decides to talk about that afternoon, that the national news stations have begun broadcasting Cuomo. That, and the national news stations are also located in New York City, so they are really eager to learn how Gov. Cuomo is going to fight this war against the pandemic virus. Step 1: Getting all of us to practice social distancing.

Also on Twitter are the play-by-play tweets. So if you need a quote, stat, or to just catch up quick, most likely it has been sliced and diced on Cuomo’s Twitter.

The Church Of Cuomo

Listening to his press conferences is very necessary. Not only for the facts - he loves telling you about the numbers, what current needs are, why he needs it, and when he’s not getting it. But he leads you through the scary part, and then presents the Life After The Pandemic part, helping you (all of us) through the mental difficulty of this. He usually ends each briefing with basically a sermon.

Today’s briefing was pretty impactful. He was mad. A mad dad. He was protecting all of the people after the president indicated that he wanted to open the economy, have everyone not touch the subway railings, and to not kill the economy for some deaths. The Lieutenant Governor of Texas was on Tucker Carlson on Fox, who literally said: “And those of us who are 70-plus, we’ll take care of ourselves. But don’t sacrifice the country.”

That left grandparents everywhere that night really confused. My mom was flipping channels, trying to figure out what was going on. She heard the president allude to wanting to open things back up soon, and it caused mild panic. She lives with bronchitis always at bay.

Enter Cuomo today. Fighting for all Americans, saying that Americans are not expendable. That he named New York’s stay-at-home status (he refuses to call it a shelter-in-place) “Matilda’s Law,” after his mother. To protect her. While the New York State On PAUSE executive order is designed to protect all of us in New York, this is where this governor is coming from.

So. Touch base with Cuomo’s press conferences. You will know the facts much sooner, and will be able to make it through any news you read or listen to during the day. You will be able to separate fact from fiction during the president’s press conferences. And you will have the sermons at the end, to bring you back to center.

Governor Cuomo’s Outfits

Also fun to do: Guess what kind of day it’s going to be by Governor Cuomo’s shirt. I know this is looked down upon when talking about women, and to be honest, I don’t know why this is. Women tend to wear different outfits, color and style their hair so differently, wear very different makeup, and love shoes and accessories. Men - in politics - tend to wear suits and have short hair. There’s not much to work with.

When there is a change, observations can start. Regardless if the person is he/she/them. Normally during the briefings, the governor wears a suit. Very sharp. On Saturday, he wore a khaki polo shirt. It had a different feel for the day, which frankly, was welcome. He was going out scouting that day to look at the Javits Center and other locations for the hospitals. He also went to see for himself the New Yorkers not social distancing in the parks. You don’t want the Mean Dad version of Gov. Cuomo coming after you!

Today, he was in a windbreaker, zipped up all the way. With a giant seal on it. And he was mad.

Noted.

CONNECTING: Beacon's Mayor Kyriacou Issues Regular Coronavirus/COVID-19 Updates Via Email And Phone

Photo Credit: Screencap from City Of Beacon’s website.

Beacon’s Mayor Kyriacou has begun calling and emailing the community regularly via the city’s robo-call service (sign up here). Archives of each message can be found at the City’s website here.

Should you wish to receive the email-only version of it, you can. But hearing someone’s voice can make all the difference in a message.

A new COVID-19 link has been added to the top navigation of the website, that contains updates on the pandemic. Those resources can be found directly here. You’ll be able to refresh the page as city officials update it.

SHELTER: Homeless Shelter Is Set Up At Previously Empty Dutchess County Law Enforcement Center and Jail

Announced on Saturday, March 20, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro issued an emergency order allowing the previously vacant temporary housing units (PODs) at the Dutchess County Law Enforcement Center and Jail campus to be repurposed as emergency shelters for those in need. The usage started Saturday night.

This decision is in line with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s search for more buildings to retrofit into hospitals, which currently include Javits Convention Center, SUNY Stony Brook, SUNY Westbury, and Westchester Convention Center.

According to the press release issued by Dutchess County on 3/20/2020:

County Executive Molinaro said, “We are repurposing the vacant PODs at the Law Enforcement Center and Jail campus to be used as shelters for the homeless. We are utilizing every resource at our disposal to respond quickly and effectively to this rapidly evolving health situation. Since social distancing is almost impossible at most homeless shelters, we can use the dormitory-style PODs to help create necessary space to help prevent the further spread of this illness and increase our ability to respond to cases within the homeless population as needed. We are grateful to Andrew O’Grady at Mental Health America, Christa Hines at Hudson River Housing, and Brian Riddell at Dutchess Outreach for making this need come to fruition and to Sheriff Butch Anderson for his swift action to open the PODs to the community during this emergency.”

Dutchess County has partnered with Hudson River Housing (HRH) and Mental Health America (MHA) to operate one of the two modular, dormitory-style buildings, which will be divided into male and female sections, allowing for more social distancing among the shelter clients. The facility has a capacity for up to 100 individuals, including 48 female beds and 52 male beds. The County has also partnered with Dutchess Outreach to provide food service.

There is a separate entrance to the property for shelter clients and staff, with physical barriers between the shelter and the jail for additional security. If needed, an additional POD will be opened as an alternate care facility should any homeless individual need treatment or care.

This executive order follows the County Executive’s recent State of Emergency declaration, which allows for the designation of emergency shelters, medical shelters, and community-based care centers.

Dutchess County Sheriff Adrian “Butch” Anderson said, “We believe in treating others the way we would like to be treated. The Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office is proud to help support our community, especially during this difficult time.”

The PODs were opened in 2015 to temporarily house inmates previously boarded in other counties as a cost-saving measure. The PODs have been vacant since early January following the County’s significant work to reduce the population at the jail through restorative justice programs and the implementation of the State’s bail reform legislation.

PETS: Consider Fostering A Dog Or Cat If Someone Gets Too Sick To Care For Them

Photo Credit: DSPCA. Pictured here is Horace: He is 2 years old, and available for adoption.

Looking around us today, we do not personally see a lot of people out super sick. But do you? Do you know if someone is inside their home, too sick to care for their pet? Animal enthusiasts are trying to spread the word to encourage people to foster a cat or dog, in the unlikely or unplanned event that their human owner cannot take care of them while they are healing.

Animal shelters are deemed as necessary businesses under New York State’s PAUSE Plan, and not closing, but they have put emergency plans into place. DSPCA is closed to the public for adoptions, yet are taking adoptions by appointment). DSPCA is only accepting emergency intakes only, according to their website. They are highly encouraging fostering if many people at once cannot care for their animal while they are infected and healing.

Form From DSPCA If You Want To Foster: Apply Here

Recommendations from the ASPCA On How To Prepare Your Pet Life: Get Ideas Here

Adopting Through ARF of Beacon (the place near the cat sanctuary … yes, they have dogs): Learn how to adopt here

NEED YOUR HELP NOTE: ARF, a no-kill shelter here in Beacon, was in the midst of promoting their annual fundraiser for this year when this shutdown happened. Consider donating to ARF now, as this was supposed to be a time of fundraising for them.