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.”
Dutchess County Legislator Barbara Jeter-Jackson has passed, Dutchess County announced this (Sunday) morning. Barbara represented District 10 as a Democrat, representing the people of the City of Poughkeepsie.
Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro told the county via press release: “Today we are filled with great sorrow as we mourn the loss of Dutchess County Legislator Barbara Jeter-Jackson. She embodied the very spirit of resilience, dignity and grace. She was unflinching advocate, partner and friend. With a servant’s heart, she led, guided and cared. A mother to many, she made an immeasurable difference in the life of our county, the city she loved and lives she touched. She was a friend, partner in service and in many important ways, mentor. While she is at peace and, as she believed fervently, at home with her God. Corinne and I are heartbroken. We are heartbroken.”
According to an article in the Poughkeepsie Journal, Jeter-Jackson, who was 82, had been sick, and her family had kept the legislature updated on her status, according to Gregg Pulver, the Dutchess County Legislature chairman and a Republican representing District 19. Also reported in the article, Pulver was unaware of the exact cause of death.
Dutchess County Legislator Barbara Jeter-Jackson served on the legislature for 16 years. Prior to that, she served on the City of Poughkeepsie School Board. She served 4 terms on Poughkeepsie’s Common Council. She was a member of:
Budget, Finance, and Personnel Committee
Government Services and Administration Committee
Budget, Finance, and Personnel Sub-Committee to Interview Candidates for Appointments
Criminal Justice Council
Justice and Transition Center Advisory Committee
Local Early Intervention Coordinating Council
Youth Board & Coordinating Council - Liaison
The Poughkeepsie Journal reported that she did not let politics get in the way of a good idea. “If she liked an idea,” Pulver told the newspaper, “it didn’t matter who put it forward. And if she didn’t like an idea, it didn’t matter who put it forward.”
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
At the start of Memorial Day Weekend, the number of Active Cases is continuing to trend downward in Beacon, Wappingers, Fishkill and Poughkeepsie. Stay safe, everyone, and if you’re looking for stylish masks, order a bunch from A Little Beacon Blog’s Locally Sourced Face Mask Guide! Not sure if masks work? Try holding your hand out in front of your face and blowing. You can feel the air. Put a mask on, and blow toward your hand again. Feel the difference?
How Many People Tested In Dutchess County: 24,680 (three days ago 23,195 via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE As Of This Day: 3,767 (three days ago, 3,710, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested This Day: 556 (three days ago 972, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE This Day: 22 (three days ago 158, via New York State Tracker) Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 As Of This Day: 51 (three days ago 58, via Dutchess County Tracker) How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths As Of This Day: 132 (three days ago 126, via Dutchess County Tracker)
BEACON Active COVID-19 Cases In Beacon On This Day: 113 (three days ago 120, via Dutchess County Tracker)
FISHKILL Active COVID-19 Cases In Fishkill On This Day: 101 (three days ago 112, via Dutchess County Tracker) Active COVID-19 Cases In East Fishkill On This Day: 80 (three days ago 94, via Dutchess County Tracker)
WAPPINGERS Active COVID-19 Cases In Town of Wappingers On This Day: 68 (three days ago 82, via Dutchess County Tracker) Active COVID-19 Cases In Wappingers Falls Village On This Day: 21 (three days ago 27, via Dutchess County Tracker)
POUGHKEEPSIE Active COVID-19 Cases In Poughkeepsie On This Day: 131 (three days ago 150, via Dutchess County Tracker)
Active COVID-19 Cases In Poughkeepsie City On This Day: 205 (three days ago 241, via Dutchess County Tracker)
ORANGE COUNTY 5/21/2020
How Many People Tested In Orange County: 42,239 (three days ago 39,748, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE In Total: 10,142 (three days ago 9,988, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested On This Day: 753 (three days ago 362, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE On This Day: 50 (three days ago 23, via New York State Tracker) Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 As Of This Day: 77 (three days ago 96) (via Orange County Tracker) How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths As Of This Day: 428 (three days ago 419, via Orange County Tracker) 460 (via the New York State Fatality Tracker)
NEWBURGH Active COVID-19 Cases In Newburgh On This Day: 687 (three days ago 687, via Orange County Tracker) Active COVID-19 Cases In City of Newburgh On This Day: 1,397 (three days ago 1,397, via Orange County Tracker)
PUTNAM COUNTY 5/21/2020
How Many People Tested In Putnam County: 7,173 (three days ago 6.697, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE As Of This Day: 1,187 (three days ago 1,159, via New York State Tracker) 1,376 (via Putnam Tracker) How Many People Tested On This Day: 156 (three days ago 125, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE On This Day: 12 (three days ago 18, via New York State Tracker) How Many Active Cases In Putnam County On This Day: 36 (three days ago, 23 via Putnam County Tracker) Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 As Of This Day: 14 (three days ago 11, via Orange County Tracker) How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths As Of This Day: 58 (three days ago, 57, via New York State Tracker)
PHILIPSTOWN Confirmed COVID-19 Cases In Total In Philipstown As Of This Day: 168 (three days ago 113, via Putnam County Tracker) Putnam doesn’t seem to publish an “Active Cases” per city/town/village number like Dutchess and Orange do. “Active Cases” can fluctuate up or down. “Confirmed Cases” only go up, as they are cumulative.
It's Memorial Day Weekend, and we have 3 words to kick off this weekend edition of the newsletter: THANK YOU Veterans. Re-read this speech from LTC Caroline Pogge on a woman's perspective during her time serving in Iraq. She reminded the audience that women first started serving in the armed forces in secret.
Dutchess County Memorial Day Drive-By Parade
Day: Monday, May 25, 2020 Time: 11am Location: Throughout Dutchess County
This may be the largest Memorial Day parade the county has seen with a cavalcade of vehicles from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and fire vehicles from various municipalities and districts. The convoy will depart at 11 a.m. from Poughkeepsie and the Dutchess County War Memorial.
Beacon of Love Fareground Fundraiser Preview
Day: Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Location: beacon-of-love.myshopify.com
Beacon of Love, a coalition of area residents, are announcing an online art show/fundraiser to benefit Fareground, a Beacon-based nonprofit organization, that has ramped up its efforts to combat food insecurity in the wake of Covid-19. On May 26, the online fundraiser will go live for previews only at https://beacon-of-love.myshopify.com/. Featuring works by 30 local artists and with prices tiered at $100, $150, and $250, the sale will go live on May 30 and run through June 2. Information >
The Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) Virtual 5K Run & Walk
Days: Sunday May 17-June 17, 2020 Time: At Your Own Pace Location: Favorite trail, your neighborhood, the park, your treadmill!
Complete a 5 Kilometer run and/or walk (5K kilometers = 3.1 miles) in the comfort of your own neighborhood or on a treadmill between May 17th and June 17th, 2020. You choose the date, the time and location. Information >
THE VAULT The Vault is now offering free local delivery! Call (845)202-7735 to place your order! Their hours are:
Tues-Thur 12-7pm
Fri & Sat 12-8pm
Sun 12-7pm
They have $5 off $35, $10 off $50 discounts from Tuesday to Thursday. Information >
BEACON PANTRY
Beacon Pantry is open 10am-6pm - closed Mondays but you can still order or pick up. The store is stocked full of goods. Check out what is on their shelves through their Instagram (@beaconpantry) and plan ahead for your next curbside pick up order. If you do come to the store, please wear a mask and follow their capacity guidelines posted on our door. View their product list HERE. Contact Beacon Pantry by email or phone at Beaconpantry@gmail.com or (845) 765-1933. Information >
EAT CHURCH
Thursday through Sunday you can grab a bite to eat from Eat Church. You can grab their daily special or pick from their menu. Visit their website to view current menu & place your orders for pickup or delivery or call (917) 364-0838. Online ordering is super easy! And the view of the mountain is spectacular. Eat Church food truck located on the hill at Industrial Arts at 511 Fishkill Avenue. Plenty of parking in the swooping parking lots.
Follow them on Instagram (@eatchurch) for daily specials only available at the truck. Eat Church is a ALBB Sponsor!
KITCHEN SINK
Kitchen Sink has been popping open on the weekends with a stuffed theme. Lots of things are stuffed and little, and available in limited quantities. Their menu opens up on the weekend, and you got to go to their website fast to place your order. Same with Eat Church if you want to snag their specials!
HOMESPUN FOODS
Homespun is hanging in there as a wine shop at the moment, and specialty grocery destination or delivery service! The wine list at Homespun is selective and extremely special, if you value where the vine is rooted and how the growing season was. Saturdays are their days for pickup of grocery and wine bundles, and delivery is available for other days. While the kitchen is not open, you can still get carrot cake logs! Start browsing here.
SOLSTAD HOUSE Solstad House asks "what exactly does an open retail shop look like in the COVID-19 era?" They want to hear from YOU. While there will mandates in place (ie: wearing masks, etc.) they want to know what else can be done to make you, the customer, feel safe not only in their shop but other local businesses in Main Street. Leave a comment in their Instagram post with your thoughts. Information >
BINNACLE BOOKS
Beacon artists @daniel_weise and @kalener (@clubdrawbeaconny) have put together an incredible initiative called WearTogether which pairs local artists with local businesses: the result, beautiful t-shirts with proceeds supporting both the artists and the businesses. You have TWO weeks to get your hands on this limited edition BINNACLE BOOKS / URSULA K. LE GUIN T-SHIRT drawn by @shamblanderson! Order by visiting this link. You can find more Beacon businesses participating and support at https://weartogether.shop/pages/beacon-ny Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
PTACEK HOME
We don't have to tell you how beautiful Hudson Valley wood is, let the endgrain speak for itself! Save a chunk of wood this Memorial Day! Order now on PTÁČEK Home's website at www.ptacekhome.com with curbside pickup or front door delivery! This One Chunk Console is now 30% off, now at $664. Visit their website for more information! Shop Now > PTACEK Home is a Sponsor, thank you!
LUXE OPTIQUE
Luxe Optique is featured in A Little Beacon Blog's latest article on how some boutiques who were slow to build an ecommerce side of their websites, quickly dove in to develop this option when the shut-down happened. While Luxe Optique did have a website, they are currently building a new ability to order contacts online - even if you got your prescription with another doctor. Read all about it! Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!
ECHO BOUTIQUE
Don’t all rush at once…space yourselves…but one of the most innovative shop windows in Beacon right now is at Echo Boutique at 470 Main Street, on the east end of town near the mountain. This boutiques with a wide curated selection of women’s clothing, kids toys, and some men’s accessories as well, was one of the first stores to voluntarily shut down - even before the Executive Order. Now, they are one of the first windows on Main Street to organize inventory in such a way that people can shop by number from the other side of the glass.
BEAUTY TIP
Are you trimming your own bangs? Shaping your own beard? Plucking your own eyebrows? Massaging your own neck? If you miss your stylist for these things, go ahead and send them some cash when you're doing this beauty update to yourself. They will thank you, and it helps them see you on the other side.
Change is hard! Adapting to learning online through Zoom and other meeting platforms can be intimidating. Our Managing Editor, Marilyn Perez, shares her own experience overcoming her anxiety when she had to take her yoga teaching from the studio to her bedroom (!!) for Firefly Yoga's online Zoom classes. And while she's referencing yoga, this can be applied to any kind of online gathering from classes and workshops to meetups! You can read more in her personal blog Ink+Coffee+Yoga.
Not Quite BOB Teen Zoom Book Club
Day: Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Time: 3pm Host: Howland Public Library
The library's annual summer program Battle of the Books has been cancelled. So, while you'll have to wait until next year to compete to for the banner, that doesn't mean you can't meet to share your love of reading. Interested in joining? Email Coach Michelle at community@beaconlibrary.org. You don't have to be a former High School Battle of the Books team member to join. Information >
Zoom Trendy Stitching Workshop For Tweens and Teens
Day: Thursday, Day: Thursday May 28, 2020 Time: 3:30pm Host: Howland Public Library Grade 5 and up
This virtual hand-sewing workshop, presented by Ellen Brown, is geared for students grades 5 and up. Via Zoom, participants will learn how to use a trendy one-straight-stitch embroidery technique to accessorize or fix clothes and other items. Information >
Zoom Stay Put Bookmark Workshop For Tweens and Teens
Day: Thursday, May 28, 2020 Time: 5pm Host: Howland Public Library Grade 5 and up
This virtual hand-sewing workshop, presented by Ellen Brown, is geared for students grades 5 and up. Via Zoom, participants will learn how to use material and hand stitching techniques to create a personalized bookmark. Information >
BEACONARTS
Have you seen the makeover done to the brick man on N. Chestnut St just off Main Street? Located on the side of Last Outpost next to Dennings Point Distillery, BeaconArts caught up with building owner Joe Darmetko adding a mask to "the duke". Meet Joe in this Instagram video. Watch here >
ANTALEK & MOORE
A friendly reminder from Antalek & Moore that their offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2020 for the Memorial Day Holiday. And if you're planning a cookout at home with your immediate family, don't forget to clean and maintain your grill as our friends at Antalek & Moore recently reminded us in this video they shared from Lowe's on their Facebook page.
PS: It's Friday, and Antalek & Moore wants to know what you're doing this weekend to get your foodie on? Chime in on their Instagram post! ALBB is ordering mozzarella sticks, at the very least, from Max's. Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!
TIN SHINGLE
Thinking of becoming a screenwriter? Are you dusting off your keyboard to finally type it out? Tin Shingle Members get to watch this interview with a person such as you, Patty Carey, who lost sight of her writing dreams when her career in Location Managing in New York City took over her life. When she had children and took the summers off, her itch to write grew stronger, and she listened. Her first show was produced last year, after winning a contest of 300 other writers. Watch This >
KATIE JAMES, INC.
Do you need to build your website? You do, and it's a daunting task. Sometimes, all you need is a sounding board. An expert to hold your hand as you plot your way through. Many tools are out there for you to turn the lights on, but which one do you use, and how? Square, Squarespace, WordPress, Shopify, and other niche platforms that offer special tools for specific industries. Katie James Inc. and Tin Shingle are introducing a 3-session series where people can sign up and call in to workshop their websites in a group setting. FREE: For Tin Shingle Members, and Beacon businesses with a storefront on Main Street. There will be a fee for others taking it, and registration is limited. Details with signup link will be posted soon.
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! Support Here >
People Who Have Given Reading your comments of what ALBB means to your life has been humbling and keeps us going. Thank you. See Who Supported >
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.
For some brick and mortar businesses, establishing an online presence pre-pandemic may not have been a priority. Walk-in business was good enough to keep them in business, so perhaps building an online website store was not needed. Plus, a shop owner is quite busy with customers who walk into the store, so spending a lot of time online to build a web shop is not easy. That all changed with the shutdown of Main Street back in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when the doors shut and foot traffic disappeared.
Overnight, the digital way of reaching a customer was the only way to reach a customer. Any store without a social media presence on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok was cut off from their customer base (unless they had been sending newsletters, which is even less of a percentage). Anyone who did not have an ecommerce website lost the ability to sell to the customer stuck at home - looking for something to do, or who needed that special something only available at the boutique.
Some brick and mortar shops in Beacon have not committed to the daunting task of establishing an online presence - it could be because they think it’s too hard, or feel not tech-savvy enough. When once they felt it a waste of time and money if not enough customers use it, that percentage shifted as no customers are currently walking through the door.
Boutiques Build Their Webshops
A Little Beacon Blog traveled around the web to find new or enhanced websites that popped in some of Beacon’s Main Street businesses up post-pandemic. With so many resources available now to sell online, shop owners don’t need to be coding experts to get one up and running. Required, however, is a lot of patience to build it, and good ideas for how the shop owner wants the web shopping experience to flow. Below is a sampling of brick and mortars who expanded online:
Blackbird Attic
Website Platform: WordPress with WooCommerce
Blackbird Attic, a consignment shop on Beacon’s east end of Main Street, already had a website but didn’t convert it to an online store until recently. Prior to that, they utilized their Instagram account (@blackbirdattic) to host pop-up shops and gather sales through Instagram via Direct Messaging (DMs). Owner Michelle Caves-Deal tells us “Selling on Instagram definitely works - people like to see the items live in Instastories, They've said it feels like they’re back shopping in person…”
But this does come with some extra steps for shop owner Michelle in order for the sale to happen, like sharing additional details and photos with the customer prior to purchasing. Being a consignment shop, she needs to create two invoices, merchant account and one for the WooCommerce software they use for sales.
The Underground Beacon
Website Platform: WordPress, WooCommerce, eBay
2020 has already been a challenging year for The Underground Beacon, a well known comic book store with weekly comic book release days and in-person gaming events. First, they faced the risk of closing due to the usual pressures of personal life (family loss) and revenue streams to pay the rent, only to be saved by a new partner just earlier in March.
The shop has been hosting the weekly Magic The Gathering sessions on Zoom. They also created a website to sell t-shirts promoting love to the store in addition to selling comics through their eBay store.
Comic book shops were hit pretty hard when Diamond Comic Distributors - the main distributor for most comic book publishers including Marvel and DC Comics, announced a halt to all product distribution on March 23rd. This meant comic shops, like The Underground Beacon, would not get new merchandise coming in until further notice. Thankfully, at the beginning of May, Diamond announced they will resume distribution May 20th. Marvel and DC Comics have announced are being shipped to stores beginning in late May 2020.
Flora Good Times
Website Platform: Squarespace for the main website; Square for the Delivery Shopping
As we shared in this recent article, Corrine from Flora Good Times was concerned dealing with such a tactile store “from seeing the plants and flowers to the smell of the shop itself” she says “it was such an unknown for me whether or not people would continue to shop at Flora through the computer.” She created a second website through Square just for local orders. This was convenient since they also use Square for their point-of-service sales. “It is easy to integrate into your inventory and create a delivery radius..” Speaking personally as a customer, it was super easy to place an order for delivery (twice!).
Still a new business with just 8 months under its belt, the plan for an online shop was in the cards but current circumstances really rushed that project. “I find that a lot of people are looking to spruce up their homes during this time, and adding a plant or some flowers to their quarantine definitely appears very popular!” says Corrine.
RAVEN ROSE
Flower shops for the longest time relied upon centralized flower delivery websites to host their flower bouquet options. Raven Rose on Beacon’s east end of Main Street has a large space, most of which is filled with home goods, despite their large floral business. Years ago when owner Courtney Sedor bought the former floral shop that was located there, she relied upon a florist website service for her ecommerce, which locked her in into different template and selling options. After the COVID-19 shut-down, she dove in and put her home goods online, and now is part of the “release” news when a shop owner puts something new up on the website.
LAST OUTPOST STORE
Website Platform: Shopify
Getting a website up and running quick was a concern for a few businesses. When starting a brick & mortar business, a website could be on the to-do list but building it in stages like how Last Outpost Store was doing.
While timing was of the essence, the Last Outpost store still wanted their website to capture the feel and vibe of their shop, while wanting the online experience to be as close to the interior shopping experience as possible.
Co-owner Allison Cimino was able to finish the site 2.5 weeks after their March 17th shut-down. Allison shares with A Little Beacon Blog: “The response has been really good. The local delivery has been great as well. I have been learning just how many locals really love our shop. That alone really drives me to want to see through this so we can be there for all of our customers when we return!”
BINNACLE BOOKS
Website Platform: IndieCommerce (Drupal)
Binnacle Books, the small independent bookstore located in the middle of Main Street, always had a website, but did not always have the ability to shop on that website. They started with a form you could fill out if you wanted to order any book (possibly any book in the world?), and they would process the order. Different weeks into the pandemic brought different iterations of their website. First the ordering of any book got more advanced, and then their book collection appeared online in a searchable organized fashion. Binnacle Books offers a monthly membership that locks in a discount on book prices, and devised a way to make it easy to checkout without using your credit card so that the shop keepers could credit it against your monthly membership card on file.
LUXE OPTIQUE
Website Platform: Squarespace
While Luxe Optique always had a website, they were dependent upon walk-in foot traffic. Glasses fitting on your face is a personal, physical experience. Over the years, they added the ability to buy the frames online in their Collections section of the website, and even play with the SALE button to give shoppers a discount. Luxe Optique confirms to A Little Beacon Blog that they have seen an increase to the eCommerce section during this time, and they have more to come: online contact lens ordering. “Not only can you order from us using a prescription from our doctors, but you can also use prescriptions from any other practice,” Luxe Optique tells A Little Beacon Blog. “It might seem common, but it’s not something a lot of privately owned practices do. We can’t wait for that to launch. Should be soon!”
While having an online presence allows you to expand your customer reach outside of the immediate area, it appears to be a pleasant surprise to shop owners that local residents are taking advantage and showing their support. Local customers love their shops, connecting with the owners, and want to support any way they can.
When the day before’s number of new cases in Dutchess County was 9, one day later, it was 158. The number of tests given shot up to 972 from the previous day of 337. Yet, the number of people from that test group who tested positive more than doubled to 16%. The usual percentage of people testing positive from a day’s test kits ranges between 4% and 10%. The last time it was at 16% was on 4/26/2020 when 389 people were tested and 64 of them tested positive.*
A Little Beacon Blog reached out Dutchess County to inquire as to if there was a known reason behind the spike. Dutchess County’s Communications Director Colleen Pillus responded: “The state recently inputted a backlog of testing data. It appears that it is all lumped into the ‘Person Tested Today’ column, and then appears as a spike in the ‘New Positives Today’ category. However, based on the data dump we just received from the state, much of this is older data….some dating as far back as March.”
A few briefings ago, Governor Cuomo did indicate that the numbers would change, and to take them with a grain of salt. However, the takeaway from this data dump is that there are more numbers out there than are making it into these charts. Maintain social distance.
Beacon’s numbers are on the decline. From 130 to 125 to 120 on this day. In fact, there is a decline in Fishkill and Wappingers as well. Except Putnam. Their number of new cases for this day is at 18, which is up from 5 the previous day. The percentage of people tested who tested positive rose from 4% to 14%. The numbers for Newburgh did not change. ALBB did not inquire with Putnam to see if they also experienced a data dump.
*Not all of these numbers are displayed cumulatively in New York State or Dutchess County Trackers. A Little Beacon Blog does keep these numbers in our own spreadsheet, which is how were were able to go back for comparative numbers. The first day we started recording these numbers was 4/25/2020.
How Many People Tested In Dutchess County: 23,195 (yesterday 22,223 via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE As Of This Day: 3,710 (yesterday, 3,552, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested This Day: 972 (yesterday 337, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE This Day: 158 (yesterday 9, via New York State Tracker) Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 As Of This Day: 55 (yesterday 56, via Dutchess County Tracker) How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths As Of This Day: 126 (yesterday 124, via Dutchess County Tracker)
BEACON Active COVID-19 Cases In Beacon On This Day: 120 (yesterday 125, via Dutchess County Tracker)
FISHKILL Active COVID-19 Cases In Fishkill On This Day: 112 (yesterday 122, via Dutchess County Tracker) Active COVID-19 Cases In East Fishkill On This Day: 94 (yesterday 104, via Dutchess County Tracker)
WAPPINGERS Active COVID-19 Cases In Town of Wappingers On This Day: 82 (yesterday 98, via Dutchess County Tracker) Active COVID-19 Cases In Wappingers Falls Village On This Day: 27 (yesterday 31, via Dutchess County Tracker)
POUGHKEEPSIE Active COVID-19 Cases In Poughkeepsie On This Day: 150 (yesterday 185, via Dutchess County Tracker)
Active COVID-19 Cases In Poughkeepsie City On This Day: 241 (yesterday 255, via Dutchess County Tracker)
ORANGE COUNTY 5/18/2020
How Many People Tested In Orange County: 39,748 (yesterday 39,386, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE In Total: 9,988 (yesterday 9,965, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested On This Day: 362 (yesterday 367, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE On This Day: 23 (yesterday 22, via New York State Tracker) Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 As Of This Day: 96 (yesterday 96) (via Orange County Tracker) How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths As Of This Day: 419 (yesterday 419, via Orange County Tracker)
NEWBURGH Active COVID-19 Cases In Newburgh On This Day: 687 (yesterday 687, via Orange County Tracker) Active COVID-19 Cases In City of Newburgh On This Day: 1,397 (yesterday 1,397, via Orange County Tracker)
PUTNAM COUNTY 5/18/2020
How Many People Tested In Putnam County: 6,697 (yesterday 6.572, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE As Of This Day: 1,159 (yesterday 1,141, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested On This Day: 125 (yesterday 116, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE On This Day: 18 (yesterday 5, via New York State Tracker) How Many Active Cases In Putnam County On This Day: 23 (yesterday, 33 via Putnam County Tracker) Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 As Of This Day: 11 (yesterday 10, via Orange County Tracker) How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths As Of This Day: 57 (yesterday, 57, via New York State Tracker)
PHILIPSTOWN Confirmed COVID-19 Cases In Total In Philipstown As Of This Day: 113 (last week 113, via Putnam County Tracker) Putnam doesn’t seem to publish an “Active Cases” per city/town/village number like Dutchess and Orange do. “Active Cases” can fluctuate up or down. “Confirmed Cases” only go up, as they are cumulative.
The antibody test for COVID-19 is a hopeful test linked to helping others by way of donating plasma to those infected, and considered by policy makers and employers when designing how to open a business back up safely. However, as it is so new, most antibody tests are not FDA approved, and are instead FDA “authorized” under Emergency Use Authorization. Different antibody tests offer different degrees of being accurate for various reasons, and there is no evidence to suggest that once a person has antibodies, that they cannot contract SARS-Cov-2 another time within a period of time. Also unknown is how long antibodies would last in a recovered person’s body from the time of the initial infection. Testing positive for antibodies could lead to a false sense of security, as testing is still underway to explore immunity and re-infection.
Taking The Antibody Test
But I wanted an antibody test anyway. Back in February, my children and I were very sick. All of the kids at elementary school were sick, as different bugs seemed to be circulating throughout the school. If the After School Program had 25 kids in it, 7 kids would easily be out. The “heard” theory wasn’t working as I would have thought, as once my one child got through with a 2-week long Flu B and intense leg pain where he couldn’t walk, he got another 2-day stomach bug after it cleared up. And that was just one of my children.
As for me, I was in my bed for 3 days, and was tired for days later. The first day I couldn’t get up to take my kids to school, my dizziness was so severe. I fainted more than once and made sure to have coffee nearby to keep my blood pressure up. My kids all stayed home and fed me Honey Nut Cheerios and Gatorade. The next day, neighbors picked up my kids to take them to school. It wasn’t until a week later that my daughter developed a never-ending nausea after vomiting for 2 days and hurting her stomach muscles and spiking fevers.
Dark circles were under her eyes where I thought she was iron deficient, yet she wouldn’t eat the cheeseburgers like she normally did. She had no appetite She begged to not go to school, even though no other symptoms presented. My toddler started needing the neutralizer every day for a week and I had to keep him home to give him Albuterol to stop his cough, which got worse as he slept. Otherwise he was in good spirits. It wasn’t until Quarantine that this all cleared up and disappeared. We have been healthy ever since.
After the antibody tests got announced as being available, I waited a bit, and then Googled where to go. I picked Caremount Medical Center, and this is how the experience was:
Antibody Testing At Caremount Medical Center In Poughkeepsie
Caremount’s Fishkill Urgent Care office is closed, but their lab remains open. Poughkeepsie’s office is open and seeing walk-in patients for any reason. Splinter, not feeling well, whatever you need. But you don’t physically walk in (well, you could, there are people in PPE greeting you at the door armed with thermometers and computers to put you on a list). Once you park, call the nurses inside to get put on the list, and then wait in your car in the parking lot.
The urgent care is actually in the back of the building, so if you GPS it, you’ll want to go around by the Hudson River, through through an underpass, and wait in the parking lot behind the main building. If you are there for a COVID-19 test, which you can do without a prescription, you will wait in your car, and the nurse will come out to take your vitals and administer the nasal swab test.
For the anti-body test, this is a simple blood draw. When it’s your turn, the nurse will call you inside from the parking lot and assign you to a room. Because most everyone is in their cars in the parking lot, there aren’t that many people in the medical office. In the appointment room, your vitals will be taken, and a nurse dressed in PPE will draw your blood. Then you are done and the test will be processed in 24-48 hours in the Caremount lab in Brewster.
How Much Does The Antibody Test Cost? Is it Covered By Health Insurance?
ALBB has not dug into the CARES Act to find this answer, but we can tell you this: when we called around to different urgent cares, the prices were different and depended on office visit fees, and lab processing tests.
At Caremount, the out of pocket self-pay (no insurance) cost would be a down payment of $150 for the test office visit. This fee can be kept on your account for future billing. Depending on your symptoms and things wrong with you that day, this fee could increase. But if it’s just the test, it should stay. Then, the test itself is $55 additional from the lab, even though the lab is in-house at Caremount.
By comparison, at Pulse MD Urgent Care in Poughkeepsie, which is also walk-in service but requires a tela-health visit first for $50. Then, the in-person office visit is $120, and the $50 telahealth is deducted, bringing the charge you’d pay at the office to $70 (so, $50 paid for the telahealth call, and $70 paid in person). If this sounds a little confusing, do call them.
Pulse MD uses Quest to process the test, and that fee is $150. However, the lab rate for the test has been changing, said an employee at Pulse MD, but $150 seemed like the average price.
If you have insurance, call first to see what they cover. In my case, I do have insurance and they are paying 100% of the lab fee, and the usual for the office visit. If you are a front line essential worker, rules may have been created for you that entitle you to a free test, but you’ll need to inquire with your employer, and ask if the office visit is covered.
So…Do You Have The Antibodies?
Alas, no. All of that sickness, and it was just the usual mush. Unless the results were not 100%. But it is fine, because I probably would start being less cautious anyway, and we have to keep being cautious even if we have antibodies.
FAQs From A 7 Year Old
“Did it hurt?”
I have a high pain tolerance, so blood tests don’t usually hurt me. I just take deep breaths and look away. On the other hand, an experienced nurse will know where to place the needle in just the right spot in your arm, nail it, and if you’re looking away and thinking of something else, you usually won’t feel anything. Once the needle is in your arm, the blood shoots through the thin blood collection tube. It’s kind of fun to watch because it moves so fast.
“What if a food source was in your blood and came into the tube?”
I am understanding this question to be: “What if a lump of food was in your blood and came through the tube.” So, I think that would be pretty bad, as food chunks usually are not in your veins. But blood clots can be in your veins, and those are bad. Blood clots are also connected to COVID-19 that are connected to strokes. I am not a medical professional, but I don’t think a food source would be in your vein, but a blood clot could be. If this were to happen while you were getting a blood test, the medical professionals would start helping you right away.
Desperate times called for desperate measures. My daughter had completed a lot of jobs around the house to earn enough money to order two outfits from the Target brand American Girl Doll series, Our Generation. Persistently, she earned the money, researched the outfits, and had us place the order online for curbside pickup at Target. Finally it arrived via email notification, and it was ready for pickup. Trouble is, we weren’t ready to drive up to the store in Poughkeepsie until days later, and that’s when the next email came in on a Sunday: “You missed your pickup window, and your items have been placed back on the shelf, and your order refunded.”
#ParentFail. The Sunday that the refund email came, I got into the car and headed up Route 9, mask and wipes in hand, to go inside of Target to get those outfits back off the shelf. At the time, Target had a corner in the front of the store that contained bags of orders, similar to how they do it at Christmas when orders from other stores get shipped to yours for pickup. This corner has since been replaced with swimwear, but at the time, it’s what a store associate searched through to find the outfits.
The outfits weren’t there, so I went deeper into the store, all the way to the Kid section, to sadly not find those outfits, but did find two others that would work. It was 6pm on a Sunday, and foot traffic in the store was low. Social distancing felt fine. In the name of journalism, I headed back to Target the following Sunday at 2:30pm to test a busier time, days after the May 15th Reopening Day in New York.
Social distancing had gone out the window at Poughkeepsie’s Target. Being used to Beacon’s vibe of politely moving out of the way for each other in the social distance dance, this two-step wasn’t really happening here, yet. There were some COVID-19 changes, however.
Clothing, Beauty and Book Isles Are More Spacious
Target in Poughkeepsie used to have some very cramped clothing isles. So cramped in fact, that a Target shopping cart wouldn’t fit through. Those isles have since been cleared out a bit, and the feeling is more breathable. The Beauty section has been opened up, where once it too had corners so tight, the cart would barely turn the corner. The books, which were crammed into the back of the Electronic section, have been brought out more into the Toy section, so browsing through them is easier and more spacious.
The entire Sports section has been moved and replaced with Pets, yet in the back corner of the store, which is usually reserved for changing seasons (think Back To School, Christmas Decorations, Patio Furniture) also has more room to browse. When asked if these more spacious changes were COVID-19 related, a store associate answered that they were planned in the works the before the pandemic hit, and just happened to be COVID-19 friendly. ALBB has not confirmed with Target Corporate yet to see if this layout change really was a coincidence, but if we get confirmation, this article will be updated.
The main isle of Target is still crowded, with people moving in any direction, not minding how close they are moving past each other. Another citizen shopper reports in to A Little Beacon Blog that at Adams, just down the Route 9 strip, isles have been marked with direction arrows, and the number of people allowed into the store at Adams has been limited.
Masks and Cleaning Inside Of Target
Signs posted at the entrance tell everyone to wear a mask inside of Target. Most everyone had one on, and at one point, an announcement came over the loud-speaker, thanking people for their cooperation in wearing masks, and to continue doing so.
Target associates have been assigned to cleaning surfaces of the drink refrigerators and shopping carts. Meanwhile, up the parking ramp at Best Buy, that retail location remains closed to the public, but with curb-side pickup that has been happening since the shut-down. In-home installations, however, have resumed. For example, if you buy a stove from Best Buy, their team can come in and install it for you.
As of this post (5/19/2020), Starbucks inside of Target remained closed.
Overall, the vibe at Target was crowded. If social distancing is important to you, and you don’t want to leave feeling like you need to take a shower, then you’ll want to go at off-times, like in the morning during a weekday. This writer did take a shower after the afternoon trip on Sunday. There were too many people.
The number of new confirmed cases in Dutchess County on this day was 9 - that is much lower than it has been. Though testing kits processed on this day was also down by half, the percentage of people testing positive of those tested is down for this day. The number of hospitalizations remains at 56 in the Dutchess County Tracker, which has been the number for a few days.
Additionally, Putnam County’s numbers have not been updated in 3 days for their own county tracker. That county was updating by posting a new PDF daily. May 15th was the last day of their daily numbers. The Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell stated in an advertisement that she and the Legislature was ready for the reopening, but the Philipstown Supervisor Richard Shea said that he was not, as reported in the Highlands Current. The advertisement was placed in official county newspapers such as the Putnam County News & Recorder.
UPDATE: Putnam County published their May 18, 2020 numbers.
How Many People Tested In Dutchess County: 22,223 (two days ago 21,395 via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE As Of This Day: 3,552 (two days ago, 3,527, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested This Day: 337 (two days ago 627, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE This Day: 9 (two days ago 29, via New York State Tracker) Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 As Of This Day: 56 (two days ago 56, via Dutchess County Tracker) How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths As Of This Day: 124 (two days ago 117, via Dutchess County Tracker)
BEACON Active COVID-19 Cases In Beacon On This Day: 125 (two days ago 130, via Dutchess County Tracker)
FISHKILL Active COVID-19 Cases In Fishkill On This Day: 122 (two days ago 133, via Dutchess County Tracker) Active COVID-19 Cases In East Fishkill On This Day: 104 (two days ago 113, via Dutchess County Tracker)
WAPPINGERS Active COVID-19 Cases In Town of Wappingers On This Day: 98 (two days ago 104, via Dutchess County Tracker) Active COVID-19 Cases In Wappingers Falls Village On This Day: 31 (two days ago 33, via Dutchess County Tracker)
POUGHKEEPSIE Active COVID-19 Cases In Poughkeepsie On This Day: 185 (two days ago 196, via Dutchess County Tracker)
Active COVID-19 Cases In Poughkeepsie City On This Day: 255 (two days ago 275, via Dutchess County Tracker)
ORANGE COUNTY 5/17/2020
How Many People Tested In Orange County: 39,386 (two days ago 38,357, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE In Total: 9,965 (two days ago 9,878, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested On This Day: 367 (two days ago 715, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE On This Day: 22 (two days ago 54, via New York State Tracker) Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 As Of This Day: 96 (two days ago 106) (via Orange County Tracker) How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths As Of This Day: 419 (two days ago 408, via Orange County Tracker)
NEWBURGH Active COVID-19 Cases In Newburgh On This Day: 687 (two days ago 645, via Orange County Tracker) Active COVID-19 Cases In City of Newburgh On This Day: 1,397 (two days ago 1,314, via Orange County Tracker)
PUTNAM COUNTY 5/17/2020
How Many People Tested In Putnam County: 6,572 (last week 6.325, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE As Of This Day: 1,141 (last week 1,127, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested On This Day: 116 (last week 153, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE On This Day: 5 (last week 6, via New York State Tracker) How Many Active Cases In Putnam County On This Day: 33 Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 As Of This Day: 10 (last week 10, via Orange County Tracker) How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths As Of This Day: 56
PHILIPSTOWN Confirmed COVID-19 Cases In Total In Philipstown As Of This Day: NA (last week 113, via Putnam County Tracker) Putnam doesn’t seem to publish an “Active Cases” per city/town/village number like Dutchess and Orange do. “Active Cases” can fluctuate up or down. “Confirmed Cases” only go up, as they are cumulative.
Discussion of the use of a Short Term rental was reopened tonight during the City Council meeting in the form of a Public Hearing. This Short Term rental would be viewed in a similar way that there is an Accessory Use in a residential home. The Mayor emphasizes that this would require permit and inspection, but would legalize Short Term rentals, and would be allowed in all zoning districts.
Important to note is that as proposed, they would be owner occupied. If there was an Accessory Apartment on the property of a home, the Accessory Apartment would not be available as a Short Term rental. A tenant who uses an apartment as their primary residence would also be eligible to rent out that property as a short term rental. The proposed legislation does not require that the owner be present at the time of the rental. There are many other points of detail in the legislation, that you can read about here.
The inspection was the major linchpin last year when this almost got voted to be legalized. Since that time, the assistant Building Inspector, Dave Buckley, is now the lead Building Inspector, and at a City Council meeting this year, he presented why he interpreted the inspection requirement to be different and more affordable to achieve by building owners.
Backstory of this issue in Beacon can be found in A Little Beacon Blog’s coverage here. “The property being owner occupied would be the only way the City Council is considering passing this,” concured Councilperson Air Rhodes.
UPDATE: This Public Hearing has been adjourned to June 1, 2020 so that the City Council can Workshop it first. “Workshopping” means to discuss it among themselves. This means there is another opportunity for a Public Hearing.
Since before Mayor Lee Kyriacou was elected mayor, the council has been working closely with its City Planner, John Clark, to make the city’s Zoning Tables easier to understand. According to reporter Jeff Simms, who covers City Council meetings for the Highlands Current, the City Council has been working on this simplification “for 2 years at least,” he told A Little Beacon Blog right before the meeting began at 7pm (watch it live here on the city’s new YouTube Channel!).
You may have received a robo-call about a Public Hearing about a Zoning change that affects your property. If you are subscribed to the Emergency Alert System and checked all of the boxes to get all of the calls, then you maybe have gotten this one. The City Council has expressed interest in reaching people more proactively about when Public Hearings happen, and considered using the robo-call system.
The Public Hearing about the Zoning tables will cover the following:
Draft Use Table 1. Simple X - Y axis chart grouped by use types – shorter and easier to understand; 2. Combines Off-Street Parking (PB) and Office Business (OB) into Transitional (T) zone with some additional uses and residential options; 3. Combines Local Business (LB) and General Business (GB) districts; 4. Reduces the number of required Special Permits and shifts some Special Permits to the Planning Board; 5. Adds several new use categories:
Vehicle Sales or Rental Lot
Animal Care Facility
Golf Course
Eliminates a few use categories:
Ski Facility
Retail Truck or Trailer
Medical Service Structure
Draft Dimensional Table 1. Adds standards for new Transitional (T) district; 2. Eliminates inconsistencies in the table; 3. Decreases some setbacks in single-family districts and increases side setbacks in certain multifamily districts; 3. Adds dimensional standards (setbacks, building height, building coverage, minimum open space) instead of floor area ratios; 4. Removes more than half of the existing footnotes.
Draft Zoning - Major Text Amendments: 1. Updates uses and cross-references to be consistent with the new tables; 2. Broadens the general Special Permit conditions in Section 223-18 to include potential conflicts with adjacent blocks and adds traffic hazards or congestion, emergency services, infrastructure requirements, and consistency with the Comprehensive Plan as factors to consider; 3. Adds hotels to the list of potential uses allowed by Special Permit in the Historic District and Landmark Overlay Zone 4. Requires 25% non-residential uses in the Waterfront Development district within 400 feet of the Train Station; 5. Requires 1st floor non-residential uses in the Linkage district along the north side of West Main Street and Beekman Street; 6. Removes the expedited review process in the Linkage district; 7. Adds missing definitions.
In response to these changes, Beacon’s Planning Board reviewed the change and submitted feedback, which is attached to the meeting’s agenda on the City’s website, and republished here on A Little Beacon Blog.
“As requested, the Planning Board reviewed the Local Law amending Chapters 223 and 210 of the City of Beacon Code concerning the Schedule of Regulations and associated amendments, and changes to the Zoning Map at their May 12, 2020 meeting. City Planner John Clarke gave a detailed explanation of the proposed zoning amendments and creation of the Transition Zone. A lengthy discussion and review of the revised zoning tables took place. There was much debate about the commercial requirement for the Linkage Zone and the affect increased density would have on properties in the Transition Zone. Members felt the City Council should consider generating a schematic example of both a commercial and residential site by applying the new zoning regulations to better understand the resulting bulk increased density would have on neighboring properties.”
For those new to this, the Linkage Zone is the area down by the train station, where Brett’s Hardware is. The Parking PB district was an area created years ago when Beacon was being planned as a walking mall and parking was projected to be needed. According to Jeff: “The Transition Zone replaces an existing zone and gives it a better name that makes more sense. The one it replaces is PB (Parking).” The goal is to better transition from Main Street to the residential areas. There is flexibility for commercial as well as residential in these proposed changes.
Since the last publishing of numbers here at A Little Beacon Blog, Dutchess County completed its first wave of testing of nursing home residents in two facilities: Wingate in Beacon, and The Pines at Poughkeepsie. County Executive Marcus Molinaro had advocated for more testing kits for the nursing home residents specifically, and PPE for staff.
As of the first declaration of testing of nursing home residents, staff were not included in this roundup. Governor Cuomo mandated last week that staff also be tested twice weekly, however, tests need to be produced and provided in order to carry out that mandate, and labs need to be able to process those tests.
The preliminary results of resident testing were:
104 residents were tested at Wingate at Beacon, with 13 new cases of COVID-19 identified;
157 residents were tested at The Pines at Poughkeepsie with 6 new cases of COVID-19 identified.
According to Dutchess County’s press release, and first reported on by the Poughkeepsie Journal: “The majority of these 19 new cases of COVID-19 were asymptomatic and were only identified because of the County’s testing initiative. The families of these residents were notified immediately, and the COVID-19 positive residents have been moved to secluded and secure areas of each facility to be cared for.“
As for the regional numbers, ALBB has added Poughkeepsie to the roundup. The numbers as of 5/15/2020 (Friday) are as follows:
How Many People Tested In Dutchess County: 21,395 (last week 18,964 via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE As Of This Day: 3,527 (last week, 3,359, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested This Day: 627 (last week 471, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE This Day: 29 (last week 47, via New York State Tracker) Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 As Of This Day: 56 (last week 56, via Dutchess County Tracker) How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths As Of This Day: 120 (last week 101, via Dutchess County Tracker, but Google still shows 84)
BEACON Active COVID-19 Cases In Beacon On This Day: 130 (last week 146, via Dutchess County Tracker)
FISHKILL Active COVID-19 Cases In Fishkill On This Day: 133 (last week 174, via Dutchess County Tracker) Active COVID-19 Cases In East Fishkill On This Day: 113 (last week 153, via Dutchess County Tracker)
WAPPINGERS Active COVID-19 Cases In Town of Wappingers On This Day: 104 (last week 136, via Dutchess County Tracker) Active COVID-19 Cases In Wappingers Falls Village On This Day: 33 (last week 40, via Dutchess County Tracker)
POUGHKEEPSIE Active COVID-19 Cases In Poughkeepsie On This Day: 196 Active COVID-19 Cases In Poughkeepsie City On This Day: 275
ORANGE COUNTY 5/15/2020
How Many People Tested In Orange County: 38,357 (last week 34,404, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE In Total: 9,878 (last week 9,543, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested On This Day: 715 (last week 535, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE On This Day: 54 (last week 57, via New York State Tracker) Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 As Of This Day: 106 (last week 99) (via Orange County Tracker) How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths As Of This Day: 408 (last week 367, via Orange County Tracker)
NEWBURGH Active COVID-19 Cases In Newburgh On This Day: 681 (last week 645, via Orange County Tracker) Active COVID-19 Cases In City of Newburgh On This Day: 1,383 (last week 1,314, via Orange County Tracker)
PUTNAM COUNTY 5/15/2020
How Many People Tested In Putnam County: 6,325 (last week 5,570, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE As Of This Day: 1,127 (last week 1,089, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested On This Day: 153 (last week 155, via New York State Tracker) How Many People Tested POSITIVE On This Day: 6 (last week 9, via New York State Tracker) How Many Active Cases In Putnam County On This Day: 33 Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 As Of This Day: 10 (last week 13, via Orange County Tracker) How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths As Of This Day: 56 (last week 55, via Putnam County Tracker)
PHILIPSTOWN Confirmed COVID-19 Cases In Total In Philipstown As Of This Day: 113 (last week 106, via Putnam County Tracker) Putnam doesn’t seem to publish an “Active Cases” per city/town/village number like Dutchess and Orange do. “Active Cases” can fluctuate up or down. “Confirmed Cases” only go up, as they are cumulative.
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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.
