Beacon Schools Agree With NY State That Kids Can Remove Masks Outside On Campuses - CDC Doesn't Object

The notification that kids could live mask-off lives outdoors during the final blazing hot school days came as jubilation to some parents and kids, and hesitation to others. As of today, June 7, 2021, New York State has issued guidance that kids do not need to wear masks outdoors while at school or camp, and that the decision is up to school districts.

Immediately following that guidance, Beacon’s School Superintendent, Dr. Landahl, issued an email to district families, stating that: “Effective immediately, the Beacon City School District will no longer require that masks be worn outdoors on our campus, for all individuals.”

The bringing down of the mask, after heavy conditioning to wear the mask during the height of the pandemic last spring (if you need a refresher on if mask-wearing is effective, read this from UCSF), has left some people anxious at first. Coupled with the fact that the guidance issued by the state has been erratic of late. Others are relieved to have the masks off outside on campus.

One thing is for sure: mask enforcement at recess is one less thing teachers need to worry about.

A May 19th New Mask Up Decision For Kids Ages 2-5, With An Immediate Reversal

Late in May, for kids ages 2-5, Governor Cuomo announced that the children needed to wear face masks at day cares. This was new guidance that young kids did not need to adhere to in the height of the pandemic last year at this time. Backlash resulted from day care owners, and on May 24, New York State reversed its new requirement.

Then On June 4th, NY State Seeks More Mask Down Measures

On June 4th, the New York State Department of Health wrote a letter to the CDC, requesting that mask policy for camps align with schools, so that kids had the option of not wearing a mask outdoors at school, as they are allowed to do at camps in the outdoors. The letter was written by Commissioner Howard A. Zucker, M.D., J.D. and Executive Deputy Commissioner Lisa J. Pino, M.A., J.D..

Immediately after the letter was sent, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro issued a statement championing the letter: “I’m happy New York State has seen what counties have known for months: The science has repeatedly shown there is little to no transmission of the virus in school settings. Today’s announcement, though long overdue, is further evidence the COVID-19 emergency has receded, and Dutchess County continues to encourage residents to choose to get vaccinated and we take steps to get back to living our lives fully!”

However, part of why transmission in schools has been so minimal is because of the amount of safety measures put into place, like wearing masks, social distancing, outside classes, no singing in music classes, eating lunch in classrooms vs the cafeteria, etc. During Beacon’s school year, most of the positive cases of students came from home or if an individual had already been isolating.

Beacon’s Dr. Landahl, who has worked with BSCD staff and the community to design safe practices in the schools to keep them open, issued a more cautious statement to families on June 4, asking for their patience as New York State made their final decision: “The proposal in the letter would waive the requirement to wear masks outside and only strongly encourage adults and children to wear them inside. NYDOH would like to make this change effective Monday, June 7th.”

A portion of the proposal from New York State Department of Health includes these points:

“The current CDC guidance for K-12 schools recommends a requirement for “consistent and correct use of well-fitting face masks with proper filtration by all students, teachers, and staff”. There is no distinction between mask wearing for indoor versus outdoor activities (except for a vague reference to sports) and it does not address vaccinated individuals.”

“On the other hand, current CDC guidance for youth camps “strongly encourages mask use indoors for people who are not fully vaccinated” while stating that outdoors, “people do not need to wear masks [irrespective of vaccination status]” although people who are not fully vaccinated are “encouraged” to wear a mask in certain higher-risk circumstances. In addition, it says “people who are fully vaccinated do not need to wear masks” both indoors and outdoors.”

The proposal then goes on the outline how New York State would like to operate, which included masks off outside, and recommended masks for inside, but not required. In the end, after hearing from the CDC, the Governor issued guidance for masks off outside, and no-change for inside.

On June 7th, Masks Down When Outside Optional For All New York School District Campuses

On Monday (June 7th) during a press conference, Governor Cuomo announced that school districts can choose to lift the requirement that their students must wear masks outdoors. Guidance on mask use indoors remains in place. “This change aligns New York State's guidance on schools with CDC guidance on summer camps, where even unvaccinated students are not currently required to wear masks outdoors,” the state’s press release page states.

Said Governor Cuomo in his 6/7/2021 announcement: “The numbers show that the risk of transmission by children is extremely low, especially in this state, which has an extremely low positivity rate. We spoke with the CDC, and since they're not going to change their guidance for several weeks in New York State, we're going to modify the CDC guidance and allow schools to choose no mask outside for children," Governor Cuomo said. "We'll leave that up to the local school district and we spoke to the CDC, which has no objection. It's very important that people understand the logic between these decisions and that they're rational and based on the science and the data. We have a disconnect right now between the school guidance and the camp guidance, and it's important to rectify it because if people don't think the rules are logical, then they're not going to want to follow the rules."

Earlier in the pandemic, children were said to be silent spreaders of COVID-19, as they often went asymptomatic, or showed little or no symptoms.

The night before the Governor’s press conference on 6/6/2021, County Executive Molinaro issued the following statement in response to the Governor’s announcement made the following day. Said Molinaro: “New York intentionally misled people causing unnecessary confusion, conflict, and chaos. The State must end the confusion and restore local authority. This decision should be put in the hands parents who know their children and circumstances best.”

Beacon City School District Follows CDC and New York State With Masks Off Outside

Once New York State issued the guidance, Dr. Landahl communicated with families immediately after with his final decision for the district: “The Governor has lifted the requirement to wear masks outdoors on school campuses, coming in line with broader state guidance regarding masks in outdoor settings…Effective immediately, the Beacon City School District will no longer require that masks be worn outdoors on our campus, for all individuals. As a reminder, as the heat levels increase, we will continue to provide students with mask breaks and encourage students to lower masks to drink water while in classrooms. Thanks for your patience through this process. We will continue to update you if anything else changes.”

One 9-year old stated: “Maybe we will get to sing in Music Class soon.”

To be continued…

Rental Application Assistance (Ayuda) Offered By Community Action For NY State Emergency Rental Assistance Program

The flyer for assistance with rental relief distributed by Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County in English.

June 1, 2021 was the first day that the Emergency Rental Assistance Program opened in New York State. Money is on the table to help those who meet income thresholds, and within the order of priorities. Getting that money can be confusing, as you wade your way through applications. Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County, with an office on Main Street in Beacon, says they are here to help. Their Beacon office is on 10 Eliza Street, which is in the Rite Aid parking lot behind Antalek and Moore Insurance.

To help you apply: call Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County at 845-452-5104 or email info@dutchesscap.org. You can also visit www.dutchesscap.org and click “Apply for Services.”

How Community Action Helps With The Application:

The flyer for assistance with rental relief distributed by Community Action Partnership For Dutchess County in Spanish.

We asked Samantha Riley, Director of Family Resources for Community Action, to walk us through how Community Action helps with the applicaation process, and what kind of issues people have come up against. Here’s what she told us:

“We are available to help screen for eligibility and to assist with families with applying for the program. This looks different for every person depending on their ability. The application must be completed online by both the tenant and landlord. Some families just need to be talked through the process and can apply on their own, and others can’t do it on their own for various reasons.”

Samantha continued: “Our first priority for assisting families with applying is to assist those who do not have internet access at home. For those families, if they just need access to a computer we have a computer at each of our locations for the public to use. If families need help filling out the application, we can assist them 1:1 either in person or over the phone; preferably by appointment.

“The required Documents need to be uploaded to the online application. We mostly right now are getting calls about families needing help with that process, which we can help with.”

To help you apply: call Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County at 845-452-5104 or email info@dutchesscap.org. You can also visit www.dutchesscap.org and click “Apply for Services.”

About New York State Emergency Renal Assistance Program (ERAP)

The New York State Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) will provide significant economic relief to help low and moderate-income households at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability by providing rental arrears, temporary rental assistance, and utility arrears assistance.

Eligibility

New York residents are eligible for ERAP if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Household gross income is at or below 80 percent of the Area Median Income (AMI). These income limits differ by county and household size. A household may qualify based on current income or calendar year 2020 income that is at or below 80 percent AMI.

• On or after March 13, 2020, a member of the household received unemployment benefits or experienced a reduction in income, incurred significant costs, or experienced financial hardship, directly or indirectly, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• The applicant is obligated to pay rent at their primary residence and has rental arrears (rent overdue) at their current residence for rent owed on or after March 13, 2020.

• The household must be at risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability, which can be demonstrated by having rental arrears owed on or after March 13, 2020.

Benefits

Households approved for ERAP may receive:

• Up to 12 months of rental arrears payments for rents accrued on or after March 13, 2020.

• Up to 3 months of additional rental assistance if the household is expected to spend 30 percent or more of their gross monthly income to pay for rent.

• Up to 12 months of electric or gas utility arrears payments for arrears that have accrued on or after March 13, 2020.

Apply

Program open as of June 1, 2021. Applications are now being accepted. Apply here >

To help you apply: call Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County at 845-452-5104 or email info@dutchesscap.org. You can also visit www.dutchesscap.org and click “Apply for Services.”

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El dinero está aquí para ayudar a aquellos que están económicamente aplastados por la pandemia, pero solicitarlo puede ser un trabajo de tiempo completo, además de ser difícil de entender. ¡La Asociación de Acción Comunitaria del Condado de Dutchess tiene un programa para eso! Samantha Riley de Community Action se ha acercado al Blog de A Little Beacon con la esperanza de hacer correr la voz de que están aquí para ayudar. Así es como funciona: El Programa de asistencia de emergencia para el alquiler del estado de Nueva York (ERAP) proporcionará un alivio económico significativo para ayudar a los hogares de ingresos bajos y moderados en riesgo de quedarse sin hogar o inestabilidad de la vivienda al proporcionar asistencia para el alquiler atrasado, asistencia temporal para el alquiler y asistencia para el pago de servicios públicos.

Elegibilidad

Los residentes de Nueva York son elegibles para ERAP si cumplen con todos los siguientes criterios:

• El ingreso bruto del hogar es igual o inferior al 80 por ciento del ingreso medio del área (AMI). Estos límites de ingresos difieren según el condado y el tamaño del hogar. Un hogar puede calificar según los ingresos actuales o los ingresos del año calendario 2020 que sean iguales o inferiores al 80 por ciento del AMI.

• A partir del 13 de marzo de 2020, un miembro del hogar recibió beneficios por desempleo o experimentó una reducción en sus ingresos, incurrió en costos significativos o experimentó dificultades financieras, directa o indirectamente, debido a la pandemia de COVID-19.

• El solicitante está obligado a pagar el alquiler en su residencia principal y tiene atrasos en el alquiler (alquiler vencido) en su residencia actual por el alquiler adeudado a partir del 13 de marzo de 2020.

• El hogar debe estar en riesgo de experimentar falta de vivienda o inestabilidad de la vivienda, lo que puede demostrarse si se adeudan pagos de alquiler a partir del 13 de marzo de 2020.

Beneficios

Los hogares aprobados para ERAP pueden recibir:

• Hasta 12 meses de pagos atrasados ​​de alquiler para alquileres acumulados a partir del 13 de marzo de 2020.

• Hasta 3 meses de asistencia adicional para el alquiler si se espera que el hogar gaste el 30 por ciento o más de sus ingresos brutos mensuales para pagar el alquiler.

• Hasta 12 meses de pagos atrasados ​​de servicios públicos de electricidad o gas por atrasos que se hayan acumulado a partir del 13 de marzo de 2020.

Solicitar

Programa abierto a partir del 1 de junio de 2021. Ahora se aceptan solicitudes. Aplicar aquí>

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Dutchess Community Action Partnership is open Monday - Friday from 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. Contact them by phone: 844-NY1RENT (844-691-7368)
For the hearing impaired, TTY phone number: 1-833-843-8829.

Coverage Of The Gathering To Speak Against Force Used By MTA Police In Beacon

RELATED LINKS:

• MTA Responds With Details Of Tasering Of Mentally Ill Man on May 19th, On Main Street In Beacon (5/25/2021)

• Coverage Of The Gathering To Speak Against Force Used By MTA Police In Beacon (5/26/2021)

• Gathering & March Tuesday Against MTA Police Tasering Mentally Ill Man On Main Street During Mental Health Month (5/25/2021)

• Mentally Ill Man Tasered On Beacon's Main Street on May 19th; Allegedly Pursued By MTA Police From Train Station (5/25/2021)

PLEASE NOTE: this article series is discussing 2 different incidents of a man who has been in Beacon for some time, harassing people, which has escalated after he was Tasered on Main Street by MTA Police on May 19, 2021. Later, he was Tasered again on May 25, 2021 by a New York State Trooper. This response from the City of Beacon Police deals with the May 25th incident. It does not address the May 19th incident because the City of Beacon Police Department was not involved.

During the summer of 2020, when the nation was marching against the standards used in policing in the name of Black lives mattering more, Beacon was marching as well. The focus was on the City of Beacon Police, a department which had undergone major reform after a Federal investigation that concluded in 2017.

To ALBB’s knowledge, City of Beacon Police Officers did not participate in those Marches (please write in to correct us if you were an officer who participated - even if anonymous!), with the exception of Lieutenant Figlia, who is still active with the City of Beacon Police, and contributed his story after one of the marches at an open mic session. During that experience, he shared his story of domestic abuse by his father towards himself and his mother, and how it inspired him to become a police officer to serve and protect others.

Otherwise, the then Chief Kevin Junjulas did not participate, was terse during City Council Meetings when asked questions about process by the Council, and retired shortly into the racial reckoning awakening in June 2020.

This week, a protest was held by Beacon4Black Lives after a young man known locally for mental instability and aggression was tasered by MTA Police on Main Street on the sidewalk. Details of the incident are here. This use of force act prompted some in the community to gather together to march to the MTA Police District 7 barracks, a sleepy little house-like structure on Beekman Street that normally nobody pays any mind to.

Over the past year, the people of Beacon have been successfully working with the City of Beacon’s Police and City Council to build relationships at the leadership level and community level for form a state mandated Police Reform plan. This incident from the MTA Police was out of character with what has been discussed within the community, which included a heavy focus on mental health and policing. Therefore, the tasering action of a mentally unstable, albeit unpleasant person on the surface, shocked many people into focus on MTA Police and learn more about them.

When the community members marched from Chase Bank on Main Street, to the MTA Police barracks on Beekman Street, they were met by 7 MTA Police Officers standing in front of the barracks at 8:45pm on the evening of Tuesday, May 25, 2021. One officer standing in front of the barracks wore a white shirt, and the rest of the officers were in dark uniforms. The officer in the center had his hand near his shirt collar, while others stood by, arms folded, and eventually leaned on the building columns and relaxed their postures.

Two other officers in white shirts approached up the hill to the south of the barracks near the police parking lot. Community members in this protest were escorted by City of Beacon Police, who had maintained a moving blockade down Main Street, and closed Beekman Street at the District 7 barracks to divert cars while the community members stood in the middle of the road, asking the MTA Police Officers questions.

This was the first time in a year that police officers had come out to meet community members demanding their attention. While the moment was awkward - as the officers and the community members did not know what to say to each other during this unexpected turnout - it was refreshing. Questions were asked of the officers, to learn more about them. All officers remained silent. Questions included:

• Do you communicate with the City of Beacon Police on people known to this area? On the platform and on Main Street, as the people go back and forth. How does the communication work?

• Do you come to this District 7 each time? Are you are other Districts? Or are you familiar with Beacon? Or are you in Long Island and other areas and sometimes here?
  PARTIAL ANSWER: We have since learned from the community that MTA Police Captain Pisanelli at District 7 in Beacon is a generational Beaconite - Hello!

• How are you feeling right now?

• When you tase someone, does it also affect your body? Does the electricity also go into your body? We wanted to hear from you on the experience, rather than read about it in newspapers.

When the officers did not respond, one community member stated: “We’re the people they are supposed to protect and serve, and they don’t want to talk to us.”

When the police did not respond, one of the group leaders, who is Black and whose dad is a corrections officer, spoke to the officers via his megaphone:

“We’re sad of seeing Black and Brown lives being hurt.”

A woman from the community broke in to say: “You’re doing your job, and we respect that.”

The march organizer continued: “And we want things to change. We want answers. We want solutions. We want things to change. We want things to get better. I don’t want to drive down the street and be afraid of being pulled over. I could be killed. And that’s the fact of the matter. My dad’s a Corrections Officer, and he still tells me to do a certain thing and act a certain way in front of police, because if they don’t know me, they can kill me at any point. And it really saddens us. It makes us so sad, that we have to do this. The reality is, even when we do this, and we come down here, and try to have an actual conversation with y’all as people, as people of your comunity, and you still won’t have enough respect for us to talk to us. And that’s terrible. You know what I mean?”

With questions asked and statements made, the protest ended. One of the organizers used a curse word to express his feelings, and the other organizer gently shepherded everyone home.

MTA Responds With Details Of Tasering Of Mentally Ill Man On Main Street In Beacon

RELATED LINKS:

• Coverage Of The Gathering To Speak Against Force Used By MTA Police In Beacon (5/26/2021)

• Gathering & March Tuesday Against MTA Police Tasering Mentally Ill Man On Main Street During Mental Health Month (5/25/2021)

• Mentally Ill Man Tasered On Beacon's Main Street; Allegedly Pursued By MTA Police From Train Station (5/25/2021)

A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the MTA to confirm or clarify details of the Tasering of a mentally ill man on Main Street on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. ALBB sought the details of how the MTA Police were alerted to the initial issue to cause them to pursue the main in question.

A reader submitted partial video of the incident, along with testimony of what that person recording video said they saw. Other people who were on the street that day, and other days, have chimed in with additional details. These details are being included here if they cross referenced each other.

According to the MTA, the man in question was harassing people on the train platform at the Beacon station, shouting obscenities, and threatening. Prior to this, an MTA Police Officer who was just walking on patrol at the Beacon station saw this man behaving erratically, saying curse words.

The man in question then left. After the man left, a pair of women reported to the MTA Police Officer that he had been threatening them, saying “I am going to kill you,” and cursing. Once those threats were made clear to the officer, the officer informed - aka “put it over the wire.” ALBB has not pursued video footage of the platform to confirm the activity. ALBB is awaiting answer from the MTA on if its officers wear body cameras.

Roughly 20 minutes later, a pair of other MTA Police Officers responded by finding the man in question, who at that point was at the beginning of Main Street. That is where they sought to detain the man. That is when he resisted arrest, and the Taser came out and was used on the man on Main Street outside of storefront shops.

According to a witness, the MTA Police Officers pressed the man in question up against storefront windows in order to apprehend him. The witness on Main Street told A Little Beacon Blog: “The officer said he was resisting arrest, but they had him in a hold, so the other cop said: 'I’m going to taser you’ like 3 times. And they did. Several times, and he screamed.”

A witness on Main Street said: “They told me the man they apprehended has a long history of arrests and is mentally ill, but they Tasered him a lot…There were caps all over the place. The cop cleaned up some after.”

As seen in the video, after being Tasered, the officer delivering the electric charge tells the man to “stand up.” The man is held by the second officer from behind, and the man states: “Help me get up.” According to the MTA, after the officers placed the man in the car after he was Tasered, and they took him to a hospital, where he was checked to make sure he was fit enough for discharge after being Tasered. He was processed at the MTA District 7 Headquarters (aka “barracks”) on Beekman Street. He was given an appearance ticket for court, and released. He was charged with 3 charges:

• Aggravated harassment

• Menacing in the 3rd Degree

• Resisting arrest

According to the City of Beacon Officer Reynolds on Beacon's information desk, the Beacon Police were not called for this incident.

The man in question is in his early 20s, and may have an address in Poughkeepsie. He has been arrested 22 times by the MTA Police, with several arrests happening in Beacon. Within this month - Mental Health Awareness Month - the man in question had another incident in the middle of Main Street with officers. There was a warrant out for his arrest on a trespassing case, where he had not shown up to court. It is not known if he is houseless, or if he is functional enough to open the mail, or write down a court appearance date in his calendar. It is not known at this time if he carries a calendar.

Beacon Police were dealing with him on Main Street recently. The man has been attempted to be Tasered before in a separate incident by New York State Police, but the taser didn't “stick.”

ALBB has not pursued the number of arrests, if any, made by the Beacon Police or New York State Police. New York State Police also have jurisdiction in Beacon and throughout the state. Here is New York State’s Arrest Without A Warrant criminal procedure that explains where an officer can go throughout the state to make an arrest.

How Does A Taser Work?

According to this New York Times article, a Taser has 2 prongs that are discharged from the Taser to the person. According to the article, for each charge (or discharge), 50,000 volts of electricity are pulsed into the person’s muscles for up to 5 seconds. The goal is to render the muscles frozen. According to the New York Times article, “the shock can cause pain that has been described as excruciating.”

According to this DIY Taser Maker web page, “this gadget generates substantial voltage pulses which can disrupt muscle tissues and neurological system, forcing any individual who touches it into a condition of mental bewilderment.” You can also read about the effects on a person’s body here at ABC News.

Are Tasers Recommended For People With Mental Health Conditions?

According to the New York Times article, “The devices can bring an abrupt halt to a confrontation and disable an uncooperative person, but if they are discharged and don’t work — or even when they do — sometimes the effect can be to make things worse.”

“If a person is angry, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or has a mental illness, the use of a Taser can exacerbate those conditions and inflame a situation, said Joel Feinman, the chief public defender in Pima County in Arizona.”

The man in question in Beacon is known to MTA Officers. The situation that involved this particular Tasering happened after the man allegedly cursed and made threats to the people on the train platform, and had left. It was on Main Street that he was apprehended, resisted, and was Tasered.

This man is one of several mentally delicate people who walk up and down Main Street on a daily basis. He does mumble to himself, curse to himself, and approach people for money. People like himself have been known to walk into storefronts and places of business - or to parking lots - to encounter people with an ask or demand. The experience of when he does that can be jarring and frightening.

Dutchess County prides itself on providing several Mental Health services. During Beacon’s City Council Meetings, several Mental Health presentations have been made this year alone, including information about why hiring a Mental Health professional from Mental Health America of Dutchess County was a good idea. According to the Mid Hudson News: “The addition of a mental health intensive case manager was highlighted as one of the initiatives called for the City of Beacon’s newly adopted police reform plan.

It is not known at this time if that professional thinks it a good end game to continue Tasering this man in question in order to bring peace to his life, and to residents, visitors and businesses owners in Beacon. It is also not clear if Beacon’s new Mental Health professional was consulted by MTA Police on their tactic for dealing with a known mentally unstable person who regularly behaves the same way.

Perhaps they think that electric therapy delivered on the sidewalk is the best treatment. Perhaps Tasers are just protocol, and perhaps MTA Police Officers aren’t encouraged or trained in other ways of dealing with a regular person in the community after in non-violent situation 20 minutes after an alleged incident.

Tasers Mentioned In Beacon’s Police Reform Report

After the murder of George Floyd and the reckoning that awakened after that across the nation, Governor Cuomo issued Executive Order 203 that all municipalities must deliver their visions of how to police in their communities. At this time, it is not clear if that Executive Order 203 includes MTA Police, other train police, and New York State Police.

The MTA Police, which the MTA says has roughly 30 officers working from the barracks just below the City Of Beacon Police Station who can patrol up and down the region of the Hudson line all the way into Long Island, were not factored into public discussions on Police Reform, but do drive regularly through Beacon, and are authorized to do police work in Beacon.

According to the Highlands Current, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department (MTAPD) was formed in 1998 when the Long Island Rail Road and the Metro-North Railroad Police Departments merged. "After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the department expanded and dramatically expanded its counter-terrorism capabilities," the article reports. In 2005, the department expanded when the Staten Island Railway Police Department also became part of MTAPD.

The MTA Police are used as “mutual aid” with the City of Beacon when necessary, much like how neighboring Fire Departments cross municipalities and county lines during a fire to help each other.

The City of Beacon worked very hard on its Police Reform plan, with input from the community, and submitted it to New York State in March 2021. It includes mention of Tasers and how officers are trained. An excerpt from the City of Beacon’s Police Reform and Modernization Collaborative Report is below:

The Beacon Police Department has a recent history of progressive training. All patrol officers are trained in a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training(“CIT”) course, which helps to train officers to help persons with mental disorders and addictions to access medical treatment rather than place them in the criminal justice system.

This evidence-based strategy has been found effective in reducing the risk of injury or death during emergency interactions between police and persons with mental illness. In addition to the CIT Training, the Department conducts regular in-service training on topics including Workplace Violence, Sexual Harassment, Use of Force Policy and Law, De-escalation Techniques, Administration of Narcan (to address opioid overdoses), CPR/AED, Defensive Tactics, Active Shooter Response, Blood-borne Pathogens, and Taser and OC spray (pepper spray) use.

The Department is adding eight hours of Procedural Justice training and eight hours of Implicit Bias training for all officers for 2021. Procedural Justice training focuses on how the police interact with the public. Procedural justice is based on four central principles: "treating people with dignity and respect, giving citizens 'voice' during encounters, being neutral in decision making, and conveying trustworthy motives." Research demonstrates that these principles contribute to relationships between authorities and the community in which 1) the community has trust and confidence in the police as honest, unbiased, benevolent, and lawful; 2) the community feels obligated to follow the law and the dictates of legal authorities, and 3) the community feels that it shares a common set of interests and values with the police.

New York Reverses New Mask Mandate For Kids Age 2-5 At Childcare + Camp After Backlash

Last week, Governor Cuomo mandated that all kids ages 2-5 wear face masks while at childcare, day camp and overnight camp. Some childcare advocates responded. On My Way Childcare Owner Peggy Fuentes responded: “We were incredibly disappointed and shocked when we got the guidelines last Wednesday that our children, after 14 months of being unmasked, are required now to be masked,” as reported by Spectrum News.

Initial guidelines can be seen here as reported on by Gothamist, which included: “The new policy applies to staffers and attendees at childcare programs, day camps and overnight camps. Under the rules, the unvaccinated should only remove their face coverings while eating, drinking, showering, swimming or sleeping. The guidance adds that ‘children/campers may also remove face coverings outdoors when they are unable to tolerate a face covering for the physical activity.’”

The Governor’s office stated the following regarding its almost immediate reversal of the guidelines: “Both agencies understand how difficult it is to require the youngest children to wear masks, and have jointly agreed to revise guidance allowing child care providers to continue the practices and protocols that have been in place since the start of the pandemic by encouraging, not requiring, children aged 2-5 to wear masks, effective immediately.”

It is not known if the people running these two agencies are currently raising children between the ages of 2-5.

Dutchess County’s Executive Marcus Molinaro issued the following statement on Monday evening: “Like too many decisions coming from the executive’s offices, forcing young children to wear masks never made any scientific sense. Dutchess was among the first local governments to call on New York State to correct this inconsistency and made clear we would not enforce it. I am heartened to see the State has listened to reason. We trust this will extend to all children in these safe settings. Clearly we are passed time NY end the declared state of emergency and allow local public health official do their jobs without heavy handed State interference.”

2nd Doses Are Trending At JCPenney Vaccination Site In Dutchess County

The Moderna and Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations need 2 doses for maximum effectiveness. However, some Beaconites have questioned getting their 2nd dose, after getting pelted by any anti-vaxing friends in social media or text. That and, the semi-vaccinated might want to skip out on the expected symptoms. While India is begging for vaccines, and the world is pressuring the United States and the UK to release the vaccine patents so that the vaccine can be made more widely for greater accessibility, it seems silly to skip the 2nd dose of the vaccine.

How are we doing in Dutchess County? As of today 5/6/2021, 48.17% of Dutchess County has gotten at least one dose of any vaccine, according to the Dutchess County Tracker. If you’re one of those anti-vaxing people who is thinking “All you people are getting vaccinated, so I don’t need to,” then you can know that less than half of the population is not vaccinated, and that is not great for you. So check with your doctor on the best course for you, get a plan, and maybe get vaccinated!

Here is a snapshot view of people returning to the JCPenney vaccination location for their 2nd shot, as supplied to ALBB by Colleen T. Pillus, Communications Director, Dutchess County Executive Office. This is a snapshot of 2 vaccination events: one on February 11, 2021, and one on March 30, 2021.

February 11th at our JCPenney Fixed POD:
290 Moderna vaccine 1st doses were administered.
274 Moderna 2nd doses were administered at the corresponding 2nd dose clinic on March 11th.

March 30th at our JCPenney Fixed POD:
1294 Moderna vaccine 1st doses were administered.
1263 Moderna 2nd doses were administered at the corresponding 2nd dose clinic on April 27th.

That’s a pretty good 2nd dose rate. It’s not 100% as there is room to improve with increased accessibility, transportation and trust. Visit Dutchess County’s Vaccination website to book a pop-up or main location.

At each and every other event, the 2nd dose appointment is made when you are at your 1st appointment. There is no online booking and clamoring for a spot for the 2nd dose. You’re already in. Though it may involve a QR code. However, if you or your loved one has not the technology, there are volunteers on site who can make an appointment for you the old fashioned way - by typing it into a computer.

Pop-Ups Become Cool For Vaccine Appointments As Links Go Public

VACCINE BOOKING FAQ

• You’ll book your 2nd dose while at your 1st appointment. You don’t need to do this online.

• Vaccines are free right now. Even if you don’t have health insurance.

• Governor Cuomo signed legislation requiring NY Employers grant 4 paid hours to employees to get the vaccine. More info here.

• If you think that not getting vaccinated is a good idea, your theory is playing out horrifically in India, Brazil and other areas with low vaccination rates. Countries are begging for vaccinations. Use yours.

Dutchess County has recently made their signup links for vaccine appointments public, meaning, people no longer need to wait to be emailed by the county for a slot to open up. People can visit Dutchess County’s Vaccination page for upcoming appointment opportunities. Some of the events are being called Pop-Up events, which are popular in shopping and retail, and now in getting vaccinated for COVID-19. Additionally, the brand of vaccine is indicated with the date, so you can pursue the brand you want if that is important to you.

This is a major shift in the process from where Dutchess County made appointments available for anyone eligible to sign up to (when there were higher age restrictions), and pivoted to an email list after signups disappeared within 5 minutes. Demand for the vaccine has waned in New York State, and Dutchess County has since made the appointment links open again, which is easier for people to access.

After publishing the article, “Governor Cuomo Continues To Skip Dutchess County As A NY State Partner Vaccination Site - Why That Matters,” a friend sent what was then an underground appointment link to a direct online signup website for Dutchess County’s JCPenney location at the New York State booking website. This was confusing, as Dutchess County was sending press releases to inform the media that Governor Cuomo would not add Dutchess County as a Partner Site, which he did not, but the booking software did reside on the New York State website.

To confirm how the direct link existed, ALBB reached out to Colleen T. Pillus, Communications Director for Dutchess County Executive Office to find out how a public link was possible, when Dutchess County still kept them behind a registration email. She confirmed that the county was balancing stress from the public, and keeping signups within the county.

“People from much further away would have booked. People found it exceptionally stressful and disconcerting,” Colleen said. “They asked us to be put on lists. We did the list. We send it out. We randomly pull, if we have 500 doses, we pull at least 500 names. People now are wonderfully getting vaccinated from other places, and we send out an email to let one know that the person is eligible and to use a link that you can book an appointment.”

The vaccination event that the underground link was connected to had filled slower than other events, Colleen told ALBB. “We will probably start transitioning to having links on the County website. We just don't know when we keep getting doses.”

One month later, and one vaccination pause and release later, Dutchess County has put direct links to vaccination event signups on their website. These include dates for Dutchess County’s mass vaccination sites, JCPenney store at the Poughkeepsie Galleria and at the former CVS, 3081 Route 22, Dover. According to Rep. Sean Patarick Maloney, vaccination enthusiasm has declined in New York State. ALBB has emailed his office for his source, and has not yet received the source of the data. Though his office has responded to ALBB’s requests for pictures of the event at JCPenney where he mentioned this stat. If you have this information, please submit.

The Dutchess County vaccination website also includes links to Community Pop-Up events in Beacon, Millerton, Beekman, and others. Some events offer walk-in availability. Still, other pop-up events that the Beacon School District learn about in Kingston or other locations have been shared by Beacon’s Superintendent.

An email from CareMount Medical, allowing existing patients to sign up for a vaccination, sent on 4/29/2021. However, the link is private and cannot be forwarded.

Private locations still offer their own signup links, like Sun River Health Systems on Henry Street in Beacon (being a patient is not required). CareMount Medical is offering vaccinations, but to current patients only and continue to use “Do Not Forward” type links.

Technology exists to connect all of this, so that there can be one central page at the New York State level for everyone to click and book. Why centralizing this signup process has not happened is not clear.

NY State Drops 18% In Vaccination Rate From Previous Week, Says Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney At JC Penney Vaccination Event

Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney came to the former JC Penney store in the Poughkeepsie Mall Galleria, which serves as one of Dutchess County’s mass-vaccination sites, in order to encourage Dutchess County residents to get vaccinated.

During his kickoff speech, Rep. Maloney stated: “New York State has seen an 18% drop from the previous week," referring to the vaccination, after the rollout to the most vulnerable has happened, and qualifications to get the vaccine have opened up to anyone over 16 years old. President Biden has directed all states to open vaccinations to people over the age of 16 by May 1, 2021.

Rep. Maloney says that before they declare the decline a problem, they want to get the word out to encourage people to ask their questions to their doctors and faith leaders, to hopefully reach the conclusion that the vaccination is right for them. ALBB has emailed his office for his source, and has not yet received the source of the 18% statistic. Though his office has responded to ALBB’s requests for pictures of the event at JCPenney where he mentioned this stat. If you have this information, please submit.

This comes on the day when the CDC issued guidance that people who are fully vaccinated could be outside walking around, jogging, biking, maybe hiking, and being with others without their masks on - if they are fully vaccinated. Events such as Farmers Markets and other close quarters would still require face masks.

Below is the press release sent today (Tuesday, April 27, 2021) by Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney’s office. You can watch Re. Maloney’s full speech, along with Dutchess County Executive Molinaro here:

“Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) will join Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro at the Poughkeepsie Galleria Vaccination Site to urge residents to sign up to get a vaccine. This visit is part of Congressman Maloney’s ongoing effort to combat vaccine hesitancy.”

“As of April 22, 45.1% of Dutchess County residents (132,644 of 294,218) had received at least one dose and 29.8% (87,609) were fully vaccinated. The Poughkeepsie Galleria vaccination site has been vaccinating residents since mid-January.”

“Biden administration officials are anticipating the supply of coronavirus vaccine to outstrip U.S. demand by mid-May if not sooner. A slowdown in vaccinations could delay the arrival of herd immunity. The longer that takes, the more time there is for dangerous variants to arise and possibly evade vaccines.”

“To combat hesitancy, the Congressman is redoubling his outreach efforts with community organizations and local leaders.”

For those who are hesitant:

• Write all of your medical questions down, including all thoughts and fears, and call your doctor to discuss what you should consider.

• Follow the news of Brazil. Brazil has not had a strong prevention plan or vaccination plan, and has been in denial of the pandemic. So far, the CDC warns against any travel to Brazil, saying even vaccinated people could pick up variants; a variant from Brazil has been found in Dallas; Brazil’s congress has launched a parliamentary inquiry into their president’s slow and delayed response; by April had seen 3,000 deaths/day, etc.. Let’s not have any more etc.

Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine To Resume For Dutchess County Clinics

According to a press release issued by Dutchess County today, Monday, April 26, 2021, the county will resume use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine, following guidance from the CDC and FDA.

The full press release is below:

“Dutchess County Commissioner of Behavioral & Community Health, Dr. Anil Vaidian has announced Dutchess County will resume vaccinations using Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen (J&J) COVID-19 vaccine following the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) recommendation to resume use of the J&J following a thorough safety review.”

“In accordance with CDC and FDA guidance, Dutchess County will resume administration of J&J vaccine,” said Dr. Vaidian. “This one-dose vaccine is an important option in our efforts to vaccinate and protect our community against COVID-19.”

“The FDA’s review of available data shows the known and potential benefits of the J&J vaccine outweigh the rare adverse risks. The FDA and CDC expressed confidence the J&J vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19.”

Women 50 Years and Younger Should Be Aware Risk Of Thrombosis

“Women younger than 50 years old should be aware of the very rare risk of adverse event called thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), which involves blood clots with low platelets occurring at a rate of about 7 per 1 million vaccinated women between 18 and 49 years old. Other COVID-19 vaccine options are available for which this risk has not been seen.”

“Anyone who received the J&J vaccine and developed severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination, should immediately contact their health care provider.”

“Dutchess County will resume use of J&J vaccine this week and will utilize J&J vaccine at various “Community Pop-Up Clinics” at locations throughout Dutchess County. More information about where J&J vaccine will be available will be posted on the County’s website as clinics are scheduled.”

NEW Businesses Added To ALBB's Business Directory!

ALBB's Business Directory is a Deep Dive List of services you need right now in Beacon and the Hudson Valley. There is a lot of talent here in the 12508 and beyond and we want to highlight all of them. Check out the Business Directory HERE.

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Businesses in the Business Directory

Rizzi Home Inspection Services, Inc.

Rizzi performs thorough Pre-purchase buyer home Inspections, pre-listing seller home inspections, annual home maintenance inspections, multi-family / investment property inspections. Find out more HERE.

Samantha Cuello Consulting

Samantha Cuello Consulting is a full-service marketing and communications firm with 10 years of experience in the high-end home space—working with interior designers, D2C retail brands, B2B trade brands, and media companies. Find out more HERE.

Juniper Empowered Birth

“Hi! I’m Jennifer Polk (she/her) and I’m a Labor & Delivery RN, Certified Lactation Consultant, and Evidence-Based Birth® Instructor. An Evidence-Based Birth® Instructor is a birth professional specially trained in how to help families get evidence-based care." Find out more HERE.

Heads Up Learning

Heads Up Learning is a tutoring service run by Laura Head, a former public school teacher in NYC for Grads 3rd and 4th, who recently moved to Beacon to open a virtual tutoring service. Laura knows the public school curricula and how units tie together. She specializes in courses in French literacy, English literacy, and offers academic support for Grades 1-9. Says Laura: “Students learn best when given the opportunity to make discoveries, find patterns, and think critically about new ideas, which is why their curriculum is built on student-centered pedagogies, and themes of citizenship, activism, and environmentalism.” Find out how Laura can help your child in reading, math and more HERE.

Want to join but don't see a category/sub-category that fits your biz? Not a problem! We can add it just for you!

A Vaccination Appointment Maker/Whisperer In Beacon Reveals Her Secrets: Interview With Heidi Harrison

Heidi Harrison, a creative visionary best known for her work as a Youth Aid Job Coach for Dutchess County BOCES, Assistant in Beacon’s Park and Recreation Department, and Volunteer with Mutual Aid Beacon, has added another specialized skill to her resume: Vaccination Appointment Maker/Whisperer. Word on the street is that she “cracked the code” with finding people appointments, and has been clicking and booking for eligible people ever since. Since Dutchess County’s official location site, and other private sites, are not located in the New York State vaccination appointment site, volunteers like Heidi have been vital to booking people who really need the help, as well as getting the word out about opportunities.

ALBB reached out to Heidi to see if she would consider sharing her secrets, and she agreed! To help you book your vaccination appointment easier and possibly closer to your home, Heidi has divulged in great detail how she does it.

See below for her recipe, and then see double below for a list of links.

ALBB: Heidi: how are you this super sleuther?

I love research! Once a topic is of interest to me, I can’t get enough information about it. This issue happened to be one that peoples’ lives depended on, so once I realized I might be able to help, I started really digging in. I was very happy to finally be able to help others, while still self-isolating myself.

ALBB: Can we all become Super Sleuthing Vaccine Bookers like you? If so, what is your recipe?

I do believe that a lot of people could also become Super Sleuthing Vaccine Bookers, if they wanted to do so. The recipe is basically a desire to help others, a lot of patience, even more persistence, and a dash of OCD helps immensely. The people that would not be able to do this, unfortunately, are the ones that probably need it the most right now.

So many people in our senior population, are going into this battle without the proper training. My Dad for example, is 85 years old, has a flip phone, and has never touched a computer in his life. Even if I bought him a smartphone and computer today, he would not be able to navigate this system, to book himself an appointment. There are so many others like him, including entire groups of people that are disadvantaged, and don’t have access to computers and internet, that likely don’t even know that vaccines are available to them. Who is going to tell them and who is going to help them get appointments? People that are tech savvy and very familiar with computers and smartphones are having great difficulty booking themselves and their family members appointments.

ALBB: Heidi, can you tell us your secrets?

I’d be happy to share my secrets! Basically, I started by doing some research. I typed into Google “tips, tricks, and hints for booking a covid vaccine when they are all booked”

This search resulted in lots and lots of articles. One article was particularly helpful. It was a Wall Street Journal article titled, “Tips To Help Score a Covid 19 Vaccine Appointment At CVS, Rite Aid, Walgreens, and More” That was literally all that I needed for booking on those sites. The more you use them, the more you get to know the best times to find new appointments, and what their quirks might be.

An information form used by VAAT, which is not an official booking service of the County, but is used by many and run by volunteers.

My next step was to join Facebook groups started by others looking to offer the same help. I joined Vaccine Angels, New York/Connecticut Vaccine Hunters & Angels New York / Connecticut Vaccine Hunters and Angels and NY-HV Covid-19 Vaccine Appointment Assistance (NY-HV Covid-19 VAAT) NY-HV Covid-19 Vaccine Appointment Assistance Team (NY-HV Covid-19 VAAT). (The Vaccine Appointment Assistance Team was just featured on Spectrum News, highlighting two volunteers who have helped book 250 appointments so far). I am the Beacon liaison for this group. People can fill out this form if they need help booking.

This last group was formed from the Facebook group Covid19 Dutchess County and Ulster County Resources, which I joined in the beginning of the pandemic.

These groups are filled with people looking to help others, and share information that will make this process less stressful and less frustrating. The volunteers in the group also secure appointments for those needing help. I have specific methods and processes for each individual website, which I learned either by trial and error, or by other people posting to the groups, sharing what worked well for them. Someone even went as far as to make 3 short how-to videos, showing how she books appointments for people on the New York State Site.

This was by far the most helpful post that I was lucky enough to find. It showed step by step, the madness that one must undertake, to book an appointment on that site. It really comes down to using the refresh button and clicking approximately 1 click per second for around 15 minutes. This has been successful each time I have used it. If you type into a search “Am I Eligible” you will find the New York State Site.

You answer a few easy questions, and if you qualify, it takes you to the locate providers section. You can then choose which location you want to try to book an appointment at. They are listed by closest proximity to the zip code you entered earlier. This is where it will usually say No Appointments Available.

Most people would stop there. I learned not to give up that easy. You click the refresh on the browser several times in a row, usually 2-3 minutes until it takes you to another page that will ask you to choose a time. Then you will receive a message saying: “No Time Slots Available.”

Heidi Cracks The Code

ALBB: Wouldn’t you stop there? This is like a riddle in Zelda!

It’s game on, baby! Why would you go any further? Who in their right mind would click the same button that denied them already? I never would have without watching the video I mentioned earlier. The trick here is, clicking the purple button that says NEXT until a time magically appears. It does not happen quickly. My average wait is 15 minutes at one click per second.

When the time slot appears, you have to be quick, because someone might be quicker! I’ve lost a few this way, and I literally wanted to cry. But that’s when you just press on, and keep clicking, clicking, clicking, until another one becomes available. I joked with my doctor at an appointment last week, that there might be a surge of people with carpal tunnel syndrome in the months ahead, from the repetitive clicks.

ALBB: How do you work with the Dutchess County run locations, like JC Penney?

The JC Penny is strictly a County site, which is on a lottery type system. People have to have signed up for it and hope for a call. You cannot self book that site.

I have personally signed up for notifications through the Dutchess County Website, and have not received any, yet I have booked around 26 appointments at various sites. I only found out about the alternate sites by doing my own internet searches.

ALBB: Do you think there should be 1 central booking website for all of the inventory of doses out there?

I agree 100%! There is no central system whatsoever! It’s a patchwork quilt, that was never sewn together...just random squares of fabric, all relating to each other in a big, important, life or death way, but just scattered around on the floor.

ALBB: What about the non-County and non-State locations, like pharmacies and grocery stores? Do you refresh those? If so, how?

The site that has to be refreshed like crazy is the New York State site, the “Am I Eligible” link.

I have been in touch with all of the local pharmacies:

• Rite Aid said that they don't have anything in stock as of now, but should have more in the next couple of weeks. I always call.

• Beacon Wellness (new pharmacy on Main Street near Rite Aid) is also in that same time frame.

• Sun River (formerly HRH Care on Henry Street) has a form that people can fill out online and wait/hope for a call back.

• Caremount has sent emails to people who are eligible. I received one for my mom since I have access to her patient portal. It was an email with a link and a self booking system. It stated specifically that the link was not to be shared and would not work for anyone but the recipient.

• I checked Drug World in Cold Spring, as I do along with other area pharmacies, CVS, Rite Aid, & Walgreens, every morning, and to my utter shock, I found available appointments! I was able to book 3 people without any sort of insanity. It felt really weird, and I rushed through the registration, even though I probably didn't need to...but my gut reaction to this process is stuck on HURRY UP OR YOU'LL LOST THE SPOT!

• Looks like there are new opportunities at the Fishkill Rec Center via The Medicine Shoppe in Fishkill. Click here for registration details.

• For the Pop-Up PODS that happen in Dutchess County and Orange County, like the ones that sometimes happen in Beacon and Newburgh, you need to register with Dutchess County, and then they call you when an appointment comes up. Register for Dutchess County here, and Orange County here.

ALBB: What have been your thoughts during this experience?

It shouldn’t be this hard. I understand the need to get this vaccine out as quickly as possible. I would never expect for it to be flawless or without some glitches. But sitting at my computer booking an appointment, feels like playing a slot machine, more than trying to secure a life saving vaccine. 900 clicks and you finally get an appointment feels like hitting the jackpot.

But most people aren’t winning at all. They are feeling hopeless and defeated. With each appointment I make, I am happy for that particular person, and I am grateful for being a part of what is to be the new beginning.

Governor Cuomo Continues To Skip Dutchess County As A NY State Partner Vaccination Site - Why That Matters

Dutchess County entered 2021 by opening 3 county-run vaccination centers dubbed as PODs, which is in addition to any privately run locations at pharmacies or grocery stores. The locations are at the former JC Penney at the Poughkeepsie Galleria Mall, the former CVS, 3081 Route 22, Dover, and at Dutchess County Behavioral and Community Health - Mental Health Campus.

Why JC Penney? The retailer had filed for bankruptcy at the end of 2020 due in part to the pandemic shutdown, and has since emerged with new owners, possibly saving 60,000 jobs of the 85,000 jobs lost. The space inside of the mall with plenty of parking and public transportation drop-offs was available.

The only way to know about these locations in order to make an appointment at them is to follow Dutchess County announcements and local news. Why? Because the Dutchess County locations are not included in New York State’s Vaccine Hotline or Website to book an appointment. Only sites that Governor Cuomo designates as “Partner” sites are included in that very popular, state-wide website.

Beaconites like Joe Robitaille, owner of Homespun was eligible in late February for his vaccination, and used New York State’s website to book the only appointment he could. “The staff and I were sitting here looking at the website, clicking Refresh and appointments were just going, going, going right before our eyes. Finally we just clicked on anything, and I got Plattsburgh, NY.” That location is in the northern most part of New York State, near Vermont and Canada.

In early March, a location in Binghamton opened, and he switched appointments. “I'm off to Binghamton today to get my first vaccine shot! Got my appointment switched. So excited,” he told ALBB. Joe used the New York State website, and said he wasn’t aware of JC Penney location operated by Dutchess County.

Another local Beaconite was helping her dad, age 70, book his appointment back in February. “He called the New York State hotline. He didn’t use internet—at 70, I think the phone was less stressful than Internet. He got the appointment for April in Binghamton.” But the family wasn’t satisfied. They wanted an appointment sooner, and possibly closer. “We decided he should just call every day,” the resident continued to ALBB. “One day he called and they said they couldn’t really tell him details but they’d heard that Tops in New Paltz had appointments, and he called them, and got an appointment for 3 days later! He gets his second shot this Friday!”

When ALBB asked if her dad knew about the JC Penney location, the resident answered: “I don’t think it was an option he was given.”

Dutchess County’s Vaccination Plea To New York State To Add As A State Location

The entrance to the JC Penney COVID-19 Vaccination Site, run by Dutchess County.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

On February 19, 2021, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro wrote to Governor Cuomo, the letter of which was shared with media, which requested that the JC Penney vaccination POD site be added as an official New York State Partner vaccination site.

County Executive Molinaro stated in the letter: “I respectfully request New York State partner with Dutchess County Government to create a joint vaccination site at this current Poughkeepsie location. Due to the lack of supply given to our county, local residents must travel more than an hour to the nearest State-operated mass vaccination site, located at the Westchester County Center or SUNY Albany, and most cannot obtain an appointment in the next several months at either of those sites.”

Individuals can still get vaccinations at the JC Penney location - and any county-run location - but the option to book an appointment are not listed in the New York State website, which is what Governor Cuomo refers to daily when encouraging people to sign up for their vaccinations. Other locations are available in this region, including at pharmacies, but those are not included in the NY State appointment website.

New York State’s Incomplete Vaccination Appointment Website

Should all vaccination sites be located in a central website for New York State? Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro and the CDC believe that they should. Says Colleen Pillus, Communication Director for the County Executive Office told ALBB: “The County Executive has been openly advocating for a clear picture of where all vaccine is allocated and a centralized place to schedule appointments at any vaccine provider.”

With Governor Cuomo’s consistent display of data aggregation across multiple web pages in New York State’s COVID section of the website, as he tracks patterns of the virus to display to the public, it is not clear why the vaccine locations across the state are not included in that portal. From a website build standpoint, that build-out is not difficult using Google Map tool at the very least. Local design firms nation-wide have already built some for their communities (including my own website design firm for a company producing an antibody test to display various locations in CVS drug stores).

Additionally, when the COVID-19 tests rolled out across multiple private locations, Dutchess County was not designated as an official testing center by New York State. The omission of Dutchess County from New York State’s test center location finder website added time and confusion to the testing process.

When a person called the New York State testing hotline, as Governor Cuomo told people to do daily when he was marketing how easy it was to get tested, the closest location Dutchess County residents was the parking lot at the Bear Mountain Bridge. Despite multiple Dutchess County run testing centers in operation, like the one at Dutchess Stadium just up the road for Beaconites. ALBB reported on the confusion of testing locations and insurance early on.

“Vaccination Czar,” Impeachment Issue, and County Access To Doses

This location-with-benefits logic is now repeating itself for vaccination locations. And is part of why County Executives were so shaken up when New York State’s “Vaccination Czar,” Larry Schwartz, called County Executives across the state asking them for the support of Governor Cuomo during his current impeachment consideration, which is based in part on megalomaniac tendencies and political bullying.

Dutchess County Marcus Molinaro, who is president of the New York State County Executives Association, told NPR in a report on the multiple phonecalls: “[Molinaro] says in the eyes of these local officials, Schwartz's calls were troubling and that after receiving the calls, 3 to 4 executives contacted him or his staff to express their concern and disgust. Here is Molinaro. ’That these calls would be made at all was troubling. That they were made by the individual responsible for, really, with a great deal of discretion, distribution of vaccines was extremely disturbing to them.’”

Dutchess County Executive’s Response To Omission Of Dutchess County Vaccination Locations In NY State Website

The empty parking lot at JC Penney, the location of a Dutchess County run vaccination site that New York State continues to not grant partnership benefits to.
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin

Despite Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro’s repeated request to have the JC Penney POD be a “Partner” location by New York State, Governor Cuomo has not granted this designation. Though he has been adding partner locations regularly, and announced 2 in the Hudson Valley recently: one in Ulster County and in New Palz, which Governor Cuomo says, are not ready for the public yet. Dutchess County’s however, is already open and operational.

Despite New York State officials visiting Dutchess County’s JC Penney vaccination location prior to it opening and declaring it ready for scale, Governor Cuomo won’t make the partnership. "County Executive Molinaro has been advocating for the JCPenney location to be a mass vaccination site for several months,” said Colleen to ALBB. “In fact,” she continued, “as noted in his letter [to Governor Cuomo on 2/19/2021], officials from the Governor’s Office were on site at JCPenney when we first opened in January and noted how the capacity was certainly there to be expanded."

County Executive Molinaro pointed out in his 2/19/2021 letter to Governor Cuomo: “Though Dutchess County’s current 185,000-square-foot site in Poughkeepsie, inside the former JCPenney store at the Poughkeepsie Galleria, currently vaccinates fewer than 1,000 essential workers and seniors each week, due the limited number of doses we receive from New York State, our DBCH staff has the capability and space at the site to inoculate five times that number.”

Governor Cuomo Relevance To Dutchess County Executive Molinaro

Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro ran against Governor Cuomo in the last election for governor, and was defeated. Actress Cynthia Nixon from Sex and the City was also running. Governor Cuomo refers to County Executive Molinaro as “some county executive who ran against me” in a press conference delivered on February 19, 2021, the same day the letter was sent, after Governor Cuomo encouraged people to check with their counties for individual sign-up locations, emphasizing that New York State was opening state-run sites in “socially vulnerable communities.”

Governor Cuomo has been pressured by Republicans and a growing number of New York State politicians about the nursing home issue, which questions how the Governor designated nursing home deaths (if the person died at the hospital, but was a resident in a nursing home, then it did not count as a nursing home death in figures released by New York State). That questioning has erupted into a broader discussion of how Governor Cuomo works with - or doesn’t - other politicians running different parts or departments of the state, including his staff. The question of bullying and megalomaniac power tenancies have been questioned.

Governor Cuomo’s dismissive statement was made while the Governor was being questioned by the media about the nursing home issue, as he attempted to discredit critical voices. You can read the full transcript of the February 19th, 2021 press conference here. The Governor has since denied taking questions from the media during a later press conference, as the investigation into him begins, and impeachment is discussed.

“Socially Vulnerable" Communities In Poughkeepsie, Beacon and the Hudson Valley

In terms of “socially vulnerable” communities being the reason for the lack of New York State partnership with Dutchess County, there are plenty of people in Dutchess County who have lost jobs, were already in a lower income bracket, or don’t have a car.

Said County Executive Molinaro in his letter to Governor Cuomo: “[The people who book an appointment] are the lucky ones – residents who have personal transportation and can travel at a moment’s notice, should a much-coveted appointment open up for them. Residents in our underserved communities, who rely on public transportation to take them to appointments to receive this life-saving vaccination, cannot readily travel an hour or more to the State’s sites; they can, however, travel to our Poughkeepsie site, which is easily accessible by Dutchess County Public Transit.”

Public transportation from Beacon regularly circulates to the Poughkeepsie Galleria Mall, including the G-Line, which is the pretty blue bus line introduced as a partnership with Beacon, Poughkeepsie and Dutchess County last year.

How To Add Yourself To Dutchess County’s More Convenient Vaccination Location List

Dutchess County has a web page that shows what their allocation was of vaccinations for the week, as well as a signup form to sign up once, and wait to be called for an appointment at a Dutchess County location. Other locations, such as pharmacies, are listed there as well for convenience.

As for the number of allocation doses since the County Executive’s letter, Communication Director for Dutchess County Colleen Pillus confirmed to ALBB on 3/17/2021: “Vaccine doses have increased statewide (and decreased) over the past several weeks as more vaccine become available from the federal level. Overall, vaccine allotment is up from what we been receiving in Jan/Feb, but last week’s allocation was lower than the previous week’s allocation.”

Dutchess County makes weekly updates to many vaccination sites on their vaccination web page, including pharmacies and hospital facilities. Do check this page weekly if you are in pursuit of a vaccination shot for yourself or a family member, as you may find a dose at a nearby location to you in Beacon, Fishkill, or other communities.

Volunteers who are pursuing and booking vaccination appoints on behalf of those who are too challenged in technology or physical condition to do it themselves have been making a big difference to connect people with doses. Read ALBB’s interview with a Vaccination Appointment Whisperer, Heidi Harrison, to learn her tips and tricks.

NEW JOB LISTING at Bretts Hardware

Bretts Hardware is looking for cashiers/stock employees in all three locations (Beacon, New Windsor, Newburgh). The New Windsor location is also looking for an Assistant Manager.

Find out more information HERE.

NEW JOB LISTING at Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County, Inc.

Community Action Partnership for Dutchess County, Inc. is looking for a Part-Time Family Resource Coordinator (Bi-lingual Spanish Required)!

Find out more information HERE.

It's Time...Ice Cream Shops In Beacon!

The weather is getting warmer and you know what that means… it’s time for ICE-CREAM (although we are truly big fans all year round)! A reader already wrote to us about it on Thursday: “Urgent question: When is Ron’s opening?” By Friday afternoon, the Beacon Creamery had happy patrons sitting outside of it on their carved wooden bear bench.

People are gearing up to stand in socially distant lines (remember, don’t over-crowd!) to begin practicing how to order ahead from an ice cream shop, if they offer it. It is time to revisit Beacon’s ice-cream shops, as the spring weather has everyone itching to get outside in the sunshine.

Pictured: Mocha Crunch
Photo Credit: Beacon Creamery via Yelp

The Beacon Creamery

The Beacon Creamery is located at 134 Main St in Beacon, NY and they have mouth-watering flavors that you need to try now! Some include, “New York, New York” which includes cappuccino Kahlua, hot fudge, whipped cream, and raspberry sauce. They also have floats, ice cream sundaes, specialties, tipsy shakes, and regular ice cream with an option to add WINE ice cream for $2.00!

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Pictured: Blue Panda

Ron’s Ice Cream

Ron’s Ice Cream is located at 298 Fishkill Ave in Beacon, NY and they have all of the fun flavors you want like Birthday Cake or Cookies and Cream. And always sprinkles. Some special flavors include Chocolate Moose Tracks, Graham Central Station, Crazy Vanilla, Cookies n Cream, and many more! They also carry sundaes, specialty sundaes, flurries, milkshakes, slushies, and more. Oh, plus, they have hotdogs, burgers, snacks, sandwiches, and sides!

The parking lot is small for line crowding during a pandemic. Last year, Ron’s initiated a call-in service with no walk-up service. ALBB does not have word yet on how they will do it this year. Stay tuned!

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Zora Dora’s

Zora Dora’s Micro Batch Ice Cream And Paletas is located at 201 Main St in Beacon, NY, and makes ice creams and sorbets in the form of paletas! If you don’t know what a paleta is, it’s a frozen treat on a stick! Their handmade products are produced in small batches every day and they source and handpick the freshest seasonal ingredients available. They also offer catering and cart rentals!

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Pictured: Vegan Chocolate Orange

The Chocolate Studio

The Chocolate Studio doesn’t only have delicious chocolates and signature treats, but they also have ice cream! Vegan flavors too. You can pick-up vegan and gluten-free treats (or nonvegan/gluten-free) OR they ship nationwide! Sadly, ice-cream is excluded from the shipping part so you will have to stop in the store for that! But you’ll want to! So many flavors, you might have to get a few.

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Yankee Clipper Diner

You can also stop in the Yankee Clipper Diner for ice-cream! They have a few sundaes on their menu, including the Waffle Sundae, which is a freshly baked Belgian waffle with 2 scoops of ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, sprinkles, walnuts, and a cherry on top! I mean, this could be your breakfast! Add additional toppings for only $1.