This new coronavirus is either going to make us all into germaphobes, or leave us with cleaner homes and accessories. Community leaders, magazines, TV segments, teachers - they are all thinking outside the box for ways to kill germs around us. Case in point: Councilperson Air Rhodes provided some hygiene guidance a few City Council meetings ago. The suggestion was to wipe down and clean your smart phone.
But how? How does one clean the phone without wrecking the screen, as this blogger has done on more than one occasion to computer devices with screens? (Semi-pro tip: Don’t spray Mrs. Meyers on them, and don’t use nail polish remover on any shiny surface - duh and doh!!).
How To Disinfect An iPhone
We checked in with one of Beacon’s favorite IT gurus, Matt Clifton. (There are a few amazing tech gurus in Beacon… Consider listing yourself in A Little Beacon Blog’s Business Directory so that we know about you!)
To find this information, Matt went right to the source: Apple. Here’s what Apple recommends when disinfecting your phone:
“Is it OK to use a disinfectant on my Apple product?”
Using a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes, you may gently wipe the hard, nonporous surfaces of your Apple product, such as the display, keyboard, or other exterior surfaces. Don't use bleach. Avoid getting moisture in any opening, and don’t submerge your Apple product in any cleaning agents. Don’t use on fabric or leather surfaces.
UPDATE 3/10/2020: Route 9D is open; the fire has been contained but may still be burning.
The text came in from a train commuter at 8:29 pm: “The fires by Cold Spring were crazy today. There were at least 9 cars totally burned up.” This blogger had just left the City Council Workshop meeting in order to switch gears into another work assignment, and then drove to a high point in Beacon in order to see the orange glow at Breakneck still blazing at 9:30 pm. The Highlands Current reported that Route 9D had closed between Beacon and Cold Spring.
The Fishkill Police Department confirmed that the cars were destroyed, as first reported by WRRV and the department’s own Facebook page. We do know some information from other reports coming online this evening: The Dutchess Junction Fire Department was dispatched to a brush fire at 8 Hartsook Lane, according to an article at Mid Hudson News. The Rombout and Glenham Fire Departments were called to assist in fighting that fire. Fire departments from Eastern Orange County were called out to help battle the Breakneck Ridge brush fire, according to the article. The Fishkill Police Department was one of several agencies to respond and make updates. The Fishkill Police department reported that all hikers came down safely from the mountain.
The City of Beacon’s Fire Department was not called to assist in these fires, as they were fighting two other small fires near the train tracks in Beacon at the same time, according to Beacon’s Fire Chief, Gary Van Voorhis. We may have more information about those fires on Tuesday, so refresh this article if you’re looking for updates.
According to the Mid Hudson News article, several other brush fires have ignited during the day. This could be for a range of reasons, but know this: A burn ban is going into effect for the State of New York, which prohibits some open burning of trash, painted wood, leaves, and other items. Read all about it here.
Governor Cuomo spoke on Monday morning about New York State and the coronavirus, COVID-19, after declaring a state of emergency over the weekend. Several schools in New York City have closed, including places where someone who tested positive for COVID-19 either attended, or worked at, or is a spouse of someone who was regularly in the building.
Scarsdale, in Westchester County, announced Sunday evening that it would close the district until March 18 (just under a two-week period), and that they would explore e-learning options for students. A teacher at Scarsdale’s middle school tested positive for the virus and was experiencing “mild illness” according to Scarsdale’s message to parents.
This gets parents worried, of course for the safety of all persons, but also for the disruption to normal life. Work culture doesn’t usually allow for such duration of sick days. Plus, Beacon schools’ spring break is right around the corner (April 6-13), and there would be big disruption to the curriculum and activities that teachers have planned for children, which sometimes include grant-funded field trips and opportunities.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio agrees, and said in a news conference on Monday: “We would only consider closing any particular school for very specific reasons, and for as brief a period of time as possible,” as reported in The New York Times. “I think parents want to see the schools keep going so long as it’s safe, want to see their kids getting educated.” Mayor de Blasio also said that evidence indicated that coronavirus presented “minimal risk” to healthy children, and said “the schools are not the place we’d be looking first” to mitigate the virus. Read why Mayor de Blasio says that closing schools is a last resort.
Governor Cuomo issued guidance on school closures, stating that “if a student in New York tested positive for the virus, their school would be closed for an initial 24 hours while health officials assessed the situation,” according to the New York Times article.
Beacon Superintendent Matthew Landahl issued a letter to parents, which is posted to the district’s website here in English and here in Spanish. In it, Landahl stated: “If we have a positive test for COVID-19 with one of our students or employees, I will notify the school community after getting the information from the health department. Per Governor Cuomo today, schools will be closed for a 24-hour period if a student or employee tests positive, to clean and make further decisions. I will determine next actions in consultation with health and government officials.”
He also let the community know that day and evening custodians are working extra time during the week to make sure all high-touch surfaces get wiped down and disinfected. “They will be working Saturdays for the foreseeable future to help keep school buildings clean. The transportation department is disinfecting buses on a regular basis as well,” he stated.
Elementary schools have had small adjustments made by principals to the kids’ schedule “to allow students more time to wash their hands properly before lunch and at other times of the day.” At the secondary level, students are being educated and encouraged to wash their hands as often as possible.
What To Do With This Information
If you are a parent of young children, the Scarsdale closure might have had you panicking. This direction from Beacon Superintendent Matthew Landahl, Governor Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio might have you reassured. But you’ll still want to prepare mentally and physically:
Mental Prep
We’re going to lighten this mood by taking you back to 1978 in Columbus, Ohio. This blogger’s hubby was just a young lad then, in 7th grade. He experienced a two-week school closure after a blizzard dumped a lot of snow on already existing mounds of snow. Learn more details and see pictures in this article. His teachers taught their students by broadcasting on the TV. Days of broadcast! He remembers thinking his teachers were celebrities.
Blizzards make your physical life out of control. But they also can make acceptance of being snowed in a little easier. Translate this into voluntary closures and self-quarantining.
Headlines: Read the full article. Don’t just read a headline and keep going. The media (and yes, ALBB is part of the media and we try to headline responsibly) is using grabby headlines in some cases, which create anxiety. So read the full article before forming your opinion.
Lists: Make lists of things you need to do, and stick very closely to them. Working with small kids around you is distracting, but if you have your list, it’s easier to hunker down lightning-fast when you have moments when your kids are safely engaged in something. In those short bursts, you may actually have a more productive work day/week then you’ve ever had.
What To Do With Young Kids
Start making a list of what you would do with your young children while at home (if it were for two weeks… but so far we might be looking at 24 hours). Ideas include taking a walk. Learning to roller-skate. Enjoying the sunshine. You may not need to resort to this daily schedule, but having ideas helps.
Benefits Of This Possible Snow Day Series
Remember… We are thinking of it like snow days - which are out of our control. If home-schooling starts for the Beacon School District, this means:
Recess could increase from 20 minutes in your backyard or nearby park to 40 minutes (or more!)
You don’t have to shovel snow.
You could relax on your front porch or stoop and work or read.
Most important, is to take breaks from pressing the Refresh button on your coronavirus Google search. Step away from the computer. Step outside. Enjoy life. People are working on tests and vaccinations and best practices. You do you. Do your clean things. Don’t expect stores to give you wipes (supplies are out for everyone, so just wash up when you get home!). Stay informed but continue on.
Student members of the Grace Smith House United Peer Council at the sixth annual “Love Shouldn’t Hurt” conference on March 11, 2019.
High school students from 10 different Dutchess County school districts recently attended Grace Smith House’s seventh annual “Love Shouldn’t Hurt” conference on Monday, March 9, 2020. The daylong event brought students together at Dutchess Community College for interactive workshops and discussions on breaking the cycle of teen dating violence.
“The Love Shouldn’t Hurt conference gives students and staff a space to learn and gain knowledge about dating violence and resources available to young adults in the community,” said Grace Smith House Community Educator Megan Bajana.
School staff participate in a discussion about teen dating violence at Grace Smith House’s sixth annual “Love Shouldn’t Hurt” conference on March 11, 2019.
Across the nation, 1 in 3 teens will experience emotional, physical, verbal or sexual violence while in a relationship. Teenagers who experience dating violence are at greater risk of experiencing domestic violence in adulthood.
About 170 students and staff from the Arlington, Beacon, Dover, Hyde Park, Pine Plains, Poughkeepsie, Red Hook, Rhinebeck, Wappingers and Webutuck districts, along with Dutchess BOCES, attended this year’s conference.
The conference is generously funded through a Henry Nias Foundation grant. Speakers included Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and Senator Sue Serino.
The nonprofit Grace Smith House provides residential and nonresidential services to victims of domestic violence and their children in Dutchess County. For more information, to seek help or advice, visit www.gracesmithhouse.org or call the 24-hour hotline at (845) 471-3033.
Might this be the last weekend we need mittens? Maybe! Which is perfect because this weekend is the Dutchess County St. Patrick's Parade in Wappingers Falls. (Admit it, you're going to miss cute winter accessories!)
There is a reason this year's daylong festival is such a big deal: Wappingers Falls has been recovering from its second major fire within a decade which happened last week. The multi-alarm fire ruined the homes of and displaced 32 (number had increased since previous reports) people and wiped out four businesses. This day will be especially important as a community comes together. There are at least two big raffles, a race, Irish coffee and hot toddies, and more fun. A Little Beacon Blog has the scoop here.
Dutchess County's St. Patrick's Day Parade
in Wappingers Falls Day: Saturday, March 7, 2020 Time: 12:30pm Information >
Not-So-Silent Auction For The Quiet Man Pub Sign
at County Fare
Day: Saturday, March 7, 2020 Time: Ends in the evening - but don't wait until then. Location: 2652 E. Main St., Wappingers Falls, NY
The owner of County Fare had the sign of the pub prior, and a lot of people wanted it. After last week's devastating fire in Wappingers Falls, he is auctioning it off to the highest bidder. The bidding continues until Saturday evening! Latest bid is $2,100. Get The Full Scoop >
ARF Beacon - Penny Social
Day: Saturday, March 7, 2020 Time: 1 to 3 pm Location: VFW Hall, 413 Main Street, Beacon, NY
Penny Social to benefit the Animal Rescue Foundation. All dollars raised benefit a good cause and will touch the lives of every animal at ARF Beacon. Information >
Creative Works by Fifty Awesome Hudson Valley Women, Opening Reception
Day: Saturday, March 7, 2020 Time: 2:30 to 4:30 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Live Concert: Matthew Shipp (solo piano) Day: Saturday, March 7, 2020 Time: 8 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Climate Action Film Festival
Days: Saturday & Sunday, March 7-8, 2020 Time: Saturday, 7 to 9 pm; Sunday, 6 to 8 pm Location: Story Screen Beacon Theater, 445 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Plan ahead and check out what's coming up this month in our Events Guide.
BOUTIQUES ON THE WEST END
Luxe Optique
183 Main Street www.luxeoptique.com
The Haffmans & Neumeister line of eyewear is one of the most sophisticated in Luxe Optique right now. Just look at any one of the frames here, and go into the store to experience them in person. Going into the store is an opportunity that many do not have, since lines like this are only carried exclusively in select stores who value the craftmanship of the frame, like Luxe Optique.
BOUTIQUES ON THE EAST END
Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique
1 East Main Street, Retail #3 www.lambshillbridalboutique.com (near the dummy light) THIS WEEKEND!
Madison James Trunk Show, coming up Friday and Saturday, March 6 and 7. The Madison James collection blurs the lines between modern and vintage, appealing to a sense of whimsy and romance. Shop their latest collection at the boutique for one weekend only.⠀
Don't forget to vote for Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique for #bestofhudsonvalley2020! Visit www.hvmag.com and vote for best bridal shop (#7) Type in "Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique" in the town of Beacon. ⠀
Call (845) 765-2900 or book your appointment online through their website!
Be sure to check A Little Beacon Blog's Shopping Guide for all of our sponsors! You don't want to miss great discoveries like PTACEK Home and LLTO (Live Light Travel Often).
If You Build It: 3-D Shapes
Day: Saturdays, March 7 and 21, 2020 Times: 12 to 4 pm Location: Hudson Valley MOCA - 1701 Main St., Peekskill, NY Information >
For a full list of upcoming classes, visit A Little Beacon Blog's Adult Classes Guide.
Antalek & Moore is sharing their #employeeappreciation day love. "We couldn’t be more grateful for our Antalek & Moore family that make their office a fabulous place to work today and everyday! Thank you to each and every one of our employees. We couldn’t do what we do without you."
Beacon Chamber of Commerce Now on Instagram!
Do you follow @beaconchamber on Instagram? They have some new pictures flowing! Stay up to date with the Beacon Chamber of Commerce promoting businesses and events, and giving recognition to those who make Beacon so great.
Is your business in the Business Directory of the Beacon Chamber of Commerce yet? It should be. Join today. Learn More >
Katie James, Inc.
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MASTHEAD Producers of this newsletter include:
Katie Hellmuth Martin, Publisher, Writer, Designer, Photographer
Marilyn Perez, Managing Editor
Catherine Sweet, Editor of the Second Saturday Guide
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When Dana Tompkins bought County Fare, he inherited the long-loved sign from the pub that the location previously housed: The Quiet Man Pub. “People my age seem to have a special connection with this place. As does the older crowd,” Dana told A Little Beacon Blog. Dana is 40 and has two young kids. The person who Dana bought County Fare from, who currently owns Graceland, told Dana that a lot of people wanted the sign. “Sure enough,” Dana said, “those same people walked into County Fare wanting the sign. But I held onto it, because you never know.”
Last week, on February 25, 2020, the building at 10 Market Street, in Wappingers Falls, caught fire, most likely a result of a welding accident on a fire escape, and ravaged the building, displacing 32 people from their homes in the apartments, and destroying four businesses. This is the second fire in a decade to happen in the Village of Wappingers Falls.
“Come in and leave a bid! It’s wide open.”
— Dana Tompkins, Owner, County Fare
Dana made the swift decision to auction off the Quiet Man Pub sign in a silent auction. Then he changed it to a “Not-So-Silent” auction: “I realized I had an opportunity to get these people going up against this thing. Let’s drive the bidding up! To raise money for those displaced! Right now, I have a few people who keep outbidding each other.” The highest bid is $2,100 as of Friday afternoon, and includes a bidder from Manhattan. People can place bids at the bar or by contacting Dana at County Fare. The auction will end on Saturday night after the Dutchess County St. Patrick’s Day Parade and celebration in Wappingers Falls.
Auction & Raffle With 20 Prizes To Raise Funds At County Fare
The sign isn’t the only item being used to raise money for those impacted by the fire. County Fare has a raffle with 20 prizes. “There are gift certificates to every place you can think of,” explained Dana. Gold’s Gym is giving away a one-year family membership; there are Yankees tickets to Opening Weekend, and more prizes.
Dana has been humbled by the response he has seen come forward for the community. “The Village and Town of Wappingers have come together like I've never really seen a community come together to help families and businesses. As someone trying to really create an amazing fundraiser, and [as] close personal friends with multiple people who were displaced, I am grateful from the bottom of [my] heart. It is very humbling to see how many people care.”
The community outreach platform Wappingers Rises has been promoting where people can donate and enjoy the Village of Wappingers Falls during the parade and daylong celebration. Online fundraising has been created by the Wappinger Town Supervisor, Richard L. Thurston at this GoFundMe page, which has raised over $15,000 to date, and remains open for more help. Other online fundraising sites include Mario’s Sandwich Shop (Mario’s GoFundMe page), TJ’s Barbershop (TJ’s GoFundMe page), a personal page organized by Irais Quezada (as forwarded by Wappingers Rising). Local churches are also accepting donations to be given to victims.
What’s On Tap?
What will be on tap at this local craft beer specialty restaurant and bar? “Super local ones,” confirmed Dana. Three varieties from Sloop Brewing, Cousins Ale (you’ve seen on them on Route 9… now is your chance to taste it if you haven’t yet!), Mill House, other craft beers, and of course, Guinness, because, well, it’s St. Patrick’s Day.
It’s the 25th anniversary of Dutchess County’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in the historic district of Wappingers Falls! It will take place on Friday, March 7 at 1 pm - rain or shine. While commonly known as the Wappingers St. Patrick’s Day parade, it is in fact the countywide parade, open to all. “Few people realize this is the Dutchess County St. Patrick’s Day Parade,” Courtney Kolb of Wappingers Rises, told A Little Beacon Blog. Oftentimes you hear people say “Wappinger Parade,” but it’s actually the county parade.
First Big Event After The Devastating Fire At 10 Market Street In February
The community and local businesses have come together in support of those who have been displaced by the fire, including the 32 people who lost their homes to the fire, and the four businesses whose businesses were destroyed: Mario’s Sandwich Shop (Mario’s GoFundMe page), TJ’s Barbershop (TJ’s GoFundMe page), the studio for artist Andrew Woolbright and Your Green Spa. To date, the GoFundMe page set up by Wappingers Town Supervisor Richard L. Thurston has raised $15,695 (still open, new goal of $20K!). Funds have started being disbursed to those in need. Throughout the parade route, individuals with buckets will be collecting relief funds. County Fare restaurant is auctioning off the original and highly sought- after "Quiet Man Pub" sign and donating proceeds to the fire recovery efforts.
What Locals Are Saying
County Fare owner Dana Tompkins gave us the lay of the land of what to expect during the parade and the festivities that follow after. Afraid of parking? No problem, said Dana. “People park anywhere and everywhere. Plus, all of the cops will be at the parade.” County Fare will be selling Irish coffee and hot toddies. Kids with donation buckets will be in the area collecting for relief efforts for those displaced by the fire.
The Shamrock Run Before The Parade
The day begins with Mass at St. Mary’s being led by His Eminence Cardinal Timothy Dolan at 9 am.
After Mass, check out Fleet Feet’s Wappinger’s Shamrock Run, which is a 1-mile run held right before the parade at 12:45 pm. You can sign up to participate in the run by clicking here. Local resident Christopher Regan is timing the event and made the medals that will be given to all who complete the run. The run will conclude next to Mesier Park in the village of Wappingers near the grandstand. Wear your most festive St. Patrick's gear, and let's kick off parade day with some fun!
What To Expect At The Dutchess County St. Paddy’s Day Parade In Wappingers Falls
The parade kicks off at 1 pm and last about an hour. This is a downtown-wide event, so there will be things to do in several businesses. A parade after-party is at Stephano’s Ristorante beginning at 2:30 pm with raffles, live music, cash bar. County Fare is also having a big raffle, which includes a one-year membership to Gold’s Gym, and the final results of their Not So Silent auction for their famous Quiet Man Pub sign. Bids are still being taken. The last bid we heard about was $2,100, and competition is getting serious.
Local restaurants will have special items on their menu to celebrate the day like a “Coquito Go Bragh” from Café Con Leche (also located on Market Street), Irish coffee and hot toddies from County Fare, and sweet treats from Sweet Bakes Cafe. Mario’s Sandwich Company - whose storefront was lost by the fire (click here to donate to Mario’s GoFund me effort to rebuild) - will have a table set up at East Main Street to sell sandwiches and soda bread. Show owner Frank Camey some support, and stop by!
Find Even More Deals And To-Dos At Wappingers Rises
Wappingers Rises has dedicated an Instagram Highlight called “St. Patrick’s” to show rotating Stories of what different businesses are offering throughout the day. Go there and flip through to stay in the know. Says Courtney of Wappingers Rises: “You can expect fun, family, and sunshine!!! The weather looks great and the businesses have pulled out wonderful food and drink specials.If you’ve been considering a visit to The Village, make tomorrow the day.” Even if the weather gets chilly, bring your best winter accessories, because this could be the last time this season you get to use them.
Here’s a sneak peek, via a look back at past Dutchess County St. Patrick’s Day parades:
UPDATE: Testing is a rapidly evolving situation. Visit this New York State COVID-19 Page for the most up-to-date information.
Testing for Coronavirus (as of 3/21/2020) - Get the up to date information here at the New York York State COVID-19 Website. The experience of getting testing changes. As it changes, New York State updates their COVID-19 website. According to the New York Sate Website: - (As of 3/21/2010) “Testing is free to all eligible New Yorkers as ordered by a health care provider or by calling the NYS COVID-19 hotline at 1-888-364-3065.”
New York State and Dutchess County urge you to not go to your doctor or an Urgent Care without calling them first. The medical professionals need to prepare to see you. If you have it, it exposes their office and other patients.
Christopher Formisano, a communications specialist with the department, responded:
“If you believe you have contracted COVID-19, call ahead to your primary care doctor or urgent care so that they can take necessary precautions prior to arrival. Do NOT go directly to the hospital unless you are in distress.
”Currently, testing for COVID-19 is not readily available to medical providers. Doctors, following guidance from NYS Department of Health and CDC**, determine if testing is warranted and then make necessary arrangements.
”Testing still goes through a centralized process with testing being done at Wadsworth Lab in Albany and the NYC Public Health Lab. Once testing is available commercially, anyone will be able to go to their primary care doctor or an urgent care and get tested.”
Christopher went on to state that are currently no known cases in Dutchess County, and provided advice:
“COVID-19 (or Coronavirus) is a droplet-spread disease, much like the flu or the common cold. Person-to-person spread occurs mainly via respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Symptoms are very similar to the flu, ie fever, cough, shortness of breath.”
“We are encouraging residents to monitor and get up-to-date guidance from trusted sources - including our County webpage on coronavirus www.dutchessny.gov/coronavirus and take basic prevention efforts including:
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick. Rest and recover.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. Most household sprays and wipes will work.
Cough or sneeze into your sleeve or a tissue (not your hands), then throw the tissue in the trash."
If you have more than one child, you have most likely been self-quarantined for weeks as a sickness passed through your home as you care for children, and/or yourself. There have been hardly any snow days this season, but personal sick days, yes. Consider this a wake-up call to wash our hands and homes a lot more, and stay home when sick!
WHO (World Health Organization) expert (pictured right), answering a COVID-19 Q+A on a LinkedIn live-stream on 3/4/2020.
According to a leading COVID-19 expert at the World Health Organization (WHO) who spoke today on LinkedIn via live-stream (ALBB is working to verify her name spelling, which was not typed on the live-stream) for a Q+A interview on the difference between flu and COVID-19 - the new strain of the coronavirus that is showing to be more harmful to older people and people with underlying conditions and immune deficiencies - people dismiss the flu as part of everyday life. She said: “Because people get used to seasonal flu epidemic, they think it's not harmful. If they don't get good treatment, they die from it.” She went on to answer several questions from viewers, including symptoms to watch for, and prevention tips. Find those later in this article.
A reader wrote in to A Little Beacon Blog to ask if there were any upcoming events in Beacon about the coronavirus. While there hasn’t been an in-person or live-stream event planned of yet, we wanted to provide some local resources to tap into. No doubt you are reading every tweet and headline that crosses your inbox. Here’s a collection of the information we’ve found most useful:
Guidance From Beacon’s City Council
At the Monday, March 2, 2020, City Council meeting, Councilperson Air Rhodes, who represents Ward 2, read aloud a press release from Governor Cuomo that stressed that people wash their hands, and provided the number to the New York State Coronavirus Hotline: (888) 364-3065. You can call that number with questions and concerns. You can also visit New York State’s Coronavirus web page, which has what it claims to be the latest updates for numbers of people testing positive, negative, and pending results.
Air reminded everyone that cell phones are often germ factories, and to disinfect them.
Also at that meeting, Beacon’s City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero let the community know that Beacon would be participating in the coronavirus conference call that was initiated by Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro on Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
Dutchess County has stated that to date, no one in the county has tested positive with coronavirus. This could change as testing gets under way.
Testing Of The New Coronavirus, COVID-19, In Dutchess County
UPDATE 3/5/2020: Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health responded to our inquiry about testing. A lot of information about the development of the testing can be found at Dutchess County’s website. Christopher Formisano, a communications specialist with the department, made the following statement with regards to testing:
“If you believe you have contracted COVID-19, call ahead to your primary care doctor or urgent care so that they can take necessary precautions prior to arrival. Do NOT go directly to the hospital unless you are in distress.
”Currently, testing for COVID-19 is not readily available to medical providers. Doctors, following guidance from NYS Department of Health and CDC**, determine if testing is warranted and then make necessary arrangements.
”Testing still goes through a centralized process with testing being done at Wadsworth Lab in Albany and the NYC Public Health Lab. Once testing is available commercially, anyone will be able to go to their primary care doctor or an urgent care and get tested.”
The coronavirus expert with WHO in Geneva on the LinkedIn live stream did stress that COVID-19 is a new strand (hence the number 19, for when the virus emerged in 2019, according to Dutchess County’s website), so everything is new. Testing, vaccinations, figuring out symptoms, etc.
The expert at WHO during the live-stream stated: “More than 80 percent of the cases are mild. 96 percent or more of the people in China will recover from the disease.”
She also stated about those who would be most seriously impacted: “People in their 50s … above 40s to very old, up to 80 years old.” She said that children are less affected. Children, however, could also be asymptomatic, as indicated by the CDC. “The people who will have a more severe form of the disease that require hospitalization are people with older age, or people with underlying conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer, or any other immune deficiency.”
Guidance From Beacon City School District
Superintendent Matthew Landahl, who has young children in the district, issued a letter to families which was also published on the District’s website. In it, he listed what the Beacon City School District is doing to prevent the spread of this new strain of coronavirus:
Open Line Of Communication With Dutchess County Behavioral and Community Health: The District has in-person meetings, webinars, and phone calls with the County. If people test positive, the County and the District will work together on next steps.
Custodial Coverage Increased: The janitorial teams at the schools have been focusing on cleaning all high-touch surfaces using special equipment and products during the flu season. Recently, they increased custodial coverage in all buildings to assist in this.
Hand-Washing Lessons: School nurses and other educators have been providing hand-washing lessons. Wash for 20 seconds, or sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
A Little Beacon Blog checked in with South Avenue Elementary’s Principal Laura Cahill, who shed light on how they are following protocol in their elementary school: “We have specific times scheduled between lunch and recess to wash hands. This does not impact the 20 minutes for lunch and 20 minutes for recess. Mrs. White, our RN, has been meeting with each class to show proper hand-washing, and we have been using videos to augment the message.”
Guidance From The CDC
According to the CDC, data for symptoms described generally comes from people who are already hospitalized patients, often with pneumonia.
Frequently reported signs and symptoms include (according to the CDC):
fever (83–98%)
cough (46%–82%)
myalgia (muscle pain or soreness) or fatigue (11–44%)
shortness of breath (31%) at illness onset
“Sore throat has also been reported in some patients early in the clinical course.“
“Less commonly reported symptoms include sputum production (thick mucus), headache, hemoptysis (coughing up of blood or blood-stained mucus from the bronchi, larynx, trachea, or lungs), and diarrhea.”
“Some patients have experienced gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and nausea prior to developing fever and lower respiratory tract signs and symptoms.”
“The fever course among patients with COVID-19 is not fully understood; it may be prolonged and intermittent. Asymptomatic infection has been described in one child with confirmed COVID-19 and chest computed tomography (CT) abnormalities.”
If you can watch the live-stream on LinkedIn, do. The expert, whose name we cannot verify spelling on at this time, is quite calm and informative. Some highlights from the Q+A:
Who has been dangerously impacted?
She answered that from the data they got from the first affected countries, the most dangerously affected population was “people in their 50s … above 40s to very old, up to 80 years old.” She said that children are less affected. Children, however, have also been asymptomatic. “The people who will have more severe form of the disease that require hospitalization are people with older age, or people with underlying conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, cancer, or any other immune deficiency.”
Is Coronavirus a cold-weather virus?
She answered: “We don’t know. We are still in winter. Some studies have been done in a laboratory. In the summer, people tend to go more outside. Houses tend to be more ventilated because it's hot. This tends to reduce the spread of viruses. COVID-19 is a new virus we are still learning about.”
How does coronavirus spread?
The expert answered that the virus travels in “small droplets in humidity. It goes to the other person. Droplets cannot travel very far, and need to be very close to people. Droplets can drop on surfaces. If someone touches the surface, then this person touches the surface with the hands, and the hand is contaminated, and touches the face or nose or mouth, then the person can get infected.”
The germ can live on clothing, rugs, fabric for a certain time period.
Should you self-quarantine?
The expert’s answer was that movement is part of life, and that sick people should stay home. “If you stop movement, our life will be very different,” and could “impact people more than the virus itself.” She suggested looking at how to maintain the balance, such as maybe not shaking hands, but developing a new way of greeting someone. “Some people are carrying the disease, but don’t show symptoms. Very hard to stop the virus in those conditions.”
COVID-19 Symptoms she is seeing?
The expert answered: “Depends on the people.” People who show symptoms: “Fever. Sometimes the fever comes after the cough, and it’s a dry cough. Shortness of breath. Shows that your lungs are infected. Some people are vomiting, and have diarrhea. But these are uncommon symptoms in this virus. Fatigue. But fatigue is common in many virus situations.”
Should everyone wear masks?
The WHO expert encouraged a person who is sick to wear a mask. “But really, stay home. Or stay away from others at least one meter,” she said. However, she stressed why people who don’t think they’re already sick should not wear masks, which matches what WHO is saying on their website, which addresses shortages. She said:
“Reserve for people who really need it: health care workers. All people working closely with patients.” WHO says there is a shortage because of panic purchasing.
“If you wear it for many hours, is uncomfortable. Instead of being more cautious, you tend to forget that what is more important is to wash your hands. You can still touch your eyes, and get the virus through your eyes.”
Common Sense Home Hygiene Tips
Keeping your home free of germs is a big job. The byproduct of this new coronavirus could be that you have a really clean home for a while. Quick tips:
Bleach: Use cleaning products with bleach. Dilute bleach in water and wipe things down that way.
Rags or Paper Towels: Use generously. Don’t get stingy and use every square inch and then some. It could keep spreading germs. Just get a new rag and put the dirty rag into the laundry machine.
Laundry: Run the laundry machine all of the time with detergent.
Clothing: If you sneeze or cough on yourself, or if someone does so near you, change your clothes when you get home. Put the clothes directly into the laundry machine and start it.
Vacuum: Vacuum often or when a potentially sick person is in your home. Empty the vacuum dirt right away.
Empty Trash: Maybe your trash cans around the home fill up and stay there. Empty them every day. Spray the can with Lysol or another germ-killing product.
Clean Toilets: Up your game with cleaning that toilet bowl! The Mr. Clean wands are really easy. Using a brush carries germs, so use something disposable (sorry, Environment).
Clean Behind Toilets: The best advice from a home-cleaner is to wipe behind and next to the toilets on the floor. Lots of germs back there.
Change Your Towels: The hand towels in the bathrooms and the ones you shower with. Just keep rotating them. Especially if multiple people are in the house who could be carrying a germ during cold and flu season.
Wash Your Dishes: Some people prefer Dish Pileup in the sink. Like this couple on this Marketplace podcast “Thi$ Is Uncomfortable.” Bite the bullet and just wash ‘em and put ‘em in the dishwasher if you have one. Then wipe your clean sink with soap or bleach. Every day.
Wash Your Hands and Nails: The recommended way to wash hands is to do it for 20 seconds, to wash both the front and back of your hands, and to get the soap under your nails. If your hands start to get dry, get Wonder Salve from a former Beaconite now based in Vermont.
Open The Windows: Like the expert from WHO said, summer helps reduce the spread of viruses because homes tend to be open to the outdoors. if it’s not too cold, open those windows and doors to let the breeze in.
Common Sense Feel-Better Tips
If you feel sick, call the doctor. PM Pediatrics is great as a pediatric urgent care. If you are suffering through cold or flu or coronavirus symptoms, call the doctor, and then if told to self-care, consider the following:
Hydrate: Your body needs those electrolytes, so have Gatorade with sugar on hand (skip the fake-sugar G stuff).
Sleep: Your body needs to sleep. It wants to sleep. Let it.
Breathing Problems: Especially if you are not used to breathing problems, go to the doctor. They can progress very quickly if not treated. If you are prescribed an inhaler, take it and use it. Don’t think that your breathing needs to be worse before you take a puff or nebulizer treatment.
Gatorade Upstairs and Downstairs: If you experience nausea, keep Gatorade upstairs and downstairs. If you’re in bed upstairs, getting downstairs could be difficult. Especially if you are alone. Keep crackers and water with you, too.
Call A Friend or 911 If You Can’t Care For Yourself: If you’re alone, and you can’t care for yourself to feed yourself or get what you need, don’t be shy to call a neighbor, friend, or 911 for help. Calling a friend might infect them, so consider 911 if your regular doctor’s office can’t advise you and you’re in an emergency.
Get All Your Questions Answered By Your Doctor: Sometimes a well-meaning doctor will answer your question by saying: “You can Google it.” This has happened to this blogger more than once. Or, you might hear this answer: “Just do common sense practices,” and won’t give you ideas or reminders. Feel free to press your doctor for a better answer, reminding them that you are in the office right now, speaking to them in person, and would like to hear their full answer to your question, and not Google’s.
Call Your Mom: Or if yours isn’t available, try any mom. A mom might remind you of some home medical trick that you long forgot about. Just call your mom if you’re feeling under the weather and see what she says. Or your dad of course, if your dad did a lot of doctoring in the home.
Pictured here are the new co-owners of The Underground Beacon. Albert Mas (front left) and Michael Lioce (front right). Behind them are Violet Mas, Courtney Mas, Ash Lioce, Marvel Anne Lioce, Dom Lioce, and Lita Lioce. Photo Credit: The Underground Beacon
Beacon’s famed comic book shop, The Underground Beacon, has been saved by a customer, after the shop announced via Instagram that they would be closing due to a terminally ill family member and raising rent on February 16, 2020. That family member was owner Albert Mas’ mother, Anne, who passed on Sunday, February 23, 2020. “She was the true matriarch of the family,” says Albert’s wife, Courtney Mas, of her mother-in-law. Albert and Courtney have a young daughter, Violet Mas, who has grown up with the shop since it opened in June 2018.
According to an article in the Highlands Current, Albert and Courtney had enough money saved to take the shop through 2019, but after holiday sales slowed, and with his mother’s declining health, the boxes of comic books stored in a corner that held $20,000 worth of inventory was daunting as customer tastes change and can make inventory obsolete.
Albert told the Highlands Current that writing the announcement to close was one of the hardest things he has ever done. The flip side, however, of the announcement was how the community came out to help the shop, which warmed Albert’s heart. “I didn’t expect the magnitude of the positivity that I got from people,” he told the Highlands Current. “I was in a dark place, and it changed my whole attitude.” Note that in the announcement post, a somber black-and-white version of the normally colorized version of the shop’s logo was used.
Flip the page to a new chapter, and in walk Michael and Ash Lioce and their 3 children (Marvel Anne, Dom, and Lita), loyal customers of The Underground Beacon. It turns out, Mike, a freelance television editor and comic collector, had a secret dream of owning and running a comic book shop. With the start of his growing family, his children rekindled his desire to collect and explore comic books. In Albert’s announcement to close, he did state he and Courtney were open to a partnership or buy-out. A new dream was born.
How The Partnership Came To Be
Michael and Ash heard about the closing during an event. “We learned about the story from a friend at a toddler’s birthday party. That friend had heard through their social media. Though we follow the store in social, for some reason, it didn’t come up in our feeds,” Michael and Ash told A Little Beacon Blog. “As soon as we found out, we reached out to Albert and Courtney. Our emotions were panic and excitement. We wanted to be involved and wanted it to be a family venture. We are so grateful that the Mas’ were happy to partner with us. It has always been a dream of Michael’s to start a comic book store. He dipped his toes in a couple of times, but timing and money never quite worked out.”
After a few nail-biting days of The Underground Beacon posting hints of a continuation, and that the regular Wednesday comic book release days and Friday “Magic The Gathering” days were still on, The Underground Beacon announced on Sunday that the new partnership is official.
As for the location, are they staying? “Usually comic shops grow into a place this big,” Albert told the Highlands Current. “But when I was looking for spaces, this was the best one for the best price… It’s my dream space.”
Also on Sunday, The Underground Beacon has confirmed to a A Little Beacon Blog that they are staying in their current location at 462 Main Street in Beacon.
Available At The Underground Beacon
The best way to discover what is available is to go in, but there are several ways to use the comic book shop:
Wednesdays: comic book release days
Fridays: “Magic The Gathering” days
Skateboard designs and repairs: A new skateboard vendor is scheduled to come in April to do design and repair.
Kids’ birthday parties: The shop has a back room where many of the events take place, including kids’ birthday parties. A hit for indoor parties and shared video gaming experiences.
Toys and collectibles: Everything from collectible action figures to board games to books to cards.
Video game tournaments, comedy shows, etc.: Events galore at the shop. Keep stopping in to learn about them, and follow on social media. But don’t depend on digital - go inside in person!
Hooray! We’re so glad to see The Underground staying.
The second of two community forums held by Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou happens today, Saturday, February 29, 2020 at 10 am in the Memorial Building at 413 Main Street (same location as Beacon Farmers Market in the winter). Mayor Lee and the City Council surrounding him ran on campaigns to alter and steer the course of development in Beacon, which is currently booming as a result of approvals made years ago for new commercial and residential buildings.
For the past several years, residents of Beacon who have attended City Council meetings as members of the public have called for easier ways of understanding how development works in Beacon, and at large. People have wished for glossaries to explain acronyms that are used during development presentations by City Council members, the City Planner, the City Attorney, or any person presenting on a piece of land and how it will be used.
Over the course of those years during the previous administration under Mayor Randy Casale, the City Council made a number of changes to alter how development is done in Beacon, from changing legislation, to acquiring control over certain areas of the broad process that developers must go through in order to get various approvals on small and large decisions.
The easiest way to keep up with these changes has been to watch City Council meetings on the city’s public access channel, or the Vimeo account where they are posted. It feels a like a lot of homework at first, but homework is how acronyms are learned, and how the inner workings of the process are conducted. This forum is one way that the administration has created to connect directly with the community to teach the background of Beacon and how it came to be in this moment.
As you’ll see when you start listening to these presentations, major shifts can happen within a simple year of each other. If you wonder why one building looks one way, and another looks completely different, it is usually because rules changed somewhere in between the years of them being built or renovated.
A Little Beacon Blog does republish City Council meeting videos in our City Government section, to make it easy for you to get meeting agendas and the videos in one place. In-person events like this can help you follow along in the reporting of major decisions that are made, and how they impact the landscape or the ability to do something.
If you missed this event, A Little Beacon Blog will be publishing notes that the City Planner has been presenting to the council (they are fascinating!) or watch the video below.
The weekend is here, and with it, two major events that you can't catch again anytime soon: the Maker Film Festival at Story Screen, and the Concert For Recovery at Towne Crier. The concert is held in honor of Towne Crier's owners, Phil and Mary Ciganer's son Greyson, who was lost to opioid addiction. Details on that are below.
The Maker Film Festival is the brainchild of a Beacon-based author who is a big influence in the world of publishing and makers: Melanie Falick. A Little Beacon Blog interviewed Melanie to learn more about how she got the book published, what inspired her to grow it into a film festival, and what we can expect to see on the screen this weekend in terms of short and long films exploring people making with their hands.
Howland Playhouse presents “Why The Child Is Cooking In The Polenta”
Day: Friday, February 28, 2020 Time: 8 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Movies That Matter presents Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin
Day: Friday, February 28, 2020 Time: 7 to 10 pm Location: McKinley Hall, 50 Liberty St., Beacon, NY Information >
Maker Film Festival
Days: Saturday & Sunday, February 29-March 1, 2020 Time: 1 to 8 pm Location: Story Screen Beacon Theater, 445 Main St., Beacon, NY
It's the debut of Makers Film Festival, which has a lineup of films featuring makers and mediums from all over the world, including both full-length and short films, panel discussions, a maker market, and more. Learn more about this new festival in our article. Information >
Clearwater’s Annual Gala, to Celebrate Folk Musician Tom Chapin’s 75th Birthday
Day: Sunday, March 1, 2020 Time: 3 pm Location: The Garrison, 2015 Route 9, Garrison, NY Information >
Howland Chamber Music Circle presents Piano Festival with Lincoln Trio Day: Sunday, March 1, 2020 Time: 4 pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St., Beacon, NY Information >
Concert For Recovery:
Phil And Mary Ciganer Of The Towne Crier Lose Son Greyson To Opioid Addiction -
Hosting A Benefit Concert To Transform Personal Tragedy Into Call For Action Day: Sunday, March 1, 2020 Time: 4 pm Location: Towne Crier, 372 Main St., Beacon, NY Information & Interview With Phil >
Plan ahead and check out what's coming up this month in our Events Guide.
BOUTIQUES ON THE WEST END
Luxe Optique
183 Main Street www.luxeoptique.com
Baby have you seen her... This is Lizzi Conley, a fashion Instagram influencer seen on the streets of Beacon, and right here in Luxe Optique's new chic cozy corner. This corner of Luxe has shown off bespoke (aka custom-made) suits by a Beacon designer, as well as hand-painted glasses. Check it out, as you'll always find something different inside of Luxe Optique.
BOUTIQUES ON THE EAST END
Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique
1 East Main Street, Retail #3 www.lambshillbridalboutique.com (near the dummy light) SAVE THE DATE!
Madison James Trunk Show Coming Up Friday and Saturday, March 6 and 7. The Madison James collection blurs the lines between modern and vintage, appealing to a sense of whimsy and romance. Shop their latest collection at the boutique, for one weekend only.⠀
Don't forget to vote for Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique for #bestofhudsonvalley2020! Visit www.hvmag.com and vote for best Bridal shop (#7) Type in "Lambs Hill Bridal Boutique" in the town of Beacon. ⠀
Call (845) 765-2900 or book your appointment online through their website!
Be sure to check A Little Beacon Blog's Shopping Guide for all of our sponsors! You don't want to miss great discoveries like PTACEK Home and LLTO (Live Light Travel Often).
Tina Vaitkus is a heart survivor. After participating in the American Heart Association's #BetterU program, and improving her health, she had a heart attack and almost died while her teenage son watched and did what he could. Tina didn't die, as her life was saved in time. This is her story. This was her keynote speech, but she gave an intimate reading of it at the Antalek & Moore offices on Main Street in Beacon one Friday afternoon. A Little Beacon Blog was fortunate enough to be stopping by that afternoon, and listened in person. Watch This 5-Minute Story >
Beacon Chamber of Commerce Now on Instagram!
Do you follow @beaconchamber on Instagram? They have some new pictures flowing! Stay up to date with the Beacon Chamber of Commerce promoting businesses, events, and giving recognition to those who make Beacon so great.
Is your business in the Business Directory of the Beacon Chamber of Commerce yet? It should be. Join today. Learn More >
Katie James, Inc.
Couture branding for businesses. Crafting of social media strategies, website designs, and newsletter plans to keep your customer base engaged. Learn More >
MASTHEAD Producers of this newsletter include:
Katie Hellmuth Martin, Publisher, Writer, Designer, Photographer
Marilyn Perez, Managing Editor
Catherine Sweet, Editor of the Second Saturday Guide
Advertise With A Little Beacon Blog
The support from every advertiser of A Little Beacon Blog helps make local news get produced. You can be part of making it happen, and get your business in front of the community in a meaningful way.
Photo Credits: From “Making A Life” by Melanie Falick.
It’s not often that the concept of a book is brought to life in the form of a collection of long and short films screened at a local theater. But that is what is happening this weekend, Saturday, February 29 and Sunday, March 1, 2020. Local author and revered publisher Melanie Falick has published her book, “Making A Life” after three years in the works. The book’s arrival onto shelves in 2019 wasn’t the end of that journey. Ideas for a film festival percolated and came to life at Story Screen Beacon with the cooperation of the theater’s founder, programmer and co-owner, Mike Burdge.
What follows below is an interview with Melanie, to find out how a book author, dedicated to a life of making things, co-curated a film festival that brings Beaconites and visitors to our city/town a taste of well-known makers in some specific fields, but mostly unknown to the rest of us.
Poster for the Maker Film Festival at Story Screen. Feb. 29 and Mar 1, 2020.
Most exciting (to this writer), aside from exploring the unknown makers and methods that will be lighting up the screen, is one of the films with a focus on Natalie Chanin, of the fashion and lifestyle line Alabama Chanin (see ALBB’s article for the list of films). Natalie was known for employing women and quilters in Alabama to stitch T-shirts with hand-made flowers and other details you’d pine for.
This writer’s discovery of Alabama Chanin was during my indie designer days when I was producing accessories. I’d been working with a stitcher in the Garment District of New York City. When he closed up shop to open a Chinese restaurant, I somehow discovered Reita Posey, a one-time stitcher for Alabama Chanin, before that phase of the fashion label disbanded for a bit (they are back now). I’d send Reita my fabric and pattern, and she’d send back my inventory.
I valued Reita’s work so much, even though I was not doing the work myself. Something I internally struggled with, and actually had me not sell my things in the Etsy world, because I did not physically stitch each one (something which the Etsy community/rules have moved beyond now).
Working with one’s hands is key to getting in touch with oneself, even if you’re not a professional and even if you don’t know what you’re doing. I just special-ordered my copy of “Making A Life” at Binnacle Books (they have a super easy online form!) and there are now signed copies at the Raven Rose shop on Main Street (near the mountain, across from the Howland Cultural Center) and copies will be available at Story Screen during the festival.
ALBB: Had you always known you wanted to produce a film festival to fuel the makers movement/lifestyle you are encouraging in your book? How did this come about?
Photo Credit: From “Making A Life” by Melanie Falick.
After I finished writing “Making a Life” but before it came out, I started talking to a few friends at the dog park here in Beacon about a maker film festival (the dog park being the place in town where I regularly socialize). Everyone there seemed excited about the idea, including Marjorie Tarter, who also happens to be one of the owners of Story Screen Beacon Theater. She introduced me to Mike Burdge, another owner and the person who runs the theater, and he was enthusiastic from the get-go.
I wrote “Making a Life” as a way of sharing my belief that making by hand is part of what makes us human and that it can play a key role in our personal wellness as well as the wellness of our communities, culture, and environment. After I finished writing, I knew that I wanted the book to be a springboard for generating conversation and affecting positive change. I also knew that I wanted to get more involved in what is going on locally. The film festival is ticking all of those boxes.
Can you take us into the process of making your book? How long did it take you? From concept to pitching it to making it?
I came up with the idea and submitted a proposal for “Making a Life” at the end of 2015 and began working on it in spring 2016. It was published in October 2019, so the process took a little over three years. However, much of my adult life, both personally and professionally, has revolved around making by hand. It has guided how and where I live, who I spend time with, the work I do, and the places to which I choose to travel.
ALBB: How did you pitch your book? You have a comfort level from your career working in book publishing. Did this help?
Lia Ronnen, the publisher at Artisan, and I had started talking about the possibility of working together in Spring 2015, after I left my job as a publishing director at Abrams (I had my own imprint there called STC Craft / Melanie Falick Books). When I came up with the idea for “Making a Life,” I told her about it on the phone, then quickly wrote a short proposal.
At that point I had been working in publishing for more than two decades—as an author, editor, and publisher—so I definitely had an advantage when it came to understanding the process and what a publisher is looking for. I also had an advantage because Lia was familiar with my body of work, including two books I wrote that were published by Artisan in the late 1990s (Knitting in America and Kids Knitting) and sold very well.
ALBB: How did you discover these films shown in the Maker Film Festival at Story Screen Beacon? Why have you selected this list?
Curating the films for a festival was a new challenge for me. The fact that Mike, who has put on many festivals, was confident in me and could answer my questions, helped a lot. I started by asking maker friends and acquaintances if they had any recommendations, then I began hunting around on the internet, finding new leads, and following them. I watched a lot of films in order to come up with the selection we are offering, which feels relevant to my experience writing “Making a Life” and to the role making by hand plays in modern living.
For example, I chose films about Oaxacan weavers (Woven Lives, Saturday, 3 pm) and Rajasthani block printers (Rediscovering Jajam, Sunday 4 pm) because I visited Mexico and India while researching my book and wanted to share some of what I learned and was inspired by there. I chose The True Cost (Sunday, 1 pm) because what I call the DIY Renaissance (a growing interest in making by hand) is, in part, a reaction to the dangerous fast-fashion practices that this film reveals. The New Bauhaus shows how handwork, art, design, and industry are interconnected.
Some of the shorts (which run in two chunks, starting at 5 pm on Saturday and 4 pm on Sunday) are about or made by makers featured in my book, including slow-fashion pioneer Natalie Chanin of Alabama Chanin and weaver Jessica Green of A Little Weather.
ALBB: Tell us more about “fast fashion” vs “slow fashion.”
Fast fashion is a buzzword for the practice of having trendy, inexpensive clothing made by cheap labor sources, sometimes in unhealthy and unfair conditions. This clothing is not meant to stay in style or last but, instead to be thrown away and replaced by the next fashion trend. The slow-fashion movement—which includes both making and mending clothing—reflects a growing sensitivity about the social, economic, and environmental impact of the fast fashion process.
ALBB: Is Natalie Chanin still producing? I worked with one of her stitchers when I was having my own designs produced.
Natalie Chanin remains at the helm of Alabama Chanin. Her Florence, Alabama-based company has several different arms, including handsewn couture collections made by artisans in and around Florence; machine-made collections designed and manufactured on site; and the School of Making, through which they educate makers and sell DIY supplies.
ALBB: Thank you, Melanie, for your answers! Tell us about a few quick moments in some of the films that we should keep our eye out for.
—There is a short on Saturday about the artist Ann Hamilton. In it she is shown working on an interactive installation in an old industrial space that makes me think of all of the potential spaces for interactive artwork in the old buildings in Beacon.
—In Oaxaca, Mexico, culture, community, cuisine, landscape, handwork, and history come together in such natural ways. I visited there when I began my research for “Making a Life” and I can’t wait to go back, but for now I can watch Woven Lives and travel there in my mind. I hope viewers will enjoy the journey as much as me.
—I hope The New Bauhaus and a short we’re showing about Black Mountain College on Sunday will inspire viewers to talk about the value of hands-on, experiential, interdisciplinary learning with art at its core. A lot of people are talking about STEM education these days. I just read an article about integrating art into it so that we have STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math).
A reader wrote in to ask about the work being done to the overpass at the Beacon Train Station and why the stairs had been blocked off since late January 2020. According to a flyer posted in the MTA box, the stairs were closed on January 28, 2020, with an ETA of reopening in April 2020. A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the mayor’s office and learned that Beacon had been informed of the work, but not told in detail what it was, said Anthony J. Ruggiero, city administrator for the city of Beacon.
We reached out to the press office of the MTA, and learned that the MTA is fully replacing the entire staircase, from the parking lot to the pedestrian overpass. “The concrete has been completely removed and new steel is currently being installed,” answered Meredith Daniels, spokesperson with the State of New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority. “We expect the steel work to be completed by mid-March and new concrete stairs will then be poured. The new stairs are anticipated to open by early April.“
Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
PS: Getting these pictures today was actually tricky, with the strong gusts of wind whipping across the platform! I had to brace myself to the trash cans to avoid being blown away. Be careful out there!
Do you ever think about who manages the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge as you pass by it, or pay its tolls? Hudson Valley lawmakers and area leaders are up in arms about a potential management switch proposed by Governor Andrew Cuomo in his budget, released in January 2020, to merge the New York State Bridge Authority into the New York State Thruway Authority. What's the main difference? One deals with Hudson Valley local bridges.
“The Assembly and Senate are fighting to have the proposed merger taken out of the budget. The deadline for the final budget is April 1, 2020.”
— Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson's Office
Assemblymember Jonathan G. Jacobson (D-104) organized a rally on February 20, 2020, bringing together Assemblymember Sandy Galef (D-95) and other area leaders to express their opposition to Governor Cuomo’s proposed merger of the New York State Bridge Authority into the New York State Thruway Authority, which could impact tolls and improvements made to the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge. Leaders expressed their fears that residents of the Hudson Valley would suffer from toll increases and a decline in bridge maintenance should this merger happen, according to Assemblymember Jacobson's press release.
According to Assemblymember Jacobson’s office, “The Assembly and Senate are fighting to have the proposed merger taken out of the budget. The deadline for the final budget is April 1, 2020.”
Anthony Adamo, President of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA), said, “The hardworking men and women who work every day to keep the bridges safe and well-maintained should not be sacrificed for a bureaucratic plan hatched in Albany.”
“ To date, no-one has been able to give us a concrete answer as to how much—if any—money this proposed consolidation may actually save New Yorkers. ”
— Senetor Sue Serino
Established in the 1930s, the Bridge Authority is responsible for the Rip Van Winkle Bridge, the Kingston-Rhinecliff Bridge, the Mid-Hudson Bridge, the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, and the Bear Mountain Bridge. Tolls are kept the same for each bridge and are currently $1.25 with EZ-PASS and $1.50 cash. The proposed 2020 increase to $1.65 EZ-PASS/$2.15 cash will still be the lowest in New York State. The Thruway Authority currently charges $4.75 to motorists crossing the Mario G. Cuomo Bridge (formerly known as the Tappan Zee Bridge) with a proposed 2020 increase to $5.75.
Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D-106) wrote to say, “This is a true case of ‘if it’s not broken, why fix it.’ The Bridge Authority was established in 1932 by Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt to ensure smooth and affordable travel across the Hudson River and to keep these bridges independent and locally operated. Tens of thousands of residents use these bridges each day as local roads, not highways, and the Governor's proposal threatens to change that dynamic. Abolishing the Bridge Authority runs a real risk of increased tolls for drivers and a seriously negative impact on our Hudson Valley economy and communities.”
Assemblymember Jacobson said, “The proposed plan is nothing more than a solution in search of a problem. This merger would have a detrimental impact on both the economy and the overall quality of life in this region. Our fear is simple:
First, that tolls generated in the Hudson Valley will be diverted to fund the new Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.
Second, that the Thruway Authority will raise tolls on these bridges while simultaneously allowing their condition to deteriorate.
"This merger is unnecessary, ill advised, and unfair. It is also just plain wrong. Wrong for the bridges, wrong for the communities, and wrong for the residents of the Hudson Valley,” Assemblymember Jacobson said.
State lawmakers and leaders made their statements in front of the Bridge Authority Headquarters in Highland, where they were joined by:
Anthony Adamo, President of the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA)
Richard Gerentine, Chair of the Bridge Authority Board
Frank Castella, President of the Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce
Senator Sue Serino
Representatives of Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney and Assemblymember Kevin Cahill
Town of Lloyd Board Member Mike Guerriero
Bridge Authority Board members Roger Higgins, Roderick Dressel, Diane Jablonski, and Henry Stanton.
“The Bridge Authority was established in 1932 by Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt to ensure smooth and affordable travel across the Hudson River and to keep these bridges independent and locally operated. Tens of thousands of residents use these bridges each day as local roads, not highways, and the Governor’s proposal threatens to change that dynamic.”
— Assemblymember Didi Barrett
Richard Gerentine, Chair of the Bridge Authority, said, “The Bridge Authority is run by a board of local volunteers who have always championed efficiency, maintenance, and safety. We already collaborate with the State to find savings on purchases, so there is nothing to be gained and everything to lose.”
Assemblymember Aileen Gunther (D-100) wrote to say, “We need to be keeping our money in the Hudson Valley. The Bridge Authority is one of those avenues that allows us to keep our money local. We shouldn’t be fixing something that isn’t broken.”
Senator Serino (R-41) said, “Our communities have always been wary of mega-authorities because of our experience with the MTA, a situation where our community is barely given a voice and where our residents are treated as nothing more than a piggybank and an afterthought. To date, no one has been able to give us a concrete answer as to how much—if any—money this proposed consolidation may actually save New Yorkers. We also have not gotten guarantees that the tolls on our bridges won't rise, or that tolls paid on our bridges won’t ultimately be used to subsidize the Thruway, or that these local jobs our residents depend on would be protected. Additionally, I do not see any reason why the two Authorities can't already share services to keep costs down... I have yet to see how this proposal would directly benefit the residents that we serve, which is why I am urging my Legislative colleagues to reject this proposal."
Assemblymember Galef said, “The Bridge Authority has, for decades, successfully ensured that the five major bridges in the Hudson Valley region remain safe and usable, and they have done so for decades while keeping costs low. These bridges have, in turn, allowed Hudson Valley residents to easily cross the Hudson River to work, shop, and [take part in] a great many other activities that have stimulated our local economies. I fear that by dissolving this Authority, constituents that live and work in the Great Hudson Valley region will experience higher tolls and a potential decline in road conditions.”
Assemblymember Kevin Cahill (D-103) added: "The Bridge Authority works and works well. The Thruway Authority works and works well. Both are highly efficient operations."
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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.
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