COVID Case Update: Asthma, Oxygen Readers, And Memories Of Being In Labor

In good news, the Quarantine for my family and myself has lifted! My last day was Christmas Day, as told to me by my doctor, based on my testing date and symptoms not surfacing. The school nurses from the Beacon City School District have been amazing, calling in every now and then to check on the kids, even though one tested positive, and the other did not (also no symptoms for that one).

I hadn’t intended to write another entry about COVID, but after seeing a news segment tonight from a family who had lost a daughter-in-law, it seems people are wanting to know how to prepare once they test positive for COVID. This family had made a COVID-Kit with helpful things in it, with intentions on helping people know how to deal with the symptoms. So I decided to continue posting, in case it helps to give you direction and comfort.

Most importantly, always call your doctor with questions, and to get guidance. Be persistent with your doctor if you are feeling discomfort or not well. You know your body.

Additionally, the Mayor of Cold Spring, Dave Merandy, who has a son who is a nurse and who got quite sick with COVID but pulled through, thought the media wasn’t doing a good job covering COVID. Perhaps I’ll reach out to Mayor Merandy to learn what he wishes to see, since it’s all many in the media talk about, but in the meantime, I’ll share some symptom related items.

Get The Oxygen Reader - The Pulse Oximeter

When I first got the positive result, of course I wanted to know what to do to help myself and my family manage through the symptoms. What to do? There wasn’t much advice, except to take Vitamin C, D, and Zink. Fine. Done. My mom told me to get an oxygen reader. She’s been watching the news, was up on Chris Cuomo when he had it, and we are an asthmatic family. So we have had this oxygen reader pictured here (the pulse oximeter) on our fingers in the doctor’s office before. It’s easy to get. Find it at Target.

You want the oxygen number to be between 95-100. Anything below that, the doctor encourages you to call them or call in an emergency. One early morning, my oxygen hit 94, and I texted my neighbor and my mom, and then my sister wanted to hop on a plane to get here to watch my kids. I didn’t allow any of this to happen, but we kept monitoring.

My pulse is usually in the 60s-70s (it’s how I stay so calm, cool and collected, of course), but you want to watch that too, and track what is a high number for your normal.

Asthma, COVID, and Essential Oils

If you are going to be one of the people to say: “Put these essential oils in your diffuser… this is all so overblown,” I will warn you now to step back. I have used the essential oils, as an allergy-induced asthmatic. The last time I did was 3 years ago when I was pregnant with my 3rd (and final) child. My asthma got triggered worse with each child. By the time I was pregnant with him, my very pregnancy made me have asthma. Want to know what helped? The Grandma’s Pizza at Brothers. That pizza has so much garlic, which is an anti-inflammatory, that it actually opened my lungs.

Yes, food works. Oils work. I eat sautéd garlic and spinach every morning, with lemon water. I’m a fan of these homeopathic methods. My great grandfather was a homeopathic doctor! But this is nothing in the face of COVID. Ok? Ok. I have a lot of food quirks. I won’t humor you in the details this round, but know that I do value the magic of food and fitness. With COVID, however, I want an inhaler by my side, and an oxygen reader. Because COVID has its own mind inside of your body.

When pregnant with my 3rd child, in December 2017, my asthma was so bad, that my midwife, upon hearing me speak to her, told me to go to the ER. She could tell that I was having trouble pushing through the words. For me, I thought nothing of it. I was whispering to my family, but I thought I was just tired.

Upon driving to the ER, and arriving, my lungs began opening. As I was sitting in the ER, my asthma lifted. Why? Because I had a real Christmas tree at the house, and it was permeating into my lungs. A year’s long problem that I forget about every year. When I was out of the house, I was away from that pine. We finally have a fake tree now. It’s only taken 43 years.

Point is: asthma is usually not alleviated until the thing permeating into your body triggering the asthma is gone. In the case of COVID, it’s crawling all around your body. So it’s calling the shots.

Asthma and COVID-19

COVID-19 is in part a respiratory disease, it is giving people who do not regularly have asthma a hard time breathing. People speak of tightness in their chest, having shortness of breath, and having a low oxygen read. If you are not one to normally take an inhaler, consider talking to you doctor about having an inhaler.

There are mainly two types: the “rescue” inhaler, and the long-term steroid inhaler. The “rescue” inhaler usually uses Albuterol and is used when your chest first begins feeling tight and/or you are weazing, or you are coughing (you could have one without the other). The Albuterol goes into your lungs and opens them up for a bit. When I was a kid, my mom would listen to my chest to see if she heard “ghosts.” These are wheezing sounds of lungs being inflamed.

There- are pros and cons of taking this inhaler, including making your heart beat faster. I usually warn those around me that I have just taken my inhaler, and to forgive me if I am snappish. Usually this mindfulness keeps me in check.

The longer term inhaler is usually known as Prednisone and is used for management of the lungs, if a person is using the rescue inhaler for days in a row. There are pros and cons to this as well, including an immunity suppressant. You should Google this to look for articles on how and if doctors are using this to treat COVID-19 patients.

For long-term asthma coughs, my kids have used Singulair. This is a daily pill that is a management of asthma or asthma cough. For my kids, their asthma cough was worse when they are younger, and can at times require days in a row of nebulizing (air-pumped Albuterol to calm the lungs and stay ahead of the asthma cough from getting too bad).

As asthmatics, in normal life (as in, pre-pandemic) we are trained to take the rescue inhaler right away and consistently, to stay ahead of the asthma. If we do not, then the asthma gets worse, and our chances of going into the ER increase. This is usually discussed during with us during flu-season.

Please ask your doctor any questions. This is just my experience from our medical treatment over the years.

Women’s Cycle Triggered By More Than One Woman

I am excited to report that I have heard from other local Beaconites, that other women had their cycles triggered when they first got COVID too! This is only a theory, but if estrogen is helping calm the immunity storm, I’ll welcome it!

“This Is Like Being In Labor! I Can’t Tell What’s Going On!”

As friends texted in to see how I was doing, and how my symptoms were, I answered back: “This is like being in labor! Aside from me having really annoying cramps right now. But I don’t know what signs to look for! This is like being in labor for the first time when you don’t know what a contraction feels like. ‘Is that it? Was that pain a contraction? Or a Braxton Hicks? Was that the mucus plug that just dropped? What does a mucus plug even look like?!?!?!?” I never did learn the answers to some of these questions. With all 3 of my pregnancies, my water never broke. I never had that right of passage. I also so far have not lost my sense of smell or taste, and I never had a fever or runny nose.

For COVID-19, I did (and sometimes still do) have chest tingling. Is that tingling in my left arm a sign? Is that random pain in my left collar bone a sign? Is me breathing in and feeling a pain a sign? My partner’s best friend did end up testing positive and having a heart attack (he’s doing well with a stint) the week we were symptomatic. So a person wonders these things.

Deep Breath = Strange Soreness In Bottom Of Lungs

Sometimes, there is a soreness in the bottom of my lungs when I take a deep breath. Not all days, but some days. I am a runner, and on some days, I need to pause mid-run from being tired or tight. Not all days. But some days. I’m still running. And stretching!

Getting COVID Again - Yes You Can

So…it’s ideal to think that once you get COVID, and have antibodies, that you won’t get it again. Sadly, friends of mine have already reported that friends of theirs who got it, have gotten it again. Symptoms seem to be inconsistent, meaning, some of those friends had the same symptoms, some less severe, and some worse.

My doctor told me that I might be immune for 1.5 months to 3 months. And I don’t know if that includes the new strain. I am pursuing the antibody test.

So I’ll still be social distancing, wearing a mask, and learning about the vaccine to see how it works, and when my family and myself can take it.

Wishing you health and safety.

There Is A Christmas Elf In The Beacon Post Office...

There is an elf in the Beacon Post Office…answering the letters from children who write to Santa. There is no guarantee of a return letter from Santa, but sometimes they arrive in the mail, delivered by mail carrier. Not very many people have actually seen this elf, but she has been trying to return letters from kids for many years. Again, there is no guarantee. If you did not get one, it does not mean anyone is on the wrong list (1 of my 2 kids got a letter back this year…).

With pandemics and whatnot, one never knows what magic can come out of the Beacon Post Office. As of 2020, the magic was still here.

Compass Arts Creativity Project Receives Grant To Build Art Kits For Beacon Central School District Students

The Compass Arts Creativity Project recently created art kits for 72 Rombout Middle School and Sargent Elementary School students in Beacon, New York. The Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley provided funding for the packs, which included a journal with a variety of art supplies along with writing/drawing prompts curated by Compass Arts educators and community collaborators.

The kits are intended to give children the space and tools to connect with their voices and inspire creativity and self expression amidst the challenges of remote and hybrid learning.

Compass Arts partnered with Karen Pagano and the Beacon City Schools Food Services to distribute them alongside lunch pickup. This means that art kits arrived via school buses with food drop-offs.

Saturday Art Series In January

The 2021 winter programming continues to prioritize access and inclusion. As we head into an uncertain winter, Compass Arts Creativity Project intends to create online program offerings to meet the community’s need for social connection, creativity, and self expression through the arts. The Saturday Arts Series will be a 10 week series of online arts workshops and performances held during the coldest days of winter, from January 16th - March 20th. With grants and donations, they expect to offer a tiered pricing structure, from Free to $25 per participant, allowing members of the community to benefit from the arts regardless of their ability to pay.

Who Is Compass Arts?

Compass Arts Creativity Project’s mission is to create healthy, just, equitable, and resilient communities through classes, performances, and events rooted in exploration, collaboration, creation, and play. Started in 2011 as a small business, Compass Arts became a non-profit corporation in 2019 and received its 501(c)(3) designation in fall 2020 in order to expand its offerings and amplify its impact.

To learn more about Compass Arts and unite with them in this vital work, you can join their end of year fundraising campaign launched on Giving Tuesday, December 1st, and donate at www.CompassArts.org/donate.

The Beacon-Based Wynotte Sisters Release A Christmas Album (With Fiddles). Here Are Their Post-COVID Musical Survival Stories

Artisan Wine Shop was one of the first to announce the drop of the Wynotte Sisters Christmas Album, ”Christmas Spirits” a band here in Beacon made of up 3 women who are each in additional bands and have wide-ranging careers in music. They travel the country and world, teach classes, serve as bartenders, and work in wine shops. You most likely have seen their faces, but you might not know anything about them behind-the-scenes.

One of the sisters, Sara Milonovich, is a a well-known part-time worker in Artisan Wine (she’s now gone full-time mid-pandemic). The Wynotte Sisters play at Dogwood and other venues from time to time (Dogwood is closed for the winter to say safe during pandemic). After Artisan promoted the album (download it here!), A Little Beacon Blog reached out to the sisters to check in and see how they were doing mid-pandemic. With event venues closing, and singing together to record a song a little risky, what are their lives like right now?

These are fascinating reads, and are unedited so that you can experience them in full. Give each a minute. The world as they knew it stopped for them on different days in March, 2020.

Follow the Wynotte Sisters at: wynottesisters.bandcamp.com and at facebook.com/wynottesisters. Buy their album on Bandcam.com and you’ll get direct access to stream it, and download it to your computer.

Sara Milonovich (@daisycutter)

Sara Milonovich when she was 12. This is her very first recording on a cassette of her on the fiddle. She remastered it for digital download during the pandemic. Please also note her rockin’ turtie-neck.
Photo Credit: Sara Milonovich

I've been a full time professional musician for the past 20 years, as a fiddler/violinist/singer/songwriter in a variety of scenes/genres: with my own alt-country band, Daisycutter; as a freelance accompanist for artists like Richard Shindell; as a recording artist for hire; teaching fiddle and songwriting at camps and in private lessons; and subbing the violin chair for the Broadway musical, "Come From Away." (As well as with the Wynotte Sisters!) I'd also been working part time, two days a week, at Artisan Wine Shop, for the past 5 years.

I played my last show on Broadway on March 10: on March 12, Broadway went dark, and by that weekend every other gig I had through the summer had been cancelled (cancellations would continue to roll in throughout the coming weeks as well.)

“Even finishing those songs during the pandemic was a unique challenge: when we needed to record one final song, we created an outdoor “recording booth” out of packing blankets so we could all sing together - but without having to be in the same room with more closely-spaced microphones like we would have done before! ”

— Sara Milonovich

I went in to work at Artisan Wine Shop the following Monday, and with the lockdown going into full effect, wine sales increased so dramatically that I began working full time (actually overtime those first couple of weeks), and have remained full time ever since. That, combined with some recording projects I've been able to do from my home studio, have "kept the lights on" during the pandemic. It still feels incredibly surreal, and not a little ironic to me, even after so many months.

As far as my life as a musician though, it's been devastating. Financially, of course, but also mentally and emotionally. The sense of isolation and loneliness is overwhelming at times. And of course it's professionally devastating as well, not just personally, but our whole industry is in jeopardy now. (How do you even try to rebook tours into venues that don't know whether they'll be able to survive long enough to reopen?)

I've played some live stream shows this year- although the technology is a good additional resource to connect with people, there's absolutely no substitute for the energy and magic that happens at a live performance, and I think when things do get better, we'll all be so thrilled to embrace that sort of real, live, human connection again.

I have a new record with my band Daisycutter that will be released next year- hopefully at that point we'll be able to see some progress towards whatever the "new normal" ends up being.

With the Wynotte Sisters, the holiday season is our busiest time of year, and we look forward to those shows all year long. Without the chance to perform live, we decided this year would be the time to gather the songs we had been recording over the last few years and put them together in a full length album.

Even finishing those songs during the pandemic was a unique challenge: when we needed to record one final song, we created an outdoor "recording booth" out of packing blankets so we could all sing together - but without having to be in the same room with more closely-spaced microphones like we would have done before! Luckily the weather held out for the day we had planned to record!

We like to joke that we're not really a "garage band" so much as a "dining room table band", so we wanted to offer some holiday cheer for people to listen to as they enjoyed smaller holiday celebrations at home this year, hence the title of the album, "Christmas Spirits", and all the images that conjures up.

The best thing people can do in the meantime, is support independent artists the same way they should support small businesses (that's what we are, after all) - shop local, and buy albums, merch, or downloads directly from the artists, rather than using a streaming service such as Spotify.

Follow Sara Milonovich & Daisycutter is at saramilonovich.com and @daisycutter.

Daria Grace (@deegee99)

Daria Grace, in a Christmas picture from last year.
Photo Credit: Daria Grace

I have been a musician (I'm a bass/ukulele/guitar player and singer) and part time bartender/server for the last 25 years, and for the last 7 years I've also been teaching at Beacon Music Factory - individual lessons as well as group classes and adult rock camps. Besides the Wynotte Sisters, I also play with my own band the Pre-War Ponies, Daisycutter, Stephen Clair, Hank & the Skinny Three, and the Jack Grace Band to name a few. Needless to say I was pretty busy before March 14th.

I played my last gig in NYC on March 12th, my monthly residency with the Pre-War Ponies at Barbes, a small bar and venue in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I was supposed to play at SXSW in Austin with Stephen Clair in March, fly to Atlanta to start working with Edan Everly (son of Don Everly) in April, and play a festival with Sara and Daisycutter in Montana in July. All cancelled. I was smack in the middle of a Neil Young rock bootcamp, which abruptly came to a halt and has yet to resume. The restaurant I work at in Newburgh shut down for 3 months, and most of my individual lessons stopped too.

The first thing I did after realizing I had almost no work and barely any income was to go and buy gardening supplies - seeds, starter trays, a little plastic greenhouse for my porch etc. I figured I could grow at least some of my food, and it gave me something to do that I wouldn't have had time for normally. Then I applied for food stamps, and eventually, unemployment.

“The first thing I did after realizing I had almost no work and barely any income was to go and buy gardening supplies - seeds, starter trays, a little plastic greenhouse for my porch etc. I figured I could grow at least some of my food, and it gave me something to do that I wouldn’t have had time for normally. Then I applied for food stamps, and eventually, unemployment. ”

— Daria Grace

I've been very lucky, actually. The restaurant reopened in mid-June, and I also started working one or two days a week with my friend's ecological landscaping business around the same time. Musically I've been fortunate as well, as I have had multiple opportunities to play live outside in safely distanced situations through the summer, and even a few live Facebook shows with no audience. Yesterday (12/6/2020), Sara, Greg, Vibeke and I made a little video (outdoors!) for an upcoming virtual holiday show sponsored by the Colony in Woodstock. It was a balmy 39 degrees, and I think all our fingers were frozen solid by the time we got it right, but it felt so good to sing and play that none of us cared.

“So many of my musician friends are struggling right now - financially and emotionally, and I even know a couple people who died of COVID. It’s also tragic that so many long running music venues will be closing forever, and criminal that a lot of this suffering could have been avoided with better leadership on a National level.”

— Daria Grace

So many of my musician friends are struggling right now - financially and emotionally, and I even know a couple people who died of COVID. It's also tragic that so many long running music venues will be closing forever, and criminal that a lot of this suffering could have been avoided with better leadership on a National level. The whole country will be struggling to heal from the effects of this pandemic for years to come, and we've been changed forever. I just hope we can learn from our mistakes and continue to help each other through this dark time.

Follow Daria at @deegee99

Vibeke Saugestad (@the_punguin)

Vibeke Saugestad, a translator of fiction from English to Norwegian, with her new Penguin, after mastering ventriloquism.
Photo Credit: Vibeke Saugestad

I work as a translator of fiction, from English to Norwegian. Right now I am translating Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half. I also read audio books in a small home-made basement studio. Both my translation work and my audio book work is freelance, for Norwegian publishers.

I have been very fortunate, as my day job didn’t change much with Covid. I guess the book industry is really the one part of the cultural sector that hasn't suffered substatially. If anything, people have found more time to read, and have turned to literature for comfort and entertainment.

As far as The Wynotte Sisters goes, that all stopped, of course, and I have sure missed my sisters, our regular rehearsals around the dining room table, the odd gig throughout the year and of course, our Christmas tour. We had big plans for Christmas 2020, but we are happy to be able to get some holiday cheer out to people with a digital release, and hopefully some time in 2021, we’ll be able to pick up where we left. One fun thing that came out of lockdown, was that I started doing ventriloquism. A way to be creative without having to socialize with others, I guess. I’ve had lots of fun with my Punguin, and I hope, have put a smile on some people’s faces.

Follow Vibeke at @the_punguin

Follow the Wynotte Sisters at: wynottesisters.bandcamp.com and at facebook.com/wynottesisters

Who Or What Is Fareground? Distributors Of Food; Savers Of Food Waste; Connectors Of Food To People

When the pandemic started, the focus on food - how people would get food in quarantine, and/or pay for food - took a front seat. This fear of lack of food access is known as food insecurity. People in communities all over the country started getting together to figure out how to bring food to people who, for whatever reason, have a hard time leaving their house to get to food, either to pay for it at a grocery store or to collect it at a food pantry.

In Beacon, a few organizations started new, or got stronger. In addition to the church-based food pantries that have been serving the region for years, new organizations include Mutual Aid Beacon and Beacon4BlackLives, who started during the pandemic and protests, and Fareground, who was established earlier as a pop-up cafe, and found their calling connecting food to people in these extreme times. Fareground has had their hand in several social projects, and they’ve only just gotten started.

Fareground In The Beginning

Fareground was co-founded by Kara Dean-Assael in 2012. The intention was to be a “pay what you can” cafe “but this shifted due to issues securing space in town,” Kara told A Little Beacon Blog. So they had pop-up cafes around town, with several pop-up cafes at the Beacon Recreation Center in 2014-2015.

Fareground And The Tiny Food Pantries

Fareground is behind the Tiny Food Pantries around town in public spaces, and most recently in low-income housing communities. The concept here is that anyone can leave food inside of the Tiny Food Pantry house, and anyone can take what they need, when they need it.

The first Tiny Food Pantry went up in the summer of 2016 at the Beacon Recreation Center in the front lawn near the parking lot. The next one was inside of the Howland Public Library. Next came Binnacle Books, and Tompkins Terrace. There are 2 Tiny Food Pantries in Wappingers Falls.

The Tiny Food Pantry in Tompkins Terrace, which is a residential community, is managed by a designated manager at Tompkins Terrace. Fareground visits once per month - sometimes twice per month - to drop off food and hold a free marketplace for all residents. In November 2020, Fareground launched the first “community fridge” in Beacon, in partnership with Binnacle Books and Becon4BlackLives.

Where Does The Food Come From?

Fareground is donation-based and applies for grants. People either donate money to them, or supply food. Says Kara: “We have been filling our Tiny Food Pantries on a regular basis. This happens in a number of ways and we have 'managers' to help. People often pick up food from my porch, food from our Key Food bin, or food form our Fareground home at 12 Hanna Lane.” Hanna Lane is home to LNJ Tech, which is an event production facility and location that has been connecting Fareground and other organizations when things they need like supplying sound equipment and set-up, space, etc.

Food Deliveries and Distribution

Fareground has been on the organizing end of getting food to families in the Beacon City School District, and has been distributing food themselves. During the first school shutdown, “we packed 'to go dinner' bags from March-September and dropped them off with the school lunch distributions and deliveries. We also helped the school and Common Ground Farm this fall by purchasing a few things for their Meal Kits.”

Fareground has weekly distributions where they go to different low-income housing areas, which include South Davies, Tompkins Terrace, Meadow Ridge, Forrestal Heights, and. Hamilton Fish on a rotating basis. Fareground sets up a free marketplace on location, and anyone can join to select what they like. “We work with the different housing managers to send out flyers to all residents,” says Kara. “We received a grant from the related foundation to support our work at Tompkins Terrace. This afforded us to drop off 95 turkey kits last Friday (before Thanksgiving) in rolling bags for people to use at our future distributions!” Having a easy to pack-and-carry bag is key to collecting food from any food pantry.

For the December holidays, Fareground has given away 30 meals with more to come. They include donations of Chicken from Murray’s Family Farm.

However, sometimes distribution needs are select. Says Karen: “We also get phone calls from different people in need and respond to them ASAP, usually by dropping off a box of food and connecting them to a food pantry or distribution site. Our board president, Karen George, lives in Wappnigers Falls and has about 15 families she brings food to every week. So, we are really focused on increasing access to food NOW. in both micro and macro ways.”

Food Waste - Saved

Fareground is committed to using all the food, and to not see food wasted. Recently, a group donated untouched food from an event. Kara had this to say to Fareground’s Instagram following: “It was one of the biggest food donations we’ve received, aside from our trips to the Hudson Valley Food Bank, thanks to @akapsales ! She made this happen and we’re so grateful! Don’t throw food away! We’ll find homes for it‼️”

Contact Fareground if you have such events, and want to donate the untouched food.

Donating to Fareground, either with cash or by sending food, can be done here.

Community Fridge Added To Self-Serve/Fill Food Pantry At Binnacle Books By Fareground & Beacon4Black Lives

The tiny fridge, behind Binnacle Books and the Tiny Food Pantry found there. Organized by Fareground, Beacon4BlackLives, and Binnacle Books.
Photo Credit: Beacon4BlackLives

“Community fridges” have been established all over the country, as reported by the Today Show, with more and more appearing after this past spring. The holiday season has sprung upon us, and the pandemic is relentless, leaving plenty of families and individuals to still worry about food on their table.

Beacon’s first community fridge was unveiled in the last week of November 2020, as a fully functioning refrigerator sheltered by a wooden house built by Bryan Faubus with materials donated by Kevin Byrne. The community fridge is a collaboration project between Fareground, Beacon4BlackLives, and Binnacle Books; with advice and moral support provided by the Fridge Girls of NYC and the Kingston Community Fridges organization. You can easily find the self-stock refrigerator located behind Binnacle Books where a food pantry of nonperishable goods can also be easily accessed.

How The ‘Fridge At The Tiny Food Pantry Came To Be

Produce and fresh food is accepted into the fridge, maintained by Binnacle Books.
Photo Credit: Beacon4BlackLives

The first meeting about the fridge project occurred in late September 2020. By November 25th, 2020, the fridge was plugged in and fully stocked by several members of the Beacon community. A need for direct aid in the community was evident back in April 2020 amidst the beginning of the pandemic.

Since Binnacle Books was closed to the public during the shutdown, they decided to convert their outdoor “dollar bookshelf” into a Tiny Food Pantry in collaboration with Fareground. By July 2020, the makeshift food pantry was upgraded to a permanent food pantry with a design uniform to the others that Fareground has established across Wappingers Falls, Beacon, and Fishkill.

Binnacle Books had to restock the shelf several times a week using donated funds to buy groceries, food provided by Fareground and Keyfood’s Donation Bin. In addition to these accessible food sources, several members of the community stop by to leave food on the shelves, and just as many people stop by to collect what they need. The pantry is still constantly cycling from full to empty every day, a clear sign indicating the dire need for direct aid for the Beacon Community, especially during these tough times. Any person can stock the refrigerator at any time with new, fresh, unopened items. Produce is accepted.

Who Maintains The Fridge?

Binnacle Books, at 321 Main Street, Beacon, NY. The first home of the fridge.
Photo Credit: Beacon4BlackLives

Maintenance of the fridge has been tended by organizers from Beacon4BlackLives, Fareground, and Mark of Binnacle Books. A schedule of volunteers is being organized as the fridge will need cleaning and upkeep moving forward. Members of the community can get involved by simply swinging by to put food in the fridge or take what they need for themselves or to provide for others.

A Venmo is also set up to accept funds used to buy groceries, non-perishables, toiletries, tampons/pads, as well as cleaning supplies. Says Binnacle in their directions on Instagram: “the money will be used in one of a few ways: 1) to cover ~$20 / month to keep the fridge plugged in, 2) to keep the fridge stocked and clean, and 3) to keep the tiny food pantry out front stocked with non-perishables, toiletries, etc.”

The Venmo handle is @binnaclefoodjustice.

Future Growth For The Fridge At The Tiny Food Pantry

As for plans for future installations, there are no announcements yet, but there is definite interest in expanding the project. The City of Beacon has been discussing adding food security to their budget and discussions in 2021.

Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro announced via press release on December 22, 2020, that more than $150,000 has been allocated for local municipal projects promoting food security and safety for seniors.’ Beacon was a municipality that applied for and was awarded CARES funding, based on the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) income guidelines, for efforts to promote food security and safety at local senior centers to enable them to be open for seniors.

Beacon was awarded $25,000 “for assistance to a local food bank to purchase food for distribution to low- and moderate-income households.” A Little Beacon Blog is following up on the destination of that allocation.

For more information about Food Pantries and Soup Kitchens in Beacon, see A Little Beacon Blog’s Food Pantry and Soup Kitchens Guide.

Rain/Wind Storm Predicted For Christmas 2020 - Central Hudson and Optimum Send Alerts

Just as you were debating if you should drive over the river and through the woods to Grandma’s house, in a pandemic, now you also get to decide if you would like to do that in the wind and rain, possibly ending in ice on roads and sidewalks for Friday.

Central Hudson and Optimum have both issued emails alerting customers to possible outages, and that they will be on standby through the holidays should an outage occur. Optimum advises customers to watch News 12 for updates. If we have cable. And can access the Internet. Have your Hot Spot on your phone ready as backup! Not being able to watch Wonder Woman 1984 on Christmas, or connecting with all of our friends on TikTok, Insta and FB would be very bad. Or maybe you are OK with a Zoom family meeting cutting out when the cable goes. Flood and tree damage would also be very bad.

Said Optimum in their email announcement: “Be assured, our teams are on standby and ready to respond to any possible service impacts the storm may bring. For helpful information on how you can prepare, visit optimum.net/stormprep.” Optimum reminds you to sign into your online account to set up notifications of outages. Personally, my account got messed up years ago, and I cannot set up an online account. So send ALBB tips if you get them ;) And also a reminder to be kind to Customer Service and Technitians no matter what happens.

News 12 predicts that rain will begin on Thursday, with strong winds and rain mounting by Friday. The meteorologists at News 12 are calling this a “spring-like storm” that will have temperatures in the 60s, and will drop Friday evening to the 20s. There is still snow on the ground today, so add that to the water that is predicted to contribute to possible flooding in areas. See News 12 for their full report. The Weather Channel also predicts wind, rain and a drop in temperature.

Central Hudson Reminds You To Avoid All Fallen Wires

• You can't tell if a power line is energized just by looking at it. Assume all fallen power lines are live and proceed with extreme caution.

• Do not drive over fallen wires. Always follow the utility personnel instructions regarding fallen power lines.

• If you see a fallen power line, stay at least 30 feet away from it and anything it contacts. The ground around a power line and any objects it contacts may be energized. Call 911 to report fallen wires.

• Do not attempt to move a fallen power line or anything else in contact with it using an object such as a broom or stick. Even non-conductive materials like wood or cloth can conduct electricity if even slightly wet.

Central Hudson’s Preparedness Checklist:

• Fully charge your cell phone.

• Sign up for Central Hudson's text messaging service to receive updates about power outages and restoration work.

• Have flashlights and batteries handy.

• If you rely on electricity to operate a well pump, ensure you have an adequate supply of bottled water. Fill your bathtub for an extra water reserve.

• Ensure adequate supplies of prescription medicine and other necessities.

• Fuel up your vehicles.

• Have a plan to check on vulnerable neighbors and family members.

• Have non-perishable foods that require no refrigeration or cooking.

Central Hudson’s Carbon Monoxide & Generator Safety

• NEVER operate a generator, grill or outdoor heating appliance in your home or in any enclosed space, including your basement or garage. Doing so can lead to a potentially lethal build-up of colorless, odorless, poisonous carbon monoxide.

• Only have an experienced electrician connect a generator to your home. Improperly installed generators may overload circuits, cause a fire or shock hazard, and can result in serious injury or property damage. Improperly installed generators can also back-feed onto electric lines and endanger repair crews working to restore service.

• Plug appliances directly into the generator using a heavy-duty, outdoor-rated extension cord that is designed to handle the wattage of all the appliances being connected.

Local Beacon Author Shops For You For Cocktail Cheer Kit Themed Gifts: Gifts Fit For "Cocktails Across America"

For a cocktail-inspired Gift Guide, local Beacon author Diane Lapis, who is president of the Beacon Historical Society and co-author with Anne Peck-Davis of Cocktails Across America: A Postcard View of Cocktail Culture in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s has traveled Main Street to see which shops might have just the right cocktail enhancement for your home or that as a gift. The cocktail recipe book contains over 50 classic recipes (as well as several modern twists), fascinating historical vignettes and over 200 pieces of vintage ephemera. Pick up at Binnacle Books today - right now!

By Diane Lapis

Let’s lift our spirits and send some holiday cheer to friends and family!  Shop local and send a creative cocktail-themed gift basket to your loved ones.  Since celebrations can happen anywhere… set up a virtual happy hour with your cocktail-loving kin and enjoy drinks together! 

Beacon is the perfect place to find fun and festive cocktail items. From glasses to garnishes, you can find the right combination of essentials and spirits that will meet every budget. Start at the west end of Main Street (by Route 9D) and pick up all the accoutrement that you need for your kit!

Contact the store for hours and curbside pickup where available.

Utensil, 143 Main Street
Find bar essentials at Utensil, a practical, and affordable kitchenware shop. Utensil has a wide selection of tools such as strainers, shakers, stirrers, citrus squeezers and peelers, ice cube molds, glassware, coasters, bar towels, Raft bitters and syrups, and mouthwatering Woodford Reserve Bourbon Cherries.  

Artisan Wine Shop, 180 Main Street
Stock up on a marvelous selection of rare whiskeys and mezcals, as well as gins, rums, amaros, vermouths, tequilas, and bitters at Artisan Wine Shop, a wine and spirits store.  Unique liqueurs and cocktail modifiers from near and far take the home bartender on myriad cocktail adventures. Jiggers, strainers, muddlers, flasks, and single malt and rocks glasses are available.

Homespun Foods – 232 Main Street
Homespun has a unique offering of amaro, sherry and mistelles in full bottles for some holiday cheer! When your feet need resting after the day of shopping, sip on a hot spiced cider with Palo Cortado sherry. Many of the selections are organic or biodynamic. Homespun’s back patio is open with a fire pit, but the indoors remains for take-out pickup and ordering only.

The Last Outpost - 314 Main Street
This mainly menswear, lifestyle, and outdoor store carries many options for the cocktail enthusiast. Grab yourself a shaker, a vintage cork screw, a flask, or a glassware set from the modern era. It’s all at the Outpost and it’s all ready for you to make the perfect drink.

Dennings Point Distillery – 10 North Chestnut Street
Dennings Point Distillery has something for every spirits enthusiast – from their aromatic, citrus-forward Great 9 Gin to their award-winning cask strength Beacon Bourbon, and Beacon Apple Brandy, distilled from 100% local apples.

Binnacle Books – 321 Main Street
Pick up a copy or two (one for yourself!) of Cocktails Across America:  A Postcard View of Cocktail Culture in the 1930s, 40s, and 50s written by Beacon resident Diane Lapis and coauthor Anne Peck-Davis.  Cocktails contains over 50 classic recipes (as well as several modern twists), fascinating historical vignettes and over 200 pieces of vintage ephemera.  The reader will be transported to an era of unbridled indulgence and distinct glamour.

The book is also available at Amazon http://bit.ly/CocktailsAcrossAmerica

Beacon Bath and Bubble - 458 Main Street 
Garnish your cocktails with CANDY!!! Beacon Bath & Bubble has an amazing selection of old fashioned and retro candy from to make your cocktails look and taste special. Add a sweet finish to your drink… pierce some gummy bears on a cocktail pick, drop a Blow-Pop in a martini, or place a peach gummy slice on the rim of a margarita. Colorful and fun for the holidays!

Raven Rose – 474 Main Street
Set the mood for your cocktail hour with colorful candles in seasonal scents alongside flowers or wreaths. Ask about the CBD Ginger Bitters.

Denise Gianna Designs - 480 Main Street
Denise Gianna Designs Interior Design and Shop makes staying cozy at home a luxury! In addition to their usual projects, they design bespoke home bars & lounge spaces for intimate cocktails & future gatherings.  Denise Gianna has everything you need for the home bar: bar carts, tables, seating, bar accessories, glassware & linens.  

Berte - 500 Main Street
Berte is a new shop in Beacon (in the former Loopy Mango space) and specializes in ambiance. Whether you're searching for ceramic coasters for your cocktail glass, a brass bottle opener to crack open that ginger beer, or some hand carved candlestick holders to set the mood, this shop has the perfect gifts for those who like to imbibe, but make it a bit extra.

After you wrap and send your cocktail cheer kit… sit back and relax with your own copy of Cocktails Across America… travel back in time with a cocktail in hand… cheers! 

Beaconite, Believer In BLM, & Volunteer Elijah Hughes Goes To NBA: Utah Jazz Draft Pick. Voices From The Community Speak Praise

Elijah Hughes, on the phone after getting drafted by the Utah Jazz. Elijah was in Beacon at Carters with his family to watch the event.
Photo Credit: Carters (formerly The Beacon Hotel)

Fast breaking on the South Avenue Morning News, anchored and produced by Mr. Burke and Co., Beaconite Elijah Hughes, who went to South Avenue Elementary and Beacon High School, has been selected by the Utah Jazz in a 2nd round NBA Draft pick as the 39th pick held on Wednesday, November 18, 2020 (delayed from the summer due to the pandemic). First selected by the New Orleans Pelicans as the 9th pick, of which they traded, leading to the 39th of 60 picks overall (for those who like numbers), according to the Highlands Current.

Elijah was a “small forward” at 6’6” but in High School, he played in the point guard position, which requires a lot of speed, quick shots, and quick thinking. According to Wikipedia, Elijah “became well-known in Beacon for his basketball ability, dominating games at Loopers Park.” Loopers Park is the basketball court between Loopers Plaza (Beacon Dental) and South Avenue Elementary School. There is also a tennis court next to the basketball courts.

As An Aside: There have been recent requests to enable night lighting for evening basketball games, especially as days are so short in winter. Other sports fields in Beacon have such lighting, including baseball and soccer fields at Memorial Park.

Local Praise For Elijah Hughes By Friends In Beacon

Elijah is being praised by everyone in the media since the draft pick as being a good person, and for being involved in community. Says one of Elijah’s earliest coaches, Ken Dawson, founder of The Player Academy, “It’s more important to be a good person than a good basketball player,” Ken told the Highlands Current. “He was in the 3rd or 4th grade when he came to Playmakers, and Dawson remembers him well. ‘Elijah loved to work; he was coachable,’ he said. ‘And he was a very good person.’”

Group photo of the Label Foundation, after one of their donation days in the summer of 2020. Pictured on the far left back row is John Galloway Jr., part of the Label Foundation, who declared his candidacy for Beacon’s School Board in July 2020, and was appointed months later.
Photo Credit: The Label Foundation

Says a friend and former councilmember of Beacon’s City Council, Ali Tawfiq Muhammad, of his early memories of Elijah: “He went to Beacon Recreation Camp with his sister Talah when he was a kid and I was a counselor in training back then. That was my first job as a public servant and got hired seasonally for the next 5 years. Elijah and I grew as friends, and as he grew older, reached out from time to time. We had a bond. His sister Talah is one of my mentees. Elijah’s played a couple games in my Summer Basketball League, the Terrence Wright League, on my team, so yes I’ve technically coached him, but he’s always been a superstar in the making, and he’s actually helped me learn more about basketball just from watching and having conversations with him. He’s a natural leader and has co-started an organization with his friends this year called the Label Foundation, which I’ve helped him and his friends incorporate and set up the organizational structure. Long story short, we’re good friends. Utah also happens to be my favorite team in the NBA, since forever.”

You can watch more of the founding members of the Label Foundation here to hear their stories and get to know what drives them.

Rueben Simmons, one-time Superintendent of the Highway Department, and current worker in the Highway Department, is known as Coach Yogi in Beacon for his coaching of various teams in Beacon. Reuben had this to say when A Little Beacon Blog asked if he had ever coached Elijah: “No, I did not have the pleasure too. He would have been a top pick of mine had I got the opportunity, based off his on court awareness of the game. I was a coach in the Beacon Hoops program and I remember seeing Elijah at evaluations. He was young and his basketball IQ was beyond his age. He stood out from every kid in his age bracket, as well as kids in the older division. I remember his dad being there, and my first thought was that I hope he’s not coaching because under the family rule, his dad would get Elijah automatically.”

Elijah’s Early Support For BLM, And Participation In Protests and Volunteering

Elijah participated in one of the first protests in Beacon, which marched down Main Street and ended at Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park. He told Mike Waters of Syracuse.com back in June 2020:

“I think it was super important to be there,” Hughes said. “Number, one, I’m a Black man. It could’ve been me or one of my friends or someone in my family. I know what’s going on and it’s not OK. I wanted to walk for George Floyd. I wanted to show up and be there.

“Growing up, my parents instilled in me that, being a Black man in America, nothing’s going to be easy," Hughes said. "Knowing that we’re living in a racist world and not everybody’s going to like you because of the color of your skin.

“I’ve had talked with my parents about using my voice," he added. “I can lead something and do something big.

“Everything against Black people and police brutality and discrimination in general was on my mind and in my heart," Hughes said. "It’s a scary time. You don’t really know. Someone like me can get pulled over and it could be my last time ever. It’s a scary time we’re in, especially for Black people.

“At the end of the day, it was a very peaceful protest. We marched for George Floyd and all the Black lives we’ve lost in the last few years to police brutality. We just want a change.”

Also according to the article, Elijah tackled racism on his campus by being an outspoken voice during the student-led #NotAgainSU protests at Syracuse University. The protests were in response to several racist graffiti tags and other incidents at the university, resulting in dissatisfaction with the Chancellor Kent Syverud’s handling - or lack of handling - of the incidents.

Elijah had the idea to wear t-shirts to show support and solidarity with the student protesters. He told Syracuse.com: '“After visiting with student protesters over the weekend and communicating with some during the week, Hughes said he went to his teammates with the idea to wear #NotAgainSU T-shirts before the game against Cornell to support the school’s protest movement.

“‘I’ve been in contact with a few of the protesters,’ Hughes said. ‘It’s something I thought about. ... When I brought it up, everyone bought in. We decided to do it as a team. I talked to one of the students during the protest and threw my thoughts out. I came up with the idea of the T-shirts, talked to the team and they were all in. I laid it out to Coach (Jim Boeheim) and he talked to people and we made it happen.’"

The Celebration

Go watch this video capturing Elijah’s Draft Day of the NBA Draft Pick as he prepared, played basketball, got a slice from Sal’s, drove through Beacon, and ended the day at Carters (formerly The Hotel Beacon) where he watched the NBA Draft with this family.

Follow Elijah Hughes on his Instagram, his Twitter and the Label Foundation.

Toy Drives, Restaurant Act, Gifts | Retail Therapy Guide 12/18/2020

This week is your last week to contribute to several Toy Drives. A Little Beacon Blog did a roundup of a few of local ones you can easily participate in. Get the details here! Friday night is a no-parking night on Main Street, starting at 11pm, through Saturday morning at 10am. Beacon's Highway Department will be working overnight to clear the sides of Main Street of snow, which will make it safer to drive through and walk along Main Street. Perhaps expect more of this after a heavy snowfall. Also, hopefully you didn't park on the street the night of the dump! A Little Beacon Blog's publisher, Katie, has a monthly column in the Highlands Current newspaper. It was originally set to run last week, but Katie and some members of her family got COVID-19, and she had some writer's block. The newspaper suggested she write about her diagnosis in a play-by-play journal entry style. So she did, and it's out on newsstands now. But not to get scooped by the paper on her own story, you can find the official announcement of the COVID diagnosis on A Little Beacon Blog right now, with more details. The play-by-play in the Highlands Current is a good read also, so be sure to pick it up, and look for it posted online soon. LATEST NUMBERS: Beacon has 54 active COVID cases as of today (was 41 last week). East Fishkill has 193 (133 last week), Fishkill has 75, and Poughkeepsie has 119 (90 last week), with Poughkeepsie City at 173 (last week 102). There are 77 cases awaiting address confirmation. Source: Dutchess County COVID-19 Dashboard THE RETAIL THERAPY GUIDE Edited and Written By: Marilyn Perez and Katie Hellmuth Martin City of Beacon Community Forums on Policing & Public Safety Day: Saturday, December 19, 2020 Time: 10am Location: Zoom & YouTube (click on flier) Hosted by Human Relations Commission Chairperson Pastor John Perez & Reverence and Former City Council Member John Rembert. Both forums will be streamed live on YouTube. Information > Classics For Kids: The Nutcracker Day: Sunday, December 20, 2020 Time: 4pm ET Location: Streaming on YouTube The Howland Cultural Center’s Classics for Kids production of The Nutcracker is a holiday classic is reimagined for piano duo and narration. Pianists Stephen Joven-Lee and Michelle Wong, alumni of the Lyra Music Festival and Workshop, perform Tchaikovsky's beloved music intertwined with narration read by Gina Simardge, of Compass Arts. Additional animation provided by Whitney J. Brown. Recorded in Beacon's historic Howland Cultural Center. Information > Check our Calendar and Events Guide regularly for upcoming events throughout the week! Howland Cultural Center Holiday Small Gift Show Day: Friday to Monday, November 21 through December 23, 2020 Time: 1-5pm Location: Howland Cultural Center, 477 Main St, Beacon, NY Shop Local and celebrate handmade local artists every Friday through Sunday and the Tuesday and Wednesday before Christmas Eve - December 23rd. Information >         EAT CHURCH 3091 U.S. 9, Cold Spring, NY Find Eat Church back at Marbled on Route 9 in Cold Spring Friday & Saturday, December 18th and 19th with their Masa Mission Revue 🌮.  This is their last pop-up of the year so don't miss it! Follow them on Instagram @eatchurch. Days: Friday & Saturday 4-8pm View all dishes and full menu at eatchurch.com Information > Eat Church is an ALBB Sponsor!   MEYERS OLDE DUTCH 184 Main Street, Beacon, NY For our Vegetarian and Vegan friends, this tofu sandwich from Meyers Olde Dutch is not to be missed! Sweet chili sauce and jicama slaw is killer but it won’t be around long. Click here to place your order online! Delivery is possible! More > Meyers Olde Dutch is an ALBB Sponsor! HOMESPUN 232 Main Street, Beacon, NY and the Cafe at the Dia : Beacon This week, Homespun shared a video on their Instagram (@homespunfoods) from Bobby Stuckey, a restaurant worker and owner from Colorado and one of the founders of the Independent Restaurant Coalition. Bobby speaks about the Restaurant Act which are two bills sitting on the desks of senate leadership since June 2020.  Watch the full video here.   Continue to support your local restaurants by ordering takeout, delivery, curbside pickup.  If available, or if the restaurant prefers it, do your best to order directly from your favorite restaurants and not go through third-parties like Grubhub or Doordash. Each restaurant will be different, depending on what kind of delivery they offer. And remember to piggy-back on your friends order of takeout if a restaurant does not offer delivery at all. View Menu > Homespun is an ALBB Sponsor!  HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL 288 Main Street, Beacon, NY It's always warm and cozy in the Hudson Valley Food Hall. You can depend on them serving you until 9:59pm to the second! Get in there for some live action bar hanging, where the ceilings are very high, and there is an outdoor area for fresh air hangs. Plenty of food inside with the delicious food vendors at mini-stations throughout the food hall. Information > Hudson Valley Food Hall is an ALBB Sponsor! BAJA 328 328 Main Street, Beacon, NY Come get in the holiday spirit with Baja 328's speciality drinks: The Christmas Mule & Peppermint Margarita.  Baja 328 is an ALBB Sponsor!   LEWIS & PINE 133 Main Street, Beacon The craftsmanship put into the design of earrings like this pair of Cursive Earrings is absolutely stunning.  Made by hand, no two pairs are the same, making your gift truly special and unique. Shop Now > Lewis & Pine is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you! Live Light Travel Often (LLTO) 464 Main Street, Beacon Why yes, this is a piece of charcoal, but not the kind you get from Santa if you've been naughty!  This is a Binchotan Facial Puff from Live Light Travel Often. An all-natural, plant-based cleansing wonder. This Binchotan Facial Puff is made from a blend of fine Binchotan charcoal powder and vegetable fibers from the all-natural and mild Konjac root. The soft texture and natural ingredients are ideal for sensitive skin. Made in Wakayama, Japan. Please note LLTO's hours through Christmas:  12/18 Friday 10-7pm 12/19 Sat 10-6pm 12/20 Sunday 10-6pm 12/21 Monday closed 12/22 Tuesday 11-6pm 12/23 Wednesday 11-6pm 12/24 Thursday 10-2pm 12/25 Friday Closed 12/26 Sat 11-6pm 12/27 Sun 11-5pm See it in person, or Shop Now > LLTO is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you! PTACEK Home 464 Main Street, Beacon PTACEK Home and LLTO go very well together. Pictured here is a coffee table or bench designed and built by PTACEK Home that would look great in a hallway, or in front of a couch. Or behind a couch! The versatility of PTACEK furniture will work with any home. PTACEK is designed with reclaimed wood. See this in person in the perma-popup that is PTACEK Home and LLTO near Beacon Realty and Beacon Bagel Shoppe. Shop Now > BRETT'S HARDWARE 18 West Main Street, Beacon You got this! If you need your first shovel, or a new shovel, or a second shovel for that extra set of hands in your house or apartment, Brett's has your dig-out supplies. From salt to shovels, make the mounds of snow that little kids covet with sleds. Brett's has those too. Information > Brett's Hardware is a Sponsor, thank you! LUXE OPTIQUE 181-183 Main Street, Beacon On the hunt for the perfect gift? Look no further! Luxe Optique has gift cards for sale for the holidays - stop in or call (845)838-2020 to purchase yours today! Try on styles you love, or go with a friend to help them see what looks good on them. Shop Now > Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you! BINNACLE BOOKS 321 Main Street, Beacon Looking for an ideal holiday gift? While supplies last, Binnacle Books customers who make a purchase of $100 or more will receive a piece of original art by a children’s book illustrator. First up, we have a bunch of these beautiful POLAR BEARS by the positively brilliant @thyraheder, author and illustrator of “How Do You Dance?” and “Alfie” and of course “The Bear Report”! Remember that a $100 purchase can be accomplished in one fell swoop by purchasing a membership. Members receive 10% off any and all purchases. These good tidings brought to you by @kidlitartsurprise! And what good tidings they are. _ Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you! LA MÉRE CLOTHING AND GOODS 436 Main Street, Beacon Fashion can be comfortable - which is why we love these black bell bottom denim jeggings! The stretch to fit any body type while also giving a sliming and elongating appearance. Check them out at La Mére Clothing And Goods. Information > La Mere is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you! Mother Nature & Me - Enrichment Program Grades: Pre-K to 8 Homeschool Groups Day/Time: To be determined after kids sign up, and will be coordinated by Brigette Wlash (click below for flier) Information > Clarkson University's Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries is now offering enrichment programs for Pre-K through 8th-grade homeschool groups at our Dennings Point Water Ecology Center. Each group will explore Dennings Point State Park through STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) and nature-based learning activities. Spanish Lessons For Children (10 lessons) Grades: K-2 Days: Wednesdays & Fridays, January 6 - February 5, 2021 Time: 2pm For more info contact Ileana Cardona at ileanacrdn@gmail.com Information > ANTALEK & MOORE INSURANCE AGENCY 340 Main Street, Beacon Antalek & Moore is not one to miss a good window decorating opportunity, or the year-long wait to bring out their abominable snowman poster! Give Them A Clap > Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!   TIN SHINGLE Tin Shingle is an education and empowerment platform for businesses and creators who are getting the word out about their business. Tin Shingle is the sister company of A Little Beacon Blog, and teaches people how to pitch the media. You are in control of what can get published about your company, and the support system at Tin Shingle can guide you. Every Wednesday at 1pm EST, there is a connection opportunity. Connect during the live, members-only Office Hours, or during a pre-recorded webinar TuneUp. Read All About It >   KATIE JAMES, INC. Eggberts Farm Fresh Eggs is preparing for the winter with a new website. Owner Carrie Sabins wants to reach her customers in case there is another shutdown or if her customers need delivery because they need to isolate. Katie James, Inc. a long-time customer of Eggberts Farm Fresh Eggs via the Beacon Farmer's Market. The branding agency is building Eggberts a website in Shopify, for easy pre-orders of eggs and meat, as well as pickup and select delivery options. Do You Need A Website Too? >

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Toy Drives Going On Now In Beacon On and Off Main Street

There are a few Toy Drives still going on in Beacon before the final holiday in December. If you are hosting a Toy Drive that is not included here, please reach out to us to let us know, and we can add you here.

There are plenty of places to get toys in Beacon, including Play and Zakka Joy, which are near Blend and Meyers Olde Dutch, as well as Brett’s Hardware, which is near Beacon Pilates, but you can donate directly to their source.

Toy Drive At Blend

Blend has had a toy box for Toys 4 Tots since before Thanksgiving. Their drive is wrapping up next week. This is for new, unwrapped toys. “We are trying to get as many gifts as we can before Wednesday for the children😃”

Holiday Toy Drive from Beacon4Black Lives

3 ways to donate to this Toy Drive:

- Meyers Olde Dutch has a bin.
184 Main Street
- Shop Hyperbole has a bin.
484 Main Street
- Drop-Off Event at Beacon Recreation Center (formerly BCC Beacon Community Center),
25 West Center Street.
Dec. 20th, 11am-3pm

Toy Drive With 845 Unity

Walmart in Fishkill
“12/19 & 12/20 will be the final collection dates of non-perishables.
12/23 will be the final day of collections of monetary & toy donations.
Please come out to one of our two locations on one or both days. Walmart in Fishkill and/or Walmart in Middletown. We still have boxes in our sponsored locations. We look forward to seeing you and bringing holiday spirit to a less fortunate family. Thank you for your continued support. We wouldn’t be able to do this without you!”

Holiday Coat and Toy Drive

349 Main Street
Twins Barber Shop is hosting a drop-off coat and toy drive (new and unwrapped toys). Twins Barbershop will make sure they are donated to the community.

Toy Drive By Beacon Pilates

Every year, Beacon Pilates hosts a Toy Drive for Children’s Home of Poughkeepsie. This year they are offering alternative ways of filling the box, the deadline of which has passed:
”You can always donate directly to the Children’s Home on their website here. ⁠

"And/Or sign up for Beacon Pilates special Zoom class at 10:15 on Sunday, Dec.13th—all proceeds will go towards the holiday gift drive!⁠”

⁠Arrangements can also be made to drop off donations at the Children’s Home by appointment. To make an appointment email Felicia at: pr@childrenshome.us⁠

No Parking On Main Street In Beacon Friday Night For Snow Removal

Photo Credit: Kitchen & Coffee

The City Of Beacon has announced via robo-call that the Highway Department will be removing snow from Main Street throughout Friday (12/18/2020) evening. Therefore, all cars must be gone from Main Street. ”There will be no parking allowed on Main Street from Friday night at 11pm to Saturday morning at 10am. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

Removing snow from the side of Main Street is helpful for many reasons, including giving cars on Main Street enough space to drive past each other, as well as to pedestrians who are walking between stores.

The Bubble Broke - Testing Positive For COVID-19 Here At ALBB

This article references how my family got COVID-19 from a home exposure. Like what the health professionals have been talking about. We shut down indoor playdates a few weeks ago (aside from 3 pre-approved friends who share our COVID philosophy of carefulness), and had no-one over for Thanksgiving.

The night after Monday, where my 8 year old son and I were jointly listening to the City Council Meeting on my earbuds (he and I now have COVID-19) , I awoke on Tuesday feeling pretty achy in my back. My partner had been feeling pretty achy the Saturday and Sunday before. He commutes to his job in a different state, and gets tested 3x/weekly for that job. His achy-ness was typical of him being worn down by his job, so we never suspected coronavirus symptoms. Instead, I talked to him through the drive to and from work, to make sure he stayed awake. He quarantines in our house, and doesn’t really go anywhere when in Beacon.

This was the weekend after Thanksgiving, and for Thanksgiving, my biggest concern was to make a dinner that did not cause his diverticulitis to flare up. Last year - 2019 - we spent the night in the ER in Ohio because he ate some popcorn or something, and was in a lot of pain. Then he got rotator cuff surgery after falling on his already sore shoulder. For us, Christmas 2019 was a recovery zone. Therefore, I made it through Thanksgiving 2020 with an amazing meal. No diverticulitis. Success!

The following weekend, however, he did walk through our door with COVID-19. But we didn’t know that at the time. His regular Friday test was negative. Then the weekend of achy. His Monday test was positive. By Tuesday, I was achy. But I didn’t know he was positive yet. I did know his Friday test was negative, so I was going about my day, be-bopping around on errands. But on Wednesday, when I awoke for a 3rd day of achy bones, he called to tell me that his Monday test was positive.

I bolted out of bed that Wednesday morning, adrenaline pushing all achy-ness away, while I processed the information. My monthly column for the Highlands Current was due that day. And as you might imagine, I could not process any work information. I needed to be available for Office Hours for business members at Tin Shingle to call in. There was no way I could mentally show up for that call.

I was very confused. My editor at the Highlands Current wanted me to write about our coronavirus diagnosis for their paper. I don’t mind being public about it - most cases of COVID have gone un-discussed. Whispers of neighbors and friends getting it having spread since the beginning of this virus. If there is a stigma, I want it gone. So I will be public about my experience.

My column for the Highlands Current hits the stands Friday and is a simple journal entry timeline of my experience of a few days in the beginning. I couldn’t let the Highlands Current have this headline first (as I do most of the time…they have more childcare than me, so they usually get breaking news out first, while I get more time to marinate on it and write really long articles that exceed traditional print space).

So here is my article announcing my COVID diagnosis.

Why Didn’t You Blog This 2 Weeks Ago?

Testing results can take a really long time. I’ve pursued testing since the summer. When my toddler randomly threw up in the back of my car while napping, I just drove us to Caremount Urgent Care for a test. Caremount actually lost our results. The doctor there told me she didn’t think I should even be testing. It was when the kids Kawasaki sickness was being talked about nationally.

So I got summer test results after 7 days. This time around in December 2020, let’s see…I got achy last Tuesday, learned Wednesday that my partner had it, and Thursday I drove me and the kids to PM Pediatrics for the test. We had already gone through the annoyance that is testing in October when we had much more obvious symptoms of sniffles and asthma cough.

Back in October, for seemingly obvious symptoms, we went to Pulse MD. That experience was horrific. The video call didn’t work, the line to actually get tested was 2hrs in the car, and so far, they have messed up my insurance by not supplying a doctor’s note saying that a doctor recommended the test. This makes no sense - I know - since our doctor’s office visit was covered and the very visit indicates that the doctor recommended it - but the $300 PCR test was not covered, nor the $51 rapid test. Times 2 for my 2 of my children. And Pulse MD’s billing department doesn’t answer the phone or return voicemails. This requirement of the doctor’s note is the fault of our insurance provider: Blue Cross/Blue Shield.

I don’t care about rapid tests anymore. Just give me the real PCR lab result one. For my 2 older kids this round, the results came on Saturday. My middle son was positive; my daughter negative. For me and my toddler, our results would not come until the following Wednesday. My middle son, so far has had mild symptoms, with being achy for a half day, and then gone. His lungs get winded at times.

Meanwhile, the hour I found out about my partner, I contact-traced my own people of where I had been. Two little kids had been to our house - pre-approved friends. I texted their parents, and they all pursued testing. I canceled our babysitter until forever, and she got tested. Everyone’s results came in (negative!) except mine and my toddler’s. I was positive, my toddler negative.

My middle son’s pediatrician called me days later with my middle son’s results (I’d already learned he was positive when PM Pediatrics Urgent Care called). His pediatrician called to tell me he was negative. They read the lab result wrong. This was just one of the annoying things about this process. Needing to be an advocate for myself, to tell my own child’s doctor that they are wrong, and to look at the test again. I had to call the Urgent Care for myself, to confirm for the 5th time, and then call our pediatrician with 110% certainty that I was right. That my middle son was positive.

For the record, the lab result displays are ridiculous. For PM Pediatrics (who we are fans of) - they use LabCorps. The results for a person who is negative say “Negative” next to the child’s name. If the child is positive, this word is nowhere on the lab result. Instead, the results say “Discussed with parent.”

All in all, you have a line item at this urgent care that says “Detected” for a positive result, and “Not Detected” for a negative result.

People Who Are In Denial

Nobody wants this pandemic to exist. I get it. There are many stories people tell me of nurses at urgent cares who lament to parents that parents are overreacting. That people are overreacting. That testing is overdone. That the media isn’t reporting on this latest mutation of the virus. That it’s much lighter than before.

Some people telling their Facebook friends to just eat some Vitamin D and improve their diets, and this whole thing would go away.

No.

Entering into the very personal zone here to say that I’m quite sick of all of these people. There are a handful of people who react to articles at A Little Beacon Blog that promote masks, or not merging houses at Thanksgiving - and they react quite strongly. They use vomit emojis and proudly state that they will have 100 people over for Thanksgiving, and that they don’t believe in masks or social distancing.

I understand that people like this want businesses to flourish and to live. I get it. Believe me. I live for businesses. I live for creativity. I live for freedom to express, and freedom to sell. But I believe in responsibility and being prepared.

Symptoms - Not A Cold. Nothing Like A Cold, But Does Share Symptoms

This sickness - for me - is nothing like a cold. It is a mystery in your body, that once you get, you get to track it in your body, to see where it has traveled today. This is not to say that it does not share symptoms from a cold or flu. It does. But experiencing it is not like experiencing an everyday cold or flu. For me at least. Everyone’s experience with COVID may be very different.

For me, it is tracking a weird thing in my body that moves around during the day or night, invading one area to see what it can do, then leaving that area, then maybe returning to that area a day or two later.

The first Tuesday I got symptoms, I also got my moon cycle early. Two weeks early. This never happens. As achy as my bones were - like with a mild flu - I had the worst cramps I had had since before my pregnancies. Towards the end of the day, my hips felt like they were moving apart again - like they did during contractions.

During my 3rd pregnancy, I had nerve pain in my hip joint. Hauntings of this pain happen every cycle, when my hormones kick in and soften everything (thanks Beacon Pilates and for teaching me about that, and beBahkti Yoga for introducing me to the pelvic floor occupational therapist who teaches about this!).

At first I worried about my hormones. Then I looked up “estrogen and coronavirus” and found that some studies have been done to measure if estrogen is harnessing that immune over-reaction of the immune system in people known as the “cytokine storm”. Some men in studies have been having estrogen patches to calm this storm. For the first time, I welcomed, embraced, and celebrated my cycle. “Stay as long as you like!” I told my cycle.

Each day my symptoms are different. Achy is gone now, and I mainly deal with lung and head sensations. I’ll bullet point to keep this part simple:

• Achy in back and behind knee caps.

• For my son on his Day 1, his legs were very achy at 2am, and he could not get out of bed until 7am to come get me. I gave him Tylonal and he slept until noon, and awoke feeling better. For two days after that, his little lungs were winded. He has retained energy.

• Cramps from very early cycle that started the first day of symptoms.

• Lungs feeling like I ran along a polluted street. I’m a runner. So I like my breathing. I’m also asthmatic, and impacted by allergies. One morning, at 4am, I woke up to my lungs feeling like I had just run along Central Park West, which if you’ve ever done that, is a bad idea. It’s filled with car pollution, and you will feel like you’ve smoked a lot of cigarettes the day before. I don’t smoke. But I did try cigarettes in college, so I know what that feels like.

• Head feeling like water rushed up into my brain, then drained back out again, and kept doing that. All day. Have you ever gotten water up your nose? Have you ever gotten a cold head rush from ice cream? It’s kind of like that. Odd. A sensation.

• Sinus pressure. Happened after the water-up-the-nose feeling. There was no mucus (so far), but my entire head became swollen.

• Sore throat. Both my partner and I had hints of a sore throat sometimes, but not full blown. Neither of us had mucus.

• Asthma cough for my toddler. While my toddler tested negative, he randomly got his asthma cough and was very clingly and moody (those are translations for kids who can’t speak their feelings, but don’t feel well. He needed nubulized while I was in the achy stage. I have since put him on Singulair, a daily lung management pill, because all of my kids and myself have asthma-cough, and I’d rather it not get out of control with COVID here.

• Dizzy. Dizzy like morning sickness, but not always solved with food. In February 2020, I was so sick that I couldn’t get out of bed without fainting. My middle son was so sick that his legs would not hold him, and hurt him. For days. Maybe 2 weeks. I tested for antibodies back then, but had none. There was no test for COVID back then.

• No runny nose. No mucus. No nothing like that. Just odd sensations of pain in my body. Like behind my collar bone one day. But yes to sinus pressure.

• Taste and smell remained. So far! Neither my partner nor myself nor my son lost our sense of taste or smell. Thank goodness! So far.

• Tingling in my chest. Like butterflies in your tummy, but in your chest. This is exacerbated by me getting excited. And I get excited a lot. The day or hours after I feel tingling in my chest, my chest might close up and get tight. Asthma. That means, wheezing, and needing to take an inhaler. No big deal. Lots of people are asthmatic and take inhalers. Right? Right. But asthmatics know that they don’t want to deal with this, or have their lungs flare up randomly.

• Oxygen at 94 at 4am in the morning. On the oxygen reader - which is a common thing to measure for asthmatics and people with this virus - you chart your oxygen flowing through your blood. The best is 100. The lowest is 95. If you hit 94 and below, medical professionals like you to seek medical help. Maybe at 4am, all of our oxygen is low - I don’t know. I’m not in the habit of measuring. But I measure all the time now.

The Random Heart Attack

My partner’s best friend - two of them actually - attended a funeral in Ohio. Twenty people came away with COVID-19. Some people were hospitalized. No one has died yet. Yay! My partner’s best friend struggled and recovered. His other best friend tested negative, while his wife tested positive. Last week, that friend had a heart attack. He says he was feeling tired for 2 months. After the heart attack, he was saved and had a stint put in. He feels much better. During this time, he tested positive for COVID-19.

My worst fear is the random heart attacks and strokes from this virus.

Not Wishing This Virus On Anyone

There are some people who live in Beacon who say on their Facebook that they don’t mind if they get this virus. I don’t wish this virus on anyone. Not myself. Not my children. Not deniers. Nobody knows this virus. When I got the chicken pox in 3rd grade, that was normal. You got chicken pox. I rubbed my first skin bump onto my best friend (we agreed), and she got it too. We wanted to play together.

Polio had a season. The vaccination didn’t always exist. It was polio season sometimes. If you got polio, you had a good chance of having complications for life. My grandmother had polio. She had some pretty painful arthritis after that.

Don’t be stubborn. Keep you distance. Say hello. Go shopping. Go eating. But be smart. The most selfish thing you can do is to say that people should be taking Vitamin D and watching their diets and leading better lives.

Don’t contribute to hospitals that fill up. That’s the number you need to watch. And if your friends are randomly taking their inhalers.

Don’t do this, man. Don’t be this person who is so incredibly selfish, that you head is so far in the sand, that you are helping no one, and hurting your business friends. Be smart. If you want financial relief for businesses, and to save their money and savings from being drained, then fight for it. But don’t do it while denying health and promoting daydream conspiracies.

Living With COVID

So far, living with COVID has been manageable - for my own body and my partner’s body. I am hugely grateful to my body composition - DNA - amount of COVID we got - I don’t know. I do know that sickness and disease takes your body, and there is only so much you can do to control it. So even though I am taking the vitamins - D, C, Zink, Elderberry syrup - these did not - in my opinion - defeat this virus in my body. I do think they help for sure. And I do activities to help my body stay strong for sure. But taking these things alone don’t solve it. Your own body is the factor.

I stretch every day. I usually jog every day. In quarantine, I jogged about every other day in my driveway and yard. I have continued to stretch every. Stretching definitely helped with my achy symptoms. Because I stretch every day, my body is used to it, and stiffens up if I don’t stretch. This is a habit you want to get into :) Stretching is good!

For stretching ideas, start taking Yoga and Pilates. There are some good moves in those models. See A Little Beacon Blog’s Fitness Section of the Business Directory for ideas.

I did shovel when I couldn’t jog. Hopefully this was OK for my lungs. I just wanted the fresh air circulating through my body as much as possible.

I listen to music. Different albums or songs to keep my mood up, or to coast into an emotional mood to relax.

Moving Forward

Work-wise, I’m pretty nervous about who is going to want to see me in person. Part of my job is taking photos. Will any store want to have me in? I will wear a face shield!

Personally, will any friend or neighbor feel comfortable with us around? Some people take forever to test negative. My partner has already tested negative (yay!). While my chest is still tingly, and I get dizzy spells, I suppose I plan to take me and the kids to get tested for hopefully negative results - and some antibodies! - next week.

If I have antibodies, I will be loading up on spinach and cheeseburgers, in order to donate blood with antibodies, if that is needed. Usually my iron is too low to donate. Will try to change that.

Beacon Gets 13" - 20" Of Snow; Plows And Shovels Are Moving

Beacon is as North Pole ready as it will ever be, with the first snowfall of the season bringing 13”-20” in Beacon according to my tape measure, and 16” at least in the region according to Dutchess County. The National Weather Service pointed out that it was more snow for some areas like Central Park than fell all last year, as reported by CNN.

Beacon’s Highway Department was out all Wednesday night and into Thursday afternoon, clearing snow and putting down materials for safer driving. According to Dutchess County’s press release sent today: “Road conditions are difficult throughout Dutchess County. Highway crews made multiple rounds plowing and applying materials throughout the night and continue this morning, but rate of snowfall has been difficult for crews to keep up. It is expected it will be several hours after the conclusion of the storm before roadways are fully addressed as the low temperatures and blowing winds will continue to move snow around.”

Barb’s Butchery, all dug out and open for business after the first snowfall in Beacon, 2020.
Photo Credit: Barb’s Butchery

Dutchess County added staff to their 9-1-1 call center, but fortunately a low volume of calls came in. Also according to the press release, Central Hudson reported that LaGrange experienced outages, but otherwise there were no wide-spread outages.

Public transportation will resume on Friday for Dutchess County, and due to bad roads in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County Government offices were closed.

Beacon businesses often arrive to their shops to dig out, aiming to be open for people taking breaks in between shoveling, and to be available for supplies. Brett’s Hardware is stocked with salt and shovels, and has more on the way, as is Key Food with rock salt. Check Beacon Barkery for pet-safe salt.

Should you need services for your home, like snow shoveling, see A Little Beacon Blog’s Business Directory. And give those shovelers on the street a chance, as it’s a great way for high schoolers and new businesses to earn cash.

Winter Storm Warning: Snow Impacts On Parking, Bus, Garbage, School, Meals, 911 Extra Staffing

Photo Credit: Dutchess County County Executive Office

According to a press release sent by the Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro’s Office, “the National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning effective now through 1pm on Thursday, December 17th. Snowfall is expected to arrive late this afternoon (Wednesday) into the evening, continuing through Thursday morning, possibly into early afternoon.

“Prediction models vary widely for this nor'easter storm with heavy snow fall expected tonight through the overnight. Snowfall is predicted to be 1”-2” or more inches per hour with 12”-18” inches of accumulation expected, with some models showing projections up to 27” inches. The Thursday morning commute is expected to be impacted significantly and motorists are reminded to allow extra time and exercise caution on the roadways.”

Beacon Parking & Shoveling

The City of Beacon issued a city-wide robo-call, reminding residents to:

• Not park on city streets due to plowing operations Wednesday night, into tomorrow Thursday.

• Yes to park in public city parking lots. Parking lots will be plowed later, and the city will post a notice in the lots prior to plowing. See A Little Beacon Blog’s Guide to Free Parking Lots for pictures.

• Sidewalks should be cleared by residents no later than 24 hours after the snow stops falling.

• Do not throw snow into the road when shoveling the sidewalks and driveways. The snow plow will push it back onto your sidewalk because that is all that the truck can do. No matter how sharp a side-eye you give a plow truck. So give a wink and a smile as you throw that snow into your own yard.

Garbage Pickup In Beacon Delayed 1 Day

The City of Beacon also announced via robo-call that due to the pending snow storm, garbage pickup will be delayed by 1 day. Thursday pickup will occur on Friday and Friday pickup will occur on Saturday.

Beacon City School District Calls Snow Day

Important to Beacon’s Superintendent, Dr. Matt Landahl, and his own children in the district, were “good old fashioned snow days.” He has called his first one this evening in anticipation of the bad weather and possible power outages, impacting remote learning. The kids can go sledding, while staying safe. No Morning Meets.

Dutchess County Experiencing Staffing Shortages For Snow Management Due To COVID-19

Dutchess County Public Works highway crews have loaded trucks with materials, and salt will be applied to County roadways as the storm begins, according to the Dutchess County press release. Crews will be out through the duration of the storm to clear roadways. However, County Executive Marcus Molinaro urged patience “as this will be a significant storm and response efforts are complicated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused staffing shortages and continued safety concerns,” he said.

County Executive Molinaro said, “This first storm of the season looks to be a significant event. The forecast of rapid accumulation of snow, combined with ongoing concerns for the safety and shortage of staff because of the pandemic will make this storm very difficult. We urge all residents to be extremely cautious, avoid travel if possible. If you must travel, leave plenty of extra time for safety. Importantly, please be patient as it will take crews added time to clear roadways for safe travel.”

9-1-1- Center and Emergency Operations Center Increased Staffing

Dutchess County Emergency Response has increased staffing at the 9-1-1 Center and the Emergency Operations Center has been activated with representatives from County DPW, State DOT, New York State Police, County Sheriff, County Health, Central Hudson, NYSEG, and Red Cross for the duration of the storm, according to the Dutchess County press release.

Public Transit Bus Suspended Starting 7pm Wednesday

Dutchess County Public Transit will suspend service beginning at 7pm today, Wednesday. Bus passengers can check for delays or schedule changes at www.dutchessny.gov/publictransit, on the DCPT mobile app, or call 845.473.8424, TDD/TTY: 711.

Residents needing MTA service should follow the MTA on Twitter who posts updates.

Meals Delivered To Dutchess Seniors And Beacon Students

Dutchess County Office for the Aging staff and volunteers have delivered extra meals to Home Delivered Meals recipients.

Students in the City of Beacon School District who opted into Remote Delivery were given food today via the Beacon School Buses and runners who deliver the meals, which include hot meals, like pizza slices and chicken nuggets, as well as fruit and muffins.

Dutchess County Government Offices

Dutchess County Government offices will open at noon on Thursday. Individuals who have DMV appointments in Poughkeepsie and Wappinger from 9am to 12pm will be rescheduled for the same appointment time on Friday, December 18th

Residents can stay up to date on the County’s storm response online at dutchessny.gov or on the County’s social media pages on Facebook or Twitter.