Tax Tip: Unemployment Insurance Is Taxable - Put Some Aside In Savings - Opt-In For Tax Removal - Or Opt-In For A Cancel Movement

A whole lot of Unemployment Insurance was released at the start of the pandemic when businesses were shut down or furloughed. For New Yorkers, people could receive up to $504/week (depending on how much they earned during the year), plus an additional $600/week for a limited period of time of Pandemic Insurance regardless of yearly earnings. The number of weeks a person could receive Unemployment Benefits within the year was also extended, and on December 29, 2020, was extended again into 2021.

Receiving Unemployment Insurance proved difficult, as so many people were applying at one time, and many for the first time. The New York Department of Labor’s website crashed regularly, and calling in to a person was nearly impossible, according to Gothamist and other publications. New York State partnered with Google to fix the state’s website and increase the servers powering the website from 4 servers to 50, according to Syracuse.com.

According to data analyzed by lohud.com, unemployment claims in the Hudson Valley totaled 149,134 for the time period of March 14 through April 25, 2020. The previous year during the same time was 9,344 claims. That is an increase of 1,496%.

As of today, after the passage of 2 pandemic stimulus packages, Unemployment Insurance remains taxable, as it is viewed as income, which means that if you received Unemployment Insurance, you need to either check a box that you want taxes withheld from your unemployment benefit check, or “put aside 20% federal and 6% NYS,” advises Arthur DeDominicis, a local CPA in Fishkill.

New York’s Department of Taxation and Finance issued a reminder that citizens could opt in to having taxes taken out of their benefit checks, thereby removing the problem of needing to save money to pay it the following year. The reminder included directions on how to opt-in to having taxes taken out. Otherwise, recipients of Unemployment Insurance have the option of paying in quarterly estimates, or figuring it into their year end tax filing, the legwork for which starts right now.

Recipients of the benefit will receive a 1099-G from New York State. Other unexpected income tax situations can include large payouts from things like Travelers Insurance. If you bought Travelers Insurance on a plane ticket, then got delayed and were reimbursed for your hotel, clothing and food, a 1099 will also arrive in the mail to be included in the year end tax filing, and added to your overall income.

Six states do not charge their citizens income tax on benefits, according to Experian.com, and those include: Alabama, California, Montana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Seven states do not charge income tax at all, and those include: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

Unemployment Insurance was extended for 2021, with legislation signed by Governor Cuomo on December 29, 2020, that outlines how additional weeks of benefits will work, including an additional $300/week supplement for those who meet the requirements. There is a new compensation opportunity for self-employed people called the “Mixed Earner Unemployment Compensation” program (MEUC), which is defined as: “benefits are provided for individuals who earned at least $5,000 a year in self-employment income but are disqualified from receiving more substantial PUA benefits because they may be eligible for traditional state UI,” according to a press release by the governor.

Might New York State wave collecting tax on Unemployment Insurance? Might the new federal administration wave charging federal income taxes on Unemployment Insurance this year? Unlikely, but maybe if you ask…

Dutchess County Amends Quarantine to 10 Days From 14 Days, Following NY State Guidance

Sent via press release this morning, Dutchess County has reduced its quarantine time for exposed individuals from 14 days to 10 days. While strictly isolating at home is extremely difficult, both emotionally and logistically, please note the concern that remains while in the quarantine to if you have symptoms:

From Dutchess County Press Release 12/30/2020:

“Though the quarantine period is now shorter, individuals exposed to COVID-19 should remain vigilant. Anyone who develops symptoms while under quarantine OR through day 14 from the last date of exposure, should assume they are infectious and immediately isolate themselves and seek a diagnostic test.”

— Dr. Anil Vaidian, DBCH Commissioner

Following a guidance change for COVID quarantine requirements from the New York State Department of Health, the Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) has amended the quarantine time period for individuals exposed to COVID-19 from 14 days to 10 days following the last exposure if no symptoms are reported during the quarantine. This change is effective immediately.

Quarantine for individuals exposed to COVID-19 ends after 10 days, without a test required, IF there are no symptoms reported during the quarantine period. Additionally, exposed individuals must:

• Continue daily symptom monitoring through Day 14

• Continue to strict adherence to prevention measures – use of face coverings, hand washing and physical distancing.

• If any symptoms develop, IMMEDIATELY self-isolate and should seek testing. A list of testing sites in Dutchess County is available at www.dutchessny.gov/coronavirustesting

An “exposed” individual, or “close contact” are individuals who were within six feet of a person who tested positive for COVID -19 for 10 minutes or more total in a 24-hour period when the person was contagious. Contagious is defined as 2 days before symptoms began (or 2 days before positive test if there are no symptoms).

“This is an important change that aligns New York State guidance with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidance and will help end confusion on quarantine timelines,” said Dr. Anil Vaidian, DBCH Commissioner.

“Though the quarantine period is now shorter, individuals exposed to COVID-19 should remain vigilant. Anyone who develops symptoms while under quarantine OR through day 14 from the last date of exposure, should assume they are infectious and immediately isolate themselves and seek a diagnostic test,” said Dr. Vaidian noted.

The New York State DOH’s updated guidance can be found here: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2020/12/covid19-health-advisory-updated-quarantine-guidance-12.26.20.pdf)

Quarantine documents and other information on the Dutchess County Government website will be updated this week. New York State and local contact tracers are also being advised of the guidance change

COVID-19 Update: Words Matter - Especially If Not Used (Detected, Positive, Negative)

During the testing process for COVID-19, we needed to become one with the Patient Portals that medical facilities make available to you to see your lab results, request a refill, etc. Doctors offices also call with lab results, so if you’re one of these people who avoid logging into to new accounts, and are satisfied with talking to someone on the phone to get your test results or order refills, then you may not have viewed how test results are presented.

In our case, they caused miscommunication and a wrong diagnosis. An easy mistake that thankfully was easy to sort out, but here is how it happened, and why it pays to stay on top of the medical professionals in your life, and trust yourself to keep pursuing what you know you need to.

The Most Obvious Word Left Out Of Positive Result: “Positive”

Nobody likes bad news. Nobody likes delivering bad news. To avoid delivering bad news, or saying “No” to someone, a person might speak around the issue, and not say the words necessary to deliver the answer clearly. Words might get hidden between the lines. In the Midwest, we call this “passive” and in some cases when you’re being critical or oppressive, this hidden language is called “passive aggression.”

Such was the case with the test results from the Urgent Care for my son. The call came in from the Urgent Care that he tested Positive, and had the virus. No phone call came for my daughter, and I was told that the office is not calling people who test Negative. I logged into both of their Patient Portals, and saw the following easy-to-read results:

“Negative” for my daughter.

“Results discussed with parent” for my son.

Dig into the results one step, and you’ll see the words “Detected” highlighted in red for the COVID-19 result. What is not stated anywhere on the page is the term “positive,” which is what most people are familiar with.

As a courtesy, our pediatrician had their nurse also call us with the results. The nurse said that my son was “Negative.” I questioned the nurse, asking where they got the information, and the answer was: “I am just the messenger.” COVID-19 is a hot potato. Understandable. I pursued, in order to find out where the miscommunication was, and it resided in the language of this lab result (see screenshots below).

In following up with the Urgent Care, it was learned that the ordering physician of the test is able to type in the brief description that appears on the Homepage/Dashboard, which is what a patient sees when refreshing the Lab Results page. The word “Positive” could have been typed in, but wasn’t. Instead, the following phrase was typed: “Results discussed with parent.” Being that it is bad news, it could have been an unintentional avoidance of the result, so that no one had to look at an unpleasant word.

Fast forward to a new test now that we are better (thank goodness!) - the Antibody test - from a different facility. Those results have appeared in my Patient Portal from another medical facility. First word in the description area: “positive” (not capitalized, for the grammar enthusiasts in the room). Clicking into the lat results, more details are discussed, and the word “positive” does appear in the details. The word “Detected” is still the lead word in defining a positive result, but in this case, was not highlighted red. Keep in mind, the word “positive” was nowhere in the positive lab result lingo for COVID-19.

In the case of the Antibody test, those antibodies are something that someone wants (though it comes with a price…the possible weakened or altered organs that the virus left behind). The word “Positive” in this case is something that you want, and was front and center in the Dashboard home page.

As we proceed with more medical tests and conversations than we are used to having in the medical world, this serves as a reminder to keep your wits about you. And as feedback to medical professionals as to how their notes are interpreted if the simple declarative words are not used.

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Making A Will - It's Time - And It's OK To Talk About

During the beginning of the pandemic, at the end of March 2020, the topic of having a will, or estate plan, became serious. You probably have a will, but some people do not, Further, some married women I have come into contact with have thought that they did not need a will at all if they were married. Some married men have assumed that the will would be a joint document between the couple, yet who are two individuals.

Talking about a will is known to be hard, and people who have had parents pass away unexpectedly have spoken on the challenges of even locating the will. Maybe it’s buried beneath a marble tile in the sun-room, or maybe it’s under a floor board in the attic.

Transparency can help children know what to do to settle an estate, and it doesn’t need to be depressing, if parents lead the way by presenting it as preparation. During the writing of this article, and the scheduling of forcing myself to make a will, my own children were asking why I was talking about it. I let them know where to find the Death Binder of Passwords in my closet, which is 4” thick, and maybe it needs a new name, but will help them a lot when settling accounts when (if!) I die.

As a starting place when dealing with wills for this article, I started with family: my sister. She lived in Chicago at the time, and works for a law firm called Seyfarth Shaw, LLP as their Manager of Pro Bono & Philanthropy. She directed me to Caroline Manley, an Illinois-licensed attorney and the Executive Director at the Center for Disability & Elder Law in Chicago, IL.

Caroline answered a few questions about the basics in estate planning. Before diving in, you should know that Caroline includes this disclaimer: “This content for informational purposes only, and is not legal advice. Individuals should consult with an attorney licensed in their own state.”

Caroline takes it away below:

“Completing an estate plan is an important task. Like all legal matters, consulting with an attorney who is licensed in your state is very important. Laws differ between states, but the same basic concepts apply throughout the country.“

1. What happens if I do not have a will?

“Every state has intestate succession laws. These laws are the default rules for what happens if a person dies without an estate plan, and the laws have a hierarchy for who takes according to closest living relatives. Knowing your state's default plan is important, because it very well may NOT be who you would want to take, or might not be the best plan for you depending on your individual circumstances.”

2. Can't I just write a will myself?

“While most states allow you to write your own will without the assistance of an attorney, it is not recommended. Neither are online programs or templates where you will not get a plan that is specific to your individual circumstances. A lawyer will learn about your total assets and goals, and then explain the best estate planning tool. These tools may include a will, transfer on death instrument or deed, or trust. Having an experienced attorney help you is especially important for families with children under the age of 18 and for anyone who wants to leave their assets to a person with disabilities who receives, or is expected to need, public benefits.“

3. I'm especially worried about getting this taken care of because of COVID-19. Can I still find an attorney if I am under a shelter in place order?

“Yes! Most estate planning attorneys are small businesses or solo practitioners. You can get your estate plan completed AND help a small business. Attorneys can meet with you via phone or video conferencing in order to conduct your client interview. Once completed, the documents can be emailed to you for printing or sent in the mail. Your attorney will let you know specific requirements for how to execute the documents.”

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.

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

Dutchess County Declares Most COVID Cases Are Coming From Home

Dutchess County joined surrounding counties including Orange County (Newburgh), Putnam County (Cold Spring) and Ulster County to declare that most COVID-19 cases were coming from people’s homes as they get lax in social circles. “Case investigations in each of the counties show that the majority of new positive cases are transmission from family, friends and close acquaintances in casual settings as opposed to public settings such as schools, workplaces, retail or other businesses where prevention mitigation including mask wearing, physical distance and hygiene are strictly adhered to.”

In Beacon as of today, there are 35 cases. Just yesterday, there were 26 cases. There are 95 cases pending address confirmation. See the Dutchess County Dashboard here.

“Already, 4 children who attended that small gathering were COVID-positive, unbeknownst to themselves or their families. Since then, 15 positive cases have been traced back to that casual get-together, impacting a local college, elementary school, middle school and high school, proving the wide impact of “living room spread.””

— Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan

A joint, public call was held today by the three counties to implore citizens to not get casual about COVID-19, and to not get together with family or friends for Thanksgiving. Yesterday, when the joint call was announced, Beacon’s Mayor Lee Kyriacou issued a robo-call, urging people to socially distance.

Governor Cuomo’s nightly message this evening was the same, and bore down on travel, stating: “Travel is a real concern because New York State has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. If people travel here from states with higher infection rates, that poses a great risk.The CDC is strongly urging Americans, as are we, to avoid Thanksgiving travel. Celebrate this American tradition with just your immediate household to help ensure the safety of your loved ones and your community. Love is sometimes doing what's hard and this year, if you love someone, it is smarter and better to stay away. It's tough to hear but it's better to be safe than sorry—and we can still spread thanks without spreading COVID.”

Dutchess County Urges Residents To Not Cross-Mingle With Households

County leaders are urging people to socially distance from each other on days other than Thanksgiving as well. They made a big plea today via telaconference over Zoom. Presenting leaders included:

Dutchess County:

• Marcus Molinaro, County Executive

• Dr. Anil Vaidian, Behavioral & Community Health Commissioner

Orange County:

• Steve Neuhaus, County Executive

• Dr. Irina Gelman, Health Commissioner

Putnam County:

• Tom Feighery, Deputy County Executive

• Dr. Mike Nesheiwat, Health Commissioner

Ulster County:

• Pat Ryan, County Executive

• Dr. Carol Smith, Health Commissioner

County leaders are asking residents “to remain vigilant in the coming weeks and curtail small social gatherings. Such parties or “hangouts,” even among friends and family members, have led to a recent increase in local COVID-19 cases, raising the Mid-Hudson region’s positivity rate, affecting the ability of schools and businesses to remain open and further stressing the region’s healthcare resources.”

Mid-Hudson Region’s Rate Rises To 4.6%, Attributed To Casual Settings

Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus said in the past week, 2 COVID-19 deaths in his county were residents in their 20s, proving the virus can affect every individual differently, regardless of age or underlying condition, according to the County’s press release.

Putnam County’s Deputy County Executive Tom Feighery noted that Putnam saw a direct correlation between people ‘letting down their guard’ (not following safety measures in casual, social settings) and COVID-19 transmission in the six days following Halloween when positive case doubled in that county.

Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan described a small Halloween party attended by just 3 families in late October. Already, 4 children who attended that small gathering were COVID-positive, unbeknownst to themselves or their families. Since then, 15 positive cases have been traced back to that casual get-together, impacting a local college, elementary school, middle school and high school, proving the wide impact of “living room spread.”

Many Cases Strain Contact Tracing

Contract tracing is key to keeping Beacon schools open. Once a student or staff member is identified as positive, the district staff goes to work immediately to contact trace to see who else may be impacted, and to ask them to quarantine.

“COVID-19 cases stemming from casual gatherings have a ripple effect on counties’ contact-tracing efforts, by creating an increased workload for contact tracers, which slows down the entire tracing process for all infections,” said the Dutchess County press release. “Leaders today asked residents who think they may have been exposed to COVID-19 to please reach out to possible contacts so they can get tested and begin the quarantine process.”

“We know that this is a make or break moment for us as a county and a community,” Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said. “As we see our numbers increase to levels that we have not seen in months, we must remain proactive to blunt a much more significant second wave. We will be doing everything that we can to remind residents to continue to social distance, wear masks, and take all precautions necessary.”

County Executive Molinaro concluded, “We have been battling this pandemic for 8 months, and we don’t want our best efforts to go to waste. COVID-19 remains a deadly disease, and we must not become complacent and casual in our efforts to fight it. Even when you gather among your immediate family, please wear a mask, wash your hands and remain at a safe distance. The pandemic doesn’t let up for the holidays – neither can we.”

County Executive Molinaro’s father did die of COVID-19 early on in the discovery of the pandemic. From a personal perspective, this blogger’s husband’s best friend in Ohio has been doing his best to avoid COVID by not visiting us in NY. Recently, his father passed away, and they had a funeral for family and friends. A family friend attended the funeral, with no symptoms, who was positive, unbeknownst to her. Since then, the best friend tested positive, and was in bed for a week without being able to take calls, and his sister-in-law (his wife’s sister) has gone to the hospital with breathing problems. Others tested positive from the funeral as well.

3 City Of Beacon Employees Tested Positive For COVID-19; City Hall Remained Open During Individual Quarantines

On September 30th and October 5th, three employees of the City of Beacon tested positive for COVID-19 and were quarantined for a mandatory 10-day period, according to a press release issued by the City on or around October 13th. According to this week’s edition of the Beacon Free Press, City Manager Anthony Ruggiero confirmed to the newspaper that the last person to test positive returned to work on Friday, October 16th. He also confirmed to the paper that “City Hall continued to be open the whole time.”

According to the press release reported on by the Highlands Current, Poughkeepsie Journal and Times Hudson Valley, the City hired Servpro to “thoroughly disinfect all of City Hall on Sunday, October 4th.” The administration notified the Dutchess County Department of Health, and followed all protocols, including engaging New York State contact tracers, according to the release.

According to the Beacon Free Press: “In the release, City officials underscored their ongoing commitment to public health and the safety of its employees, residents, and visitors. City officials remind everyone to continue to take COVID-19 seriously and follow the proper protocols. The need to continue to maintain social distance of 6 feet and continue to wear masks when appropriate and wash and thoroughly was noted.”

As of October 20th, there were 12 positive cases in the City of Beacon, according to the Dutchess County Dashboard. According to Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro, “the Hedgewood Home for Adults in Beacon Assisted Living Facility is considered resolved, with no new positive cases reported and no active cases within the facility,” he stated in a virtual Town Hall Forum. He also reported that Bard College announced a precautionary closure of its Annandale campus to visitors, but the Dutchess County Department of Health (DBCH) confirms there are no active cases of COVID-19 associated with the school.

As for the Marist cluster, Molinaro stated: “The cluster reported at Marist College relating to an October 3rd gathering has run its course, with a total of 30 cases in the cluster, according to DBCH. Marist College lifted its precautionary campus pause on Saturday, Oct. 17th.”

The press release issued by the City of Beacon to various news media has not yet been added to its website with other press releases. A Little Beacon Blog seems to have been left off the distribution list, which we have been included on prior for other releases, like the new business cards for police officers and new initiatives like Hope Not Handcuffs. It should also be noted that the Mayor issued a robo-call during the uptick earlier this month at Hedgewood, but not for this instance.

UPDATE 11/3/2020: The press release has been published to the City’s website, and can be found here.

Wishing everyone the most health and full recoveries.

UPDATE 10/29/2020: City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero says that the employees have recovered, and that there are just over 30 employees in the building on average.

New York State Has Not Given Dutchess Nor Orange Counties Free COVID Testing Sites - Dutchess County Provides Alternatives

While Governor Cuomo encourages testing for all citizens of New York State, and boasts of some of the highest testing numbers, there are no state-sponsored free COVID-19 testing sites in Dutchess County nor Orange County for people without insurance, as there are in several other counties.

In his press briefings, when speaking to the people of New York and in his nightly emails, Governor Cuomo urges people to use New York’s free testing sites, like here on September 1, 2020. It’s a simple directive, but one that is not readily available to residents in Dutchess and Orange Countries who may never have had health insurance, or recently lost health insurance.

Individual medical facilities may opt to service people with no insurance, and absorb the cost or file to state or federal programs on behalf of the patient. Others may offer a flat rate of $100. Dutchess County has provided a list of medical facilities who provide testing, and of those, which offer free testing to the uninsured. Information about that is below.

On October 1, 2020, the Governor announced that COVID-19 rapid testing would be made available to every county in New York State. But how that rolls out remains to be seen, since Dutchess County has never had state sponsored testing sites since they rolled out months ago for other counties.

According to a representative at the the New York State Department of Health COVID-19 Hotline for testing there are free, NY state-sponsored sites in Albany, Binghamton, Erie, Nassau, Suffolk County, Niagara, Rochester, Rockland, and Utica. Colleen T. Pillus, Communications Director with Dutchess County Executive Office, has confirmed that New York State has not put free testing sites in Dutchess County, and encourages residents to visit the Dutchess County testing page to see which facilities offer free testing to the uninsured. Those locations have been highlighted below in this article.

Says one Beacon parent who recently lost their New York City based job in the hotel industry when the luxury hotel laid off most of their staff: “Having no health insurance is why I am keeping my child home for school and avoiding friends. We are not participating in the Hybrid Learning program that Beacon is offering because we can’t afford to get tested. I haven’t begun the research to find what our free options are, if any exist.” While on furlough, the hotel kept some employees on while cutting salaries, but maintained their health insurance. A month later, the Beaconite’s job was terminated due to the pandemic, and health insurance lost.

COVID-19 Testing And Kids In School

As some people have returned to work or college, testing has become mandatory. Those in the film industry, for example, just started returning to work, only after contracts with testing companies were established to allow for rapid and lab testing. Some college students who attend classes in person undergo mandatory testing, like those at SUNY Orange, who are “pool testing” every few weeks, and do not ask for insurance, and say that students will not be billed.

Kids in the Beacon City School District are not required to take COVID-19 tests to attend or return to school, but a test is one of the options if a student is sent home with a fever, or if a student opted to voluntarily stay home because of the sniffles.

If a family does not have insurance or the cash to pay for the lab and/or office visit for testing, the options narrow for how to get a child back in the in-person version school (Remote Learning can still continue on the computer from home). Prices for testing for the uninsured can range from $65-$175. As an insured person, my cost averages $50 per person for an office visit to an urgent care, and the lab test is waved.

Attempt To Get Free COVID Testing Site In Dutchess County

Dutchess County’s County Executive Marcus Molinaro wrote to Governor Cuomo on May 22, 2020, asking him for a drive-thru testing site in the City of Poughkeepsie, to help low-income residents there get access to rapid testing. The letter (shown below) went unanswered, Colleen told ALBB. MidHudson Regional Hospital had been operating a drive-through testing facility in the Town of Poughkeepsie. The location proved hard to access for many in the City of Poughkeepsie, and Dutchess County partnered with the hospital to provide transportation. There is a minimum co-pay of $75 for this option, for the uninsured.

Below is the letter from Marcus Molinaro in full, which details the request:

View fullsize

Photo Credit: Dutchess County Executive Office

View fullsize

Photo Credit: Dutchess County Executive Office

Individual Testing Centers Opting To Wave Fees For The Uninsured In Dutchess County

The Dutchess County website does go into detail about insurance information, and options for the uninsured. You should pay attention to:

• If the waved fee includes the office visit and the lab test.

• If you do have insurance, which insurance company is covered.

• If you don’t have insurance, that the office fee and the lab test are waved. Not just one or the other.

• If the information has changed.

As of today (10/21/2020), according to the Dutchess County website, the following locations in or near Beacon offer a true no-fee for any of the testing (not the lab nor the office visit):

• Hudson River Health Care (now called Sun River Health, after a merger). The Beacon location on Henry Street, and they specify that testing is available regardless of insurance or immigration status. (845) 831-0400. Appointment for testing required. No telahealth visit required.

• Excel Urgent Care of Fishkill (845) 765-2240. Appointments encouraged, but walk-in welcome.

• Northern Medical Group. You must call to see if you qualify. A telahealth visit is required for evaluation prior to testing. Hopewell Junction (845) 226-4590, and Poughkeepsie (845) 452-9800

• Nuvance Health (a location in Wappingers Falls is listed)

• Castle Point VA Medical Center (Wappingers Falls (845) 831-2000)

Close, but not quite for uninsured in Beacon:

• CVS is offering to submit testing for those with no insurance, but only at select locations. The Fishkill CVS is not listed as participating in this.

NY Clusters And Higher Infection Rate For Mid-Hudson Region

The Mid-Hudson region does have a higher infection rate than other areas. In Governor Cuomo’s nightly email, he reported the figures from yesterday:

In Long Island, it was 1.6%.
In the Capital Region, 0.8%.
In Central New York, 1.9%.
In the Finger Lakes, 1.7%.
In the Mid-Hudson Region, 2.6%.
In Mohawk Valley, 0.5%.
In the North Country, 0.6%.
In Western New York, it was 2.0%.
And finally in the Southern Tier, 1.3%.

It is unclear why Dutchess County and Orange County do not have state-sponsored testing locations for the uninsured. If we get answers from the New York State Department of Health, this article will be updated.

Uptick In COVID-19 Cases In Beacon Connected To Assisted Living Facility In Beacon, City Says

On Monday evening, during the weekly City Council Meeting for 9/21/2020, City Manager Anthony Ruggiero provided detail for the recent uptick in COVID-19 cases in Beacon during his regular report session (see hour/minute 1:06:00). He explained that the positive cases were connected an assisted living facility located in Beacon. “We had received a number of emails after a News12 report,” Anthony remarked.

That facility, as reported by News12, is Hedgewood Assisted Living Program, located at 355 Fishkill Avenue. Anthony stated that this increase right now is isolated in the one facility, and that State and County Health Departments have been monitoring, and both have been to the facility, where the staff and residents are tested weekly.

According to News12’s report: “A spokesman with the assisted living facility tells News 12, ‘Each of our nearly 200 residents is observed carefully. This facility - subject to 24-hour a day, seven-day a week unannounced inspections, strictly adheres to all NYS Department of Health guidelines.’ The person did not go into detail on the breakdown of cases among residents and employees, or even the severity of symptoms.”

Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro confirmed to News12 that there is likely to be an increase in case number based on this cluster, telling the news outlet: “It is likely going to result in more cases, with severity because of the age of the individuals and sadly, we’ve already seen 1 individual succumb to the disease. We have to engage in that social distancing. We are encouraging people, ya know, we cannot have theses large gatherings. And continue to wear a mask please.”

At the time of this announcement on Monday, there were 27 cases on the Dashboard, "with about 13 that are related to this facility, with sadly, 1 death,” said Anthony. Always a man of dates and schedules, Anthony reflected on the speed of the spread, when he remarked: “This was fast moving. There were 0 cases about 2 weeks ago. Week of September 14th, there was a severe spike of 8 or 9, and then the last week, 13.” Anthony stated he was in regular contact with the Commissioner, and that Beacon’s first responders had been made aware of the situation.

Wednesday night, after another increase to 45 active cases in Beacon, Mayor Lee Kyriacou made an announcement via robo call, which is also texted and emailed to those who opted in. “To be clear, the large increase is from a single residential facility – not from Main Street businesses, or not from children returning to schools.”

Mayor Kyriacou went on to encourage citizens to practice personal safety: “Beacon is doing exceptionally well. We have carefully opened up much of our city activity, while keeping our COVID numbers way down – that is remarkable. Our job as individual members of this community remains unchanged: Each of us must continue to do our part – social distancing and face coverings in public, quarantining if required, being respectful to all. Everyone’s vigilance is essential to keeping us all safe.”

Click here to visit Dutchess County’s Dashboard, which lists Beacon’s active case numbers. To see how many new cases were recorded in Dutchess County for the day, click here for New York State’s Dashboard, and click on the text link for Dutchess County, and then the highlighted shape of the county.

5 New Job Positions In Public Health Available From Dutchess County

Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) has job openings for 5 Public Health Advisors, including a senior supervisory position, for up to 18 months. The positions are being funded by a grant of $917,000 awarded to Dutchess County from the New York State Department of Health to further build capacity for COVD-19 case investigation and contact tracing coordination. The grant funding will enable DBCH to hire Recruitment is now open and interested applicants can review job description and apply online at the County’s website at www.dutchessny.gov/jobs.

As the jobs are temporary, they do not require a Civil Service exam from the county. Additionally, there is not box to check for a criminal background check, as Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro participated in a “Ban The Box” movement years ago to remove that box from county job applications. This is often a hurdle for people with records - even for minor issues - to be considered for jobs.

Marc Molinaro said, “This grant enables us to bolster our public health team and ensure we can continue to deal with case investigation and contact tracing quickly to prevent spread. This is critically important as the reopening process continues, - particularly school reopenings - and greater interaction leads to case increases, we need to have the capacity to respond rapidly.”

About The Grant From New York State Department Of Health

The grant is intended to increase local health department staffing to conduct rapid and complete case investigations, including ensuing that once contacts are identified, they are reached within 48 hours and have access to testing. The additional staffing will also be available for daily monitoring of cases and contacts and ensure any social supports needs are being met and for effective isolation/quarantine.

DBCH Responsibilities Have Increased With Reopening Monitoring

The grant funding comes at a critical time as local health departments must take on an ever-increasing workload and the annual flu season approaches. Local health departments have seen their role greatly expanded beyond their normal areas of jurisdiction, particularly as the reopening process has continued.

For example, health departments were tasked with conducting gym inspections by the state as a requirement of reopening of gyms and fitness studios, though these businesses are not under the authority of local health departments. Locally, DBCH has been providing support and assistance to nursing homes, assisted living centers and developmentally disabled group homes, all of which normally work directly with NYS DOH.

Additionally, DBCH has been coordinating closely with colleges and school districts for their reopening planning. All of this goes beyond the normal workload of DBCH, which still continues and includes other disease and virus surveillance, such as Lyme disease and other tick-borne illness, as well as annual flu monitoring.

“Our public health team has been working non-stop for more than six months responding to the coronavirus pandemic, and I am exceptionally grateful to all of the extraordinary members of our team whose professionalism and dedication has been inspiring,” said DBCH Commissioner Dr. Anil Vaidian. “These additional Public Health Advisors will be welcome additions to our team and enable us to continue our fight against COVID-19, while ensuring we are also addressing other critical health concerns in our community including overdose prevention, tick-borne disease awareness, and much more.”

Rolls Of The New Public Health Advisors

The grant-funded Public Health Advisors will be responsible for performing investigations and advising on all phases of coronavirus pandemic control efforts. These individuals will be part of DBCH’s Rapid Response Team and take part in case investigation activities including index case and contacts interviews, provide education and public information, assist with data collection and creation of reports and analysis; and stay abreast of new techniques and information that can be locally adapted in the fight against COVID-19.

Interested candidates should have strong knowledge of public health communicable disease investigation as well as current trends relating to emerging techniques and treatment and must have strong interview and communications skills, with positive interpersonal skills to successfully inform and educate individuals and the public at large. Candidates should have the ability to prepare complete and concise reports. Candidates should have education and/or experience in nursing, social work, health education or a health-related field.

For full job descriptions and application information, visit www.dutchessny.gov/jobs. Application deadline is September 11th

Anti-Pandemic New Yorkers Bring Back To Life Old A99 Bill - Which Started In 2015 And Goes Nowhere Each Year - Fueled By FB Video

In the beginning…there were the texts. “My friend (cousin, aunt’s best friend) works at the Pentagon and he told me that the government is going to shut everything down in 2 days.” Perhaps you received texts like this too. Insider information. Scoop. It most likely drove you to drive very fast to the grocery store and buy $800 worth of groceries in a blizzard-prep mentality - each week - thus wiping out your savings before the actual pandemic was acknowledged, with the actual business shutdown requiring the $600/week Pandemic Insurance and a slippery PPP business loan. The physical lock down in one’s home never came, with soldiers patrolling the streets, but the business train wreck did.

Now with set to open, and botched roll-outs happening in other states, new quarantine fears are percolating: Quarantine Part 2. The new text thread includes a Facebook video of a woman at her home in New York, showing you how New York State, and the Governor specifically, wants to take your children, using the excuse of they might be infected with COVID-19, a disease which she says doesn’t exist. To prove it, she proceeds to show a video of her laptop screen reading the details of this bill - A99 - about how the Health Commissioner can and his or her opinion, remove you from your home and put you in detention until you are no longer contagious. For basically any amount of time.

The bill is a pretty freaky read, and at immediate first glance, was started in January 2019. But if you scroll down and dig in, it was really started in 2015 (which is just after an 2014 Ebola outbreak occurred in the United States) by Assembly Member Nick Perry, and has never seen the light of day. Nick’s Assembly District is 58, which is in Brooklyn. His office is at 903 Utica Avenue. You can read the 2015 version here.

A Change.org petition to fight the 2019 version of this bill started at least 4 months ago in April 2020 by Buffalonians Against Excessive Quarantine (716), to petition the NYS Assembly. So far, this bill is introduced every year, and it sits in a status called “In Committee,” is marked as “Active,” then seems to die.

The fear that the language of this bill has tapped into is not unfounded. It certainly describes what happens to illegal immigrants when they are caught coming into the United States seeking asylum. They are detained for legal amounts of time that get renewed, and their children are taken from them. Most recently, actions granted by the Trump administration, as reported on in a joint article from the Texas Tribune and ProPublica, and reported on by other news outlets like NBC.

Those who are concerned about quarantine law, could read an analysis of existing laws here. If you are a doubter of the pandemic, and don’t trust any data or science presented to you, one option is to look at the hospitals to see if they are full, and the funeral homes to see if they are wall to wall, and sometimes to the ceiling, with caskets. Like here in this New Yorker article, or here in Popular Mechanics. As is what happened in New York during the early months of this COVID-19 pandemic. Similar pictures exist for the 1917 flu pandemic.

Free Lunch Program Continues - New Signups For Those Unemployed Encouraged Now

When the announcement of the free $420 food credit to be used at stores was announced by Governor Cuomo, ALBB blogged about it, and then reached out to Beacon City School’s Director of Food and Nutrition, Karen Pagano, to ask how this works with the school’s Free Lunch Program, which she was encouraging people to sign up for back in the spring of the pandemic. People did, who were unexpectedly unemployed due to the pandemic. As of today, 650 people are enrolled in the Free Lunch Program.

As the ReOpening has been happening, some people have returned to work, but not everyone. Can people still apply for the 2020/2021 Free Lunch Program? “Yes,” says Karen. Because government services can be a little complicated, we are going to let Karen explain how it works in her words:

Each District submitted to SNAP or NYS a list of Students enrolled as of March 15, 2020, that qualified for free meals in our district either with:

• Income application

• Homeless status

• Directly certified through SNAP or Financial need based Medicaid.

We submitted this file back in May or June 2020. This was the list used for eligibility for the P-EBT funding you wrote about here.

We do not get notified if families have received the P-EBT cards, so if a family has questions about the card, they need to follow up with the numbers listed in your other article: NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance at 1-833-452-0096 or by email at otda.sm.eisp.PEBT@otda.ny.gov

Meal eligibility for Income applicants from the previous 2019-2020 School year will continue until a new application is submitted, or until mid October 2020 with no new application submitted.

Meal applications for the 2020-2021 School year are available on our District website for parents to download and print a copy - fill out manually and send back to the Food Service Office either electronically or in hard copy. We will also be sending copies home with students on the first day of school if they are attending building classes. We are looking to do a mass mailing for those that are not attending in school classes to get the applications out.

We are in the works for setting up online applications through a program called myschoolapps (students and parents use this now to fill breakfast/lunch money on for their kids to use at school - it’s the digital form of “lunch money”) but we will not be able to have this up and running until likely the first week of September as the company supporting this function is at the moment overwhelmed.

Families should still apply for free meals even if they are not attending in-building classes as we will be preparing grab and go meals with distribution for those enrolled families through a drive-by-pick-up on Wednesdays at BHS and RMS starting on September 16th. Parents will need to sign up for this service through a new addition to MySchoolBucks platform and that sign up should be available by the end of August.

We will be preparing these grab and go complete Nutritious Breakfasts and Lunches for the 3-day Remote Learning coverage as well as 5-day for all remote learning eligible students all with Wednesday distribution, times TBD.

We have certified about 650 students for Free meals who qualify for SNAP for the 2020-2021 year and have sent emails or if no email is on file, hard copy notification to those families about their continuation of free meals in the School year.

We will continue to update this download from NYS SNAP recipients on a monthly basis to capture newly added students receiving SNAP and therefore automatically eligible for free meals.

How Will The Non-Free, Paying School Lunch Program Work?

Currently, the Beacon City School District uses MySchoolBucks.com to handle money on kid’s meal cards. Parents log in and make deposits onto the cards whenever they want to. But how will this work on the Hybrid or All Remote Learning plan for parents who do not qualify for the Free Lunch Program? Karen answers:

“You would pre-order each week - all or nothing. You get 3 or 5 breakfast and 3 or 5 lunches (this will depend on if your child is in school 2 days a week or all remote). If your child is in school 2 days a week, they can also get breakfast as a grab-and-go bring into classroom, and lunch which will be pre-ordered in the morning with choices for meals that will be delivered into the classrooms. Both are optional - both are free for free qualifying students and payment necessary again on account with www.myschoolbucks.com for paying students who do not qualify for the Free Lunch Program. No money at school please.”

New Food Benefit of $420 In Groceries To Kids Who Lost Food Benefits - The P-EPT Card Or Deposit

September is a breath away and most of us are either trying to ignore the “back-to-school” air August carries, or desperately trying to prepare for the upcoming school year. In Governor Cuomo’s daily coronavirus update email sent out on August 10th, 2020, he included an update regarding the pandemic and the reopening of schools, as well as an opportunity for kids who lost food benefits due to COVID-19 school closures can access meals through the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program.

P-EBT is an important update that requires attention prior to the end of August. P-EBT (Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer) is a newly implemented program regarding the food benefits for families during the COVID-19 school closures. Children who lost free or reduced-price school meals will now be able to buy food at participating stores under the P-EBT benefits, for $420, according to Governor Cuomo’s update. If your child is eligible, but your household has not received a P-EBD card and/or benefit by mid-August, call NYSOTDA at 1-833-452-0096. More details here. Benefits will be issued automatically. There is no application. However, you should call the number with any questions if you don’t have a card.

While there is not application, it may be necessary for you to be enrolled in the Free Lunch Program, which had been made available over the spring for the upcoming year, which starts in September 2020. ALBB blogged about this in April 2020, to bring awareness to the program for those who are unemployed. If you are still unemployed, you are encouraged to apply now. It is unsure at this time if the $420 deposit will be made to you if you are signing up for this program now. So it seems like signing up for the program would be beneficial.

The information you need is on this website, however we have broken it down for you below.

Who Is Eligible?

• Children who have received free or reduced-price meals

• Children who attend schools that offer free meals to all

How Much Are P-EBT Benefits?

Each eligible child will receive $420

When and How Will I Receive P-EBT?

There is different criteria for different types of situations:

• Families that receive SNAP or Public Assistance (PA): benefits will be available on your current EBT card. Expect two payments: $193 in early June, $227 in late June.

• Families who use Medicaid (but not SNAP) do not need to complete an application to get free school meals. Benefits will be available on your (or your oldest child’s) Medicaid card. Expect one payment: $420 between June and late August.

• All Other Eligible Children: benefits will be available on a new EBT card (one for each eligible child) mailed to your house. Expect one payment: $420 between July and late August.

I Have Not Received Payment…

If you have not received a P-EBT card and/or benefit by mid-August, call NYSOTDA at 1-833-452-0096.

Other Important Information:

• Immigration status does not matter:

• Using P-EBT does not affect your or your child’s immigration status. The public charge rule does not apply to P-EBT.

• P-EBT is not SNAP.

• You can use other nutrition programs, like summer meals, SNAP, and WIC, while using P-EBT.

• You can still get “grab and go” or delivered meals served by your school.

• You cannot give your card to another person or household to use. If you wish to donate your benefit, you can buy food and donate it to a food pantry.

I Still Have Questions…

Contact NYS Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance at 1-833-452-0096 or by email at otda.sm.eisp.PEBT@otda.ny.gov

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All About The Prison Books Project That Opperates Out Of Binnacle Books

Photo Credit: Binnacle Books

The Prison Books Project is an initiative from Binnacle Books, here on Main Street in Beacon. Launched in early 2020 with a bunch of postcards blasting into prisons in New York State prison facilities, Binnacle Books has been getting requests in and sending the books back out. Who buys the books for the prisons? You do! Anyone can be a sponsor. It’s a great way to give in a specific way.

The Prison Books Project is an outgrowth of the Beacon Prison Rides Project, which is a free way for people to be driven to visit their loved ones in jail from the Beacon train station stop. A Little Beacon Blog interviewed Mark Trecka of Binnacle Books to see inside of the project a bit more. Mark was published in the Rivernewsroom describing the intricate requirements of visiting a prisoner, and how much can go wrong to prevent a visit (like your own wardrobe violation).

ALBB: How do the imprisoned people make requests?

The basic principle is that we distribute postcards into New York State prison facilities, and then incarcerated people use them (or send letters or emails) to request books. We then acquire the books via one of several channels, whether it's Binnacle's distributor or Binnacle's shelves or we put a query out on Instagram. If the books were not donated, we post them on the Binnacle Instagram and then Binnacle's customers / followers sponsor them, title by title. The books are then mailed directly to the person who made the request.

ALBB: What are they thinking about? What kinds of requests come in? Do they know what books they want? Or do they want a subject, like “I want to learn accounting” or “I want a biography of someone”?

“There are approximately 1,700 people incarcerated at Fishkill Correctional, which is in the City of Beacon. Between 200 and 250 of those people are in solitary confinement at any given time. Incidentally, people in solitary confinement can and do request books from us.”

— Mark Trecka, Binnacle Books

Folks have requested all kinds of books. Sometimes the request is very specific, by title, or they might request anything by a particular author. Fiction, poetry, non-fiction, comic books, academic books. We also certainly get requests for subjects, yes like accounting or finance, abnormal psychology. Sometimes we'll get a request for a book that we can't source and then we send other books that we think they might like, always encouraging the person to pass the books along. Some examples of requests: "a biography of someone who made it out of prison," "a book on how to speak Creole," Shook One by Charlamagne Tha God, Black's Law Dictionary, Haiti: A Slave Revolution, "a book of love poems."

ALBB: Has there been an increase in requests since visitation has been banned due to the pandemic?

There has been an increase in requests lately, but actually it's a bit hard to say if it's directly related to visitation suspension or if the project has just been gathering steam. Regardless, we feel that it is deeply important to acknowledge and support the nearly 6,000 people who are incarcerated within an approximately 30-minute drive from Beacon's Main Street––not to mention the more than 50,000 people incarcerated in this state.

There are approximately 1,700 people incarcerated at Fishkill Correctional, which is in the City of Beacon. Between 200 and 250 of those people are in solitary confinement at any given time. Incidentally, people in solitary confinement can and do request books from us. According to one person who is currently in solitary, reading is one of the only things he can do to keep himself occupied. We sent him a bunch of books.

So, all that is to say that Fishkill Correctional Facility accounts for more than 8% of the population of Beacon. Those people are our neighbors. Fishkill Correctional also has the highest number of COVID-19 related deaths of any facility in New York State. So folks there are feeling it hard. Although getting a free book in the mail cannot solve these systemic problems, we feel that this work is valuable, both as an expression of humanity and also as important material support.

Books can do a lot.