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NYS released new holiday advisories to help NYers protect themselves from COVID-19.
These advisories are just a reminder to take extra precautions to keep yourself and your loved ones safe during the holidays as cases continue to rise across the state.
It is important to avoid crowds and to stay home if you feel sick to help protect our communities.
Please find the holiday advisories released by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the NYSDOH below:
Local businesses and organizations have decorated these fabulous trees in a variety of creative themes and styles that you can win.
All proceeds from the event support the ARC Foundation which funds vital programs and services that support intellectually and developmentally disabled individuals, their families and their support staff in Clinton County.
Over the past months, the ARC Foundation has provided emergency funding to many individuals and families in the North Country area who have been struggling during the pandemic.
And in addition to funding items related to coronavirus and COVID-19 concerns, the ARC Foundation offers a matching gift program for developmentally—disabled individuals, subsidizes Special Olympics training and equipment costs for local athletes and provides scholarships to students pursuing coursework related to the human services field.
Point au Roche State Park Family Scavenger Hunt
This Saturday from 10-11am, Point au Roche State Park is hosting a Family Scavenger Hunt!
Get your family out of the house for a guided scavenger hunt along the trails of the park!
Supporting Local Businesses this Saturday and Year-Round Strengthens Communities and Boosts Local Economies
Watch the Department of Labor’s Small Business Saturday Video Here
This Saturday, November 28, 2020, is “Small Business Saturday” in New York State and today Empire State Development, and the Departments of Labor, Taxation and Finance, and Agriculture and Markets encourages all New Yorkers to safely support their local small businesses, which are in need of our help during the COVID-19 pandemic. Small businesses generate millions of jobs throughout the Empire State and by choosing to shop locally Saturday, and every day, New Yorkers are investing in their neighborhoods, strengthening their communities, and keeping tax dollars within New York State.
“We encourage all New Yorkers to help support struggling small businesses now and throughout the holiday season,” Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochulsaid. “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our businesses and our residents, it’s important to support local, small businesses in our communities. With Small Business Saturday and the holiday shopping season, there are many safe ways to support businesses by shopping online, buying gift cards, or posting on social media. We are committed to helping our small businesses with the New York Forward Loan Fund, Empire State Digital and other initiatives to raise awareness and lift each other up during the holidays and year-round.”
Stewart’s Shops is teaming up with its customers once again to raise money for local children’s charities. The Stewart’s Holiday Match campaign kicks off on Thanksgiving Day and runs through Christmas Day at all shop locations.
“In these times, nonprofits need our help more than ever with increased strains on staffing, resources and budgets. We are proud to partner with our customers to help those who need it most. And every donation goes twice as far with the Stewart’s match. We care twice as much so we’ll double your gift”, said Stewart’s Shops President Gary Dake.
Last year, customers donated an incredible $895,000 to the program, doubling to more than $1.79 million with the Stewart’s match. The funds were able to support 1,830 local children’s organizations across the 31 counties where Stewart’s shops are located.
“The $30 million success story of the Holiday Match program continues to grow, since 1986, with the hard work of our shop partners and the generosity of our customers. Together, we will help thousands of children in our 31 county market area,” says Amy Potter, Stewart’s Director of Corporate Contributions.
The goal of Holiday Match is to encourage individual giving and broaden the base of support for local charities. Stewart’s Holiday Match is a 501c3 foundation; all donations are tax-deductible. Stewart’s gladly accepts funds from groups or businesses, but only matches individual donations.
Local children’s organizations are encouraged to apply for funding online at stewartsshops.com. The deadline for submission is January 31, 2021. All groups applying must be locally based, benefit children under 18, and be a qualified, charitable 501c3 organization. A listing of all the local organizations that received funds last season is available online.
Stewart’s Shops thanks its customers, shop partners and media partners for their support each year.
Since our 11/24 update, 6 additional cases (4 lab-confirmed positive and 2 probable) have been reported and 14 individuals have moved to recovered (13 lab-confirmed positive and 1 probable).
As a reminder, there are multiple criteria that may place an individual in the probable category, such as an indeterminate test result or antibody test results. If a person is found to have antibodies, they may also already be considered “recovered.” If a person receives indeterminate test results, they may be retested and subsequently test positive or negative. A person in the probable category may remain in the probable category, may be moved to the confirmed case category, or may be removed from numbers if they are determined to not be a COVID-19 case, all based on epidemiology criteria. For the probable case definition used by NYS, visit https://bit.ly/3en5n7o.
The Peru School Board of Education will hold a special meeting on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at 6:00 PM in the High School Community Room. It is anticipated that the Board will immediately convene in Executive Session to conduct interviews for the position of District Treasurer. At this time, no other District business is anticipated for this meeting.
The full Board agenda will be available on the District’s website (perucsd.org).
At the current rate of increase in COVID cases, we’re very likely to see a major COVID spike after the holiday. In three weeks, hospitalizations have gone up 128 percent—we went from 1,200 total hospitalizations in the state to about 2,800 total hospitalizations now. We anticipated this fall surge but doesn’t make the numbers any easier to see. Now the holiday season is upon us, a 38-day period of increased social activity. And the more social activity there is, the more the virus is going to spread. So, once again, I urge New Yorkers to take caution over the Thanksgiving holiday and the days ahead. Get tested if you have symptoms or have reason to believe you were exposed to the virus. Wear a mask, particularly indoors. Let’s keep one another safe.
Photo of the Day: Distributing Thanksgiving turkeys at a socially distanced event at the Wyandanch-Wheatley Heights Ambulance Corp. Headquarters in Long Island (Photo by Kevin Coughlin)
Here’s what else you need to know tonight:
1. Total hospitalizations rose to 2,856. The positivity rate in the micro-cluster focus areas was 4.13 percent. Excluding these areas, it was 2.62 percent. Of the 164,761 tests reported yesterday, 4,881, or 2.96 percent, were positive. Sadly, we lost 47 New Yorkers to the virus.
2. Look up any address in the state and see if it’s in a cluster zone. New Yorkers can look up any address to determine if it is in or near an existing cluster zone using this tool on the State’s website. The tool includes a navigable, regularly updated map of New York State that shows all the current cluster zones in the state.
3. The State Department of Health released guidance on shopping safely this holiday season. Winter holiday activities, such as shopping and social gatherings, present a risk of COVID-19 spread to New Yorkers, particularly within areas of the state where confirmed cases and clusters have recently increased. The Department of Health issued new guidance to help both businesses and New Yorkers prepare for holiday shopping, urging New Yorkers to avoid crowds, wear face coverings in public, and stay home if they feel sick.
4. No New Yorker should go to bed hungry, especially on Thanksgiving. New York State is partnering with the Community Service Society of New York, Walmart, Coca-Cola, Wegmans, HelloFresh, the National Supermarket Association and Stew Leonard’s this week to help deliver Thanksgiving meals to feed more than 50,000 people statewide. New Yorkers have faced unprecedented challenges this year and this partnership is a reminder that we look out for one another.
Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: University of Iowa professor Elizabeth Pearce is helping students staying on campus enjoy Thanksgiving even while they are isolating. Pearce sent an email to her class offering a home-made meal cooked by her and her children on Thanksgiving to any student who wanted one, which she will then deliver to the students’ homes and dorms. One of her students shared the generous offer on social media, where it went viral. The general reaction? “This is what Thanksgiving is all about.”
If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here.
Highlights of the Peru Town Board’s Monday, November 23, 2020 meeting:
Town Supervisor Brandy McDonald participated in the meeting online via Zoom.
Following a 5:45 p.m. public hearing where no one testified, the Board voted to proceed with the sewer line upgrade project. The Board will not know the exact cost per user until bids are received, and the project’s scope is finalized. Councilor Rick Barber recalled that it was last estimated at $80 per quarter for the typical user; however, the exact cost will depend on a property owner’s assessed value.The Board approved a resolution to increase the project’s maximum “not to exceed” limit from $4.618,000 to $5,424,000. Engineers scheduled the bid opening for December 5; however, they notified the Board that they would delay it by about one week. Three contractors have expressed interest in bidding.
Water-Sewer Superintendent Courtney Tetrault noted that the 2021 budget includes metered water rate increases of $2 per quarter and metered sewer rate increases of $5 per quarter. This increase is not related to the $4 million to $5 million capital project.
A passed resolution made the Town Supervisor, Town Board, and Youth Director salary freezes announced at the November 9th meeting official. The money will revert to the general fund balance.
Thanks to Assemblyman Billy Jones, Peru was awarded a $125,000 grant to extend its walking trail.Expanding the Heyworth-Mason Trail to Lapham Mills Park was considered, but that route would require a costly bridge. After walking the route before last night’s meeting, the Board decided that developing a route from Maiden Lane to Sullivan Park would be the most cost-effective.The new trail would include portions of an existing trail.It would traverse a small stream, but constructing a small bridge should not be expensive.
A new Volvo Model L110H Wheel Loader equipped with a road-sweeping broom should arrive at the Highway Department in a few months. The Town is purchasing the machine from Vantage Equipment at the cost of $234,877. Mike Farrell said the Volvo would simplify and speed up the street cleanup operation. It was purchased through a national contract at 42% below the list price. It replaces a 1997 loaded that had a $17,000 trade-in value. Its primary work will be in the sand-salt storage building.
Farrell took responsibility for not painting the highways his department paved this summer. He said that given the uncertainly of state funding, he decided he had to curtail some spending. At one point, he thought about painting the center lines, but Clinton County had run out of paint.
The Peru Ski Club will not function until at least January 24. Whiteface notified Youth Director John Flynn that it would decide by the 24th if there is a Club Ski season. Whiteface is open on a limited basis for other skiers.
Flynn reported that the Northern Extreme Women’s Softball Team donated $1,523.21 to the Youth Commission. The team is disbanding and wanted to express its thanks to Peru for its outstanding athletic fields and programs.
There will be a low-key Christmas Tree lighting at Little Ausable River Park Gazebo on December 4 at 7 p.m. Councilman Jim Douglass remarked that gathering a large crowd during a pandemic would not make sense.
Alison Webbinaro was appointed to the Planning Board to complete the term of Nicholas Zagrodzki who resigned from the Board. Her term of office will end on December 31, 2020. The Board sent Zagrodzki a letter of thanks for his service.
The Board approved the Highway Department’s hiring of Andrew McLaughlin as a Motor Equipment Operator at an $18.43 hourly wage rate effective November 30, 2020. McLaughlin has a Class A Driver’s License. Highway Superintendent Michael Farrell said it shouldn’t take long to train McLaughlin to operate the snowplows.
One or two residents inquired why the Town removed the Hometown Hero Banners before Veterans Day. Water-Sewer Superintendent Courtney said his personnel removed the banners because of the ongoing power pole replacement project on the Bear Swamp Road. It was also noted that the recent high winds would have damaged some banners.
Note: Paragraph on pay freeze amended to specifically include Town Supervisor. He is not taking a raise.
12/11/20 Correction made to water & sewer rate increases. Original story attributed $5 to water and $2 to sewer.
In-person shopping at crowded stores is a higher-risk activity that may lead to the spread of COVID-19. We encourage residents to shop local this holiday season, but ask you to consider virtual shopping or curbside pickup instead of in-person shopping. If you decide to go shopping in person, take steps to protect yourself:
– Wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when social is distancing is difficult.
– When you do have to visit in person, go during hours when fewer people will be there (for example, early morning).
– If you are at higher risk for severe illness, find out if the store has special hours for people at higher risk. If they do, try to shop during those hours.
– If you normally bring your own reusable shopping bags, ensure they are cleaned before each use. Some locations have temporarily banned the use of reusable shopping bags during the COVID-19 pandemic, so check your state, local, store, or market policies before bringing reusable bags.
– Disinfect the shopping cart; use disinfecting wipes if available.
– Do not touch your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
– Stay at least 6 feet away from others while shopping and in lines.
– Use marked entry or exit points and follow any directional signs or floor markings designed to keep people at least 6 feet apart.
– Touch only products that you plan to purchase, if possible.
– If possible, use touchless payment options (pay without touching money, a card, or a keypad). If you must handle money, a card, or use a keypad, use hand sanitizer right after paying.
– Before entering and after exiting the grocery store or market, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
– When you get home, and before preparing or eating food, wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Since our 11/23 update, 11 additional individuals have tested positive for COVID-19.
The Soup Kitchen meal will not be served at St. Augustine’s Parish Center this week, but bread will be available Wednesday at 10 a.m. on the parish center porch. 189 turkey dinners were served last Wednesday.
This Thanksgiving isn’t normal—nothing in 2020 has been. But Thanksgiving was never really about the trappings. It’s always been more powerful than that. This Thanksgiving is a time to really give thanks to the people who did phenomenal things during the course of this year: The doctors and nurses, all the essential workers, all the neighbors who went out and shopped for their neighbor and helped them. We thank every person who wears a mask for their diligence. We thank every restaurant owner, business owner, bar owner who lived by the rules and who suffered economically to keep their business open. We thank every police officer, every EMS worker, every teacher. We thank every bus driver and train operator who had to stand there with hundreds of people walking past them all through COVID. And so, so many others.
This year, we show our thanks by keeping each other safe. We may be physically apart but we’re spiritually together.
Chart of the Day: Total New York hospitalizations could reach 6,000 in three weeks based on current trends—even without a Thanksgiving spike. But they don’t have to. Please help us slow the spread by following all recommended health procedures.
Here’s what else you need to know tonight:
1. Total hospitalizations rose to 2,724. The positivity rate in the micro-cluster focus areas was 4.48 percent. Excluding these areas, it was 2.73 percent. Of the 191,489 tests reported yesterday, 5,906, or 3.08 percent, were positive. Sadly, we lost 33 New Yorkers to the virus.
2. New York announced new and modified COVID-19 micro-cluster zones. Part of Staten Island‘s Yellow Zone will become an Orange Zone. New Yellow Zones will be established in Upper Manhattan and Nassau and Suffolk Counties. New Orange Zones will also be established in Monroe County (in and around Rochester) and Onondaga County (in and around Syracuse). These changes go into effect this Wednesday, November 25, for businesses and Thursday, November 26, for schools. All the maps of the current micro-cluster zones are available here.
3. We are opening an emergency facility in Staten Island to respond to the rising cases. There were 108 hospital admissions of Staten Island residents in the past seven days (11/16-11/22), up from 27 admissions a few weeks ago (10/26-11/1). At the request of local hospitals, we will be opening an emergency facility for COVID patients at the South Beach Psychiatric Center that will utilize up to 108 beds on two floors to handle overflow for COVID-19 hospitalizations.
4. To date, New York has conducted over 18 million COVID tests. Any New Yorker can get tested and you can find a testing site near you here. You can also call 1-888-364-3065 to make an appointment at a New York State-run testing location—most sites have available appointments at drive-thru or walk-in locations.
Tonight’s “Deep Breath Moment”: To celebrate World Children’s Day this year, Hip Hop Public Health and the Special Olympics premiered a music video to promote health and fitness. The video features over 100 young people representing 28 different countries with different styles of dance from around the world to encourage children and families to stay active during the pandemic.
If you were forwarded this email, you can subscribe to New York State’s Coronavirus Updates here.
Medical experts are pleading with the public to avoid holiday parties this year, starting with Thanksgiving.
Here’s what they had to say, in their words:
“Look, the virus doesn’t care how much you love people. So let’s stay safe this year,” said Dr. Jonathan Reiner, a professor at George Washington University School of Medicine. “The good news is next Thanksgiving is going to be fabulous.”
“I want the American people to know that we are at a dire point in our fight with this virus by any measure: cases, positivity, hospitalizations, deaths. We’re seeing more Americans negatively impacted than ever before,” U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams said. “I’m asking Americans — and begging you — hold on just a little bit longer. Keep Thanksgiving and the celebration small and smart this year.”
“It’s really terrible. And all you’re going to see is a week, two weeks from now, a huge increase in what’s already a horrendous spike,” said Dr. William Haseltine, a former Harvard Medical School professor and president of ACCESS Health International. “These people are infecting each other, and they’re going to infect the people that they’re having Thanksgiving with. And there will be consequences in terms of disease and death as a result of what you’re seeing today.”
Experts say infections and hospitalizations lag a couple of weeks behind the exposure, so illnesses caught during Thanksgiving are likely going to make for a devastating December across the U.S.
Fiddlers’ Hall of Fame inductee Gretchen Koehler and U.S. Jazz Ambassador Daniel Kelly add a new groove to 200 year old jigs, reels and airs. “Masterful” – Fiddler Magazine.
Genre-busting duo. Trad Tunes – New Grooves. Fiddling reimagined. “Best New Sounds” – Thistle & Shamrock, NPR
Virtual House Concerts Celebrate CD Release
Dear Friends –
We are thankful and excited about a wonderful project in the middle of the pandemic. Early in the fall Gretchen and Daniel approached us about a project that could be accomplished safely during covid: to hole up in Harvey House and rehearse intensively together (because they live six hours apart) and then record a new CD in the beautiful acoustics of the historic Saranac Methodist Church. An off-shoot of that project was to film a live performance video in the music room of Harvey House. The video captures just what we were hoping for – the look and feel of an intimate, casual house concert. They titled both the CD and video “Live from Hill and Hollow.”
The question was when to stream the video? The obvious answer was to coincide with the release of the new CD, scheduled around the end of November. It instantly became clear: Thanksgiving Weekend! Folks are not going to be traveling and not having big gatherings of family and friends – they are going to be stuck at home. It is a perfect opportunity to enjoy and be lifted up by some wonderful toe-tapping music, as elegant and energetic as you will ever experience!
Immediately following each concert stream there will be a brief “Meet the Artists” interview with Gretchen and Daniel. Lotsa fun, hope you join us! Happy Thanksgiving! – Angela
Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik is now a cosponsor of the Holding Providers Harmless from Medicare Cuts Act. Pending changes in the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule include improvements for maternity care and much-needed payment increases for physicians delivering primary and complex office-based care. In order to comply with the budget neutrality statute, however, Medicare offsets these increases by cutting reimbursements for other providers. This bipartisan legislation maintains the scheduled Medicare payment increases while holding health care providers harmless from Medicare payment cuts in 2021 and 2022.
“Our North Country provider practices provide essential, localized care to our communities and are facing an increase in their costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “This bipartisan legislation delays the Medicare offsets in order to ensure that provider practices do not face cuts to their Medicare reimbursements amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This, in turn, will ensure that patients are not facing increased costs for the essential services that they require from their medical providers. I am proud to support this important legislation and will continue to advocate for our provider practices and Medicare patients.”
