Volume 69, Number 23
June 3, 2020
Register to participate in ARF’s online 5K fundraiser By Kristine Coulter Animal Rescue Foundation in Beacon is holding a virtual 5K. “Participation is very easy, first is registration through RunSignUp, then setting up an individual or a team fundraising page through this ……. Once people register they can create their fundraising page which they can share, promote and invite their friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors to join them,” said Marjorie Vales Thedford, Animal Rescue Foundation, Inc. 5K Event Director. For those who want to participate, one has until June 17 at 10 a.m. to complete the 5K. “They can run/ jog/ walk a 5K distance (3.1 miles) anywhere, anytime they want to, it can even be on a treadmill. They can do that with their dogs. They just have to make sure to time the run if they want to report their final time. We encourage people to take selfies and ask them to post pictures, short video of themselves on social media and tag ARF using @arfanimalrescue for Facebook and @arfbeacon for Instagram,” explained Thedford. ARF currently is housing 56 cats and 7 dogs, she said. The shelter has not taken in any animals since the COVID-19 restrictions. “We have altered our normal operating procedures to protect the safety of our volunteers but, as always, the volunteers are hard at work giving our furry residents the best possible care and lots of love. ARF looks forward to reopening to the public when we are allowed to do so
and resuming regular operations,” remarked Thedford. One can still donate to ARF, which has been a Beacon mainstay for decades. “The major update we made to the 2020 5K is highlighting the fundraising aspect of the event by inviting and encouraging people to create individual or team fundraising pages and raise money for ARF with their peers. This feature not only allows people to participate, but also allows them to promote and fundraise on ARF's behalf. They can customize the page and truly engage on a peer-to-peer level with their personal and social circles. This will give them a great sense of accomplishment especially as the plan is to incentivize the top individual and team fundraisers based on the amount raised,” she explained. “As a small sized not for profit organization, it is important for ARF to remain connected with the community it serves. The annual ARF 5K run & walk with the dogs helps reinforce that concept while helping to maintain the promise to rescue, shelter and care for hundreds of abandoned cats and dogs. Especially in the current environment, this event is a promised way for ARF to get the community engaged, get some fresh air and bring together people who may not feel energized at the moment. The 5K has always been a fun, family, bonding event that is full of energy. We hope the people who participate this year will, in some small way, get that feeling that they are part of something that brings people and community together,” said Thedford.
Registration is now ongoing to participate in the Animal Rescue Foundation’s virtual 5K fundraiser. Pictured is one of the participants in last year’s fundraiser. -Courtesy photo
Reopening: County urges all to shop local By Rich Thomaselli The work isn't done yet for Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, his staff, and the thousands of small businesses in the area. Not even close. In fact, the next phase is just beginning. As small businesses prepare to reopen, Molinaro, Assistant County Executive Ron Hicks and a myriad of entities in the county that have been looped in, are now set for the second phase of staring down the virus. Reopening is not enough; now the county is looking to help market those businesses to the public. "As businesses reopen, the two things they should come to expect is help and guidance for reopening. We triage and respond to hundreds of calls a day," Molinaro told the Northern Dutchess News. "Second, and equally important, we're doubling down on local businesses. Just as we want you to be vigilant with face masks and social distancing,
part of the 'new normal' is, we want county residents to patronize local businesses. We're asking that if you have the choice, choose to support the local business." It has been a trying time, to be sure, in the Hudson Valley and nationally. Small businesses are facing their biggest threat in decades due to the restrictions that have been in place for two-plus months. According to National Public Radio, 45 percent of small businesses were temporarily closed due to the pandemic and total employment by these businesses declined by 40 percent. Businesses with fewer than 500 employees account for 48 percent of American jobs and 43.5 percent of the country's gross domestic product. Lofty numbers, to be sure. Yet, unlike large businesses with capital reserves, small businesses don't have that luxury. Without incoming and consistent revenue, meeting incoming and consistent bills can be disastrous. A
good portion of small businesses have an average of less than two months cash on hand. "There are 10,000 businesses in the county," Molinaro said, "and every day we are updating guidance and answering questions through email. It's just not going to be a case of saying 'Oh, we can reopen' and leave it at that." Indeed, the county has been proactive and, moreover, hasn't tried to shoulder the load on its own. Molinaro and Hicks created task forces in which notable community leaders in their respective fields - Joe Kirchoff in construction and Joe Bonura in hospitality, for example are helping the transition to reopening. "We needed to be ahead of the game. We needed to answer questions weeks ago about how do you open safely," Hicks said. "For instance, if I'm a barber and I have two chairs in my shop, it's likely I'll only have to be in there by myself. You might have four or five places for customers to sit and wait, and that's not going to be permitted. You
might have to do appointments instead of drop-in. You're going to have to be able to mitigate the risk. This is in everyone's best interest, regardless what people think about this pandemic." The reason? Nobody - not the county, not the country - can afford to reopen - only to close again. "If we tick up (in confirmed cases), it pauses us from moving forward," Hicks said. "It affects public perception, it affects consumer confidence, and it could affect us in a way that we move backward. "People can't think the light switch has been turned on and we're back to normal. We're going to be dealing with this for a while." Hicks has also been instrumental in working with Molinaro to garner some concessions from the state. Continued on page 2