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Nautical art New mural depicts history of riverfront communities, A3
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FRIDAY, MAY 29, 2020
Volume 228, No. 107
Plan offers open-air Main St.
nFORECAST WEATHER FOR HUDSON/CA TODAY TONIGHT
SAT
By Sarah Trafton Couple of t-storms
A severe evening t-storm
Clouds and sun
HIGH 82
LOW 67
79 51
Columbia-Greene Media
Complete weather, A2
n SPORTS
CATSKILL — Village trustees are discussing the idea of closing down Main Street this summer to support restaurants and shops affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposal would give restaurants and retail stores outdoor space to provide services in a safe, social-distancing environment, Village President Vincent Seeley said. Seeley proposed the closure to be 24/7 for the duration of the summer, or until businesses can open at full capacity. Other trustees are in favor of closing
down Friday through Sunday. “The idea is to create an openair, social distancingVincent Seeley safe, clean environment for our residents and visitors to gather after being on lockdown for 12-plus weeks and benefiting our business district by providing the food traffic they need to make up for lost revenue and getting their staff back to work,” Seeley said. Unemployment benefits are
Reminds us why Kaep knelt
n THE SCENE
Artists and staff alike work from home to get Carrie Haddad Gallery ready for reopening PAGE A8
n THE SCENE Before, after and in-between Art Omi hosts annual thesis exhibition by students at HV Community College PAGE A8
n INDEX A3 A4 A5 A5 B1 B4-B6 B7-B8
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See PLAN A2
Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivers his daily COVID-19 briefing at the Madison Square Boys and Girls Club in Brooklyn on Thursday, and announced Chris Rock and Rosie Perez will be in a PSA to help inform the importance of wearing a mask.
By Kate Lisa Johnson Newspaper Corp.
On the web
proposal, she said. “We are in support of it while recognizing a lot of logistics need to be worked out,” she said. “It seems like for us one of the first glimmers of hope we’ve had in all this to operate more fully as a business and do it in a safe and responsible way.” The proposal will allow restaurants, cafes and bars to have outdoor seating, while leaving room for pedestrians to travel between retail stores and practice social distancing, Singer said. In terms of traffic and parking
Courtesy of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office
Recapturing ‘Natural World’
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people, tops.” Laura Singer, owner of HiLo Cafe and Avalon Lounge, agreed. “The idea of trying to open safely and responsibly with only the available space of your restaurant is pretty daunting for any restaurant here rather than have an abundance of outdoor space,” Singer said. “We have to take advantage of summer months when we can congregate outside.” Other municipalities such as Saratoga Springs have used street closures to stimulate their local economies, Seeley said. Singer is in favor of the
‘No mask, no service’ rule OK for businesses
October 2016, 49’s Eli Harold (58), Colin Kaepernick (7) and Eric Reid (35) kneel during the national anthem. PAGE B1
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strained, Seeley said. “The $600 people are getting as part of their unemployment check is going to dry up,” he said. “We have to get these people back to work.” Although capacity guidelines are not set, the economic feasibility for these businesses could be disastrous, Seeley said. “You can’t run a business you geared up for 100% at 50%,” he said. The six-foot social-distancing requirement adds to the strain, Seeley said. “The stores on Main Street, think about how small they are,” he said. “Six feet — that’s two
NEW YORK CITY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a new executive order Thursday allowing New York businesses to prohibit customers who do not wear a mask or facial covering to reduce the spread of COVID-19. The governor issued the executive order Thursday afternoon to allow businesses statewide to deny entry to any person who
does not wear a mask or face cover. The mandate complements Cuomo’s April 15 order requiring all New Yorkers wear face coverings in public when social distancing is not possible. “When we’re talking about reopening stores and places of businesses, the store owner has a right to protect themselves and to protect the other patrons,” Cuomo said Thursday at the Madison Square Boys
and Girls Club. “You don’t want to wear a mask? Fine. But you don’t have the constitutional right to jeopardize others.” Senate Democrats unanimously rejected Republicans proposed legislation Thursday to limit the governor’s expanded powers during a state of emergency and maintain the system of checks and balances. The proposal would have allowed counties to decide to declare
a state of emergency based on that county’s circumstances, to limit emergency declarations to 30 days and require the Legislature to approve emergencies that last longer than 45 days. The measure also would have enforced county or local executives to request a state of emergency be terminated, according to a statement Thursday from Assemblyman Jake Ashby’s office.
Cuomo first issued the state of emergency in early March, shortly after the state’s first official COVID-19 case, and expires June 13. Cuomo did not address the legislation Thursday. Area lawmakers Ashby, R-107, and Sen. Daphne Jordan, R-43, supported their fellow Republicans’ efforts to rescind Cuomo’s additional authority. See NO MASK A2
Care facilities begin double-testing staff By Nora Mishanec Columbia-Greene Media
Area nursing homes and adult care centers began testing their employees for coronavirus this week amid warnings that the state’s testing mandate is not sustainable. Many Greene and Columbia county nursing homes and assisted living facilities have conducted the first round of COVID-19 tests on their staff, as mandated by an executive order issued by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on May 10, which mandates testing twice weekly. But officials warn that nursing facilities will need federal and state assistance to shoulder the financial and logistical burden of such frequent testing. The American Health Care Association and National
Center for Assisted Living, which represents more than 14,000 skilled nursing centers and assisted living communities nationwide, estimates that testing the state’s 143,000 nursing home employees once would carry a price tag of more than $20 million. The FASNY Firemen’s Home in Hudson is tracking its testing expenses in anticipation of federal reimbursement, said Wayne Butts, president of the trustees of the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York. The facility is a nonprofit supported by FASNY and private donations. Testing is costly but necessary to protect the residents, Butts said, adding that none of the 74 residents, known as members, have tested positive
for COVID-19. But one Firemen’s Home employee has tested positive for the virus. The person is in quarantine and must test negative before returning to work, according to state regulations, said Butts. The Firemen’s Home began testing its employees twice weekly with LabCorp on May 20. Testing is conducted every day due to the variability of employee schedules, said Acting Administrator Sherri Mier. Ghent Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, formerly known as Whittier, has begun testing all employees on Mondays and Thursdays, said Administrator Frank K. Yeboah. One employee, a housekeeper, has tested positive and 87 See TESTING A2
File photo/Tribune News Service
Area care facilities have begun testing employees twice weekly, but officials say the cost and frequency of the tests amounts to an unfunded mandate from the state.
Recognizing the challenges facing each business, the Downtown Digital Group in association with the Register-Star, The Daily Mail, and HudsonValley360.com is introducing
A HAND UP MARKETING GRANTS for local businesses headquartered in the Register-Star and The Daily Mail’s coverage area. We know local businesses would rather have a hand up than a hand out, so in May, we’re offering a matching grant program of up to $5,000 per business for marketing solutions with the Register-Star, The Daily Mail and HV360. See larger ad inside this issue for more details!
www.hudsonvalley360.com/handup