RyeCity REVIEW THE
April 3 & 10, 2020 | Vol. 8, Number 13 | www.ryecityreview.com
Businesses eye online model during shutdown
As Covid-19 restrictions have led to the indefinite closure of many businesses, several are looking to online models as a way to stay relevant in this time of uncertainty.
By MIKE SMITH Sports Editor Over thelast few weeks, the coronavirus pandemic has swept its way across the nation, significantly altering day-to-day life and profoundly impacting businesses, both large and small. And as Americans across the country struggle to adjust to the “new normal,” businesses are also looking for ways to remain relevant in a world under orders to stay home. In New York State, restaurants, bars and gyms were among the first businesses to feel the crunch due to coronavirus regulations, as a March 16 order by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat,—in conjunction with the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut— limited eateries to take-out services and closed gyms and other gathering places in an attempt to mitigate the transmission of the virus. Although restaurants have been quick to adapt their business models to comply with the order—and similar mandates in the rest of the country—the hospitality industry is preparing for major losses as a result of the pandemic. On March 18, the National Restaurant Alliance predicted
that coronavirus shutdown would cost the industry up to $225 billion and 7 million jobs in shortterm forecasts. But restaurant owners and employees aren’t the only ones who have been effected by new regulations on gatherings. Garry Leavy, the owner of Let’s Go Trivia, a company that hosts weekly pub trivia contests in establishments across Westchester and Rockland counties. [[incomplete sentence]] According to Leavy, the March 16 announcement was an eye-opener, one that left him scrambling to find a way to continue to keep his business afloat while also promoting the 30 bars and restaurants that host his weekly trivia events. Over the past two weeks, he has experimented with a few online trivia models that allow customers to test their knowledge online, while utilizing take-out or delivery options from the restaurant where the weekly game is normally held, all in an effort to try and replicate the experience for his followers. “When the ban was announced, I was just trying to find a way to keep the train rolling so I looked [into] a few platforms we could use, ” he said. “I wanted to find a way to connect it to the restau-
rants and bars we do the trivia in because they’re struggling to operate right now, and there’s just not enough work for a lot of these place to sustain their workforce.” Much like the hospitality industry, the world of fitness is often characterized by in-person interaction. And like restaurant owners, those who operate gyms are also being forced to adopt online models to keep their companies running. Robert Gorvetzian, the co-founder and owner of Crossfit POP on North Avenue in New Rochelle, said his gym has been running three online classes a day since the shutdown. And although his customers might not have access to much of the equipment they would ordinarily use, Gorvetzian and his fellow trainers have found ways to work around these new circumstances. “As soon as the order was announced, [we] had people come in and we loaned out quite a bit of equipment just so they had something at home,” he said. “But most of our workouts can be done just using bodyweights, dumbells or kettlebells; there’s a lot of things you can do in the gym, but you don’t necessarily need that for good fitness.”
Gorvetzian has also been using social media to provide his customers with healthy dietary tips as they remain sheltered in place. “I have a background in nutrition, so I saw it as another way to help people,” he said. “A lot of people are stuck at home and maybe they aren’t used to cooking or preparing their own food.” Both Leavy and Gorvetzian believe that their services help provide a sense of normalcy to a client-base that has largely been stuck in their homes for the last three weeks. “Everyone comes to the gym for different reasons, whether it’s to lose weight or get out of the house,” Gorvetzian said. “So with everyone at home, they can at least look at doing a workout as one of the last parts of their normal routine they still have.” “A lot of people look forward to trivia each week, you get a group of guys and gals who go out to their local place for food and drinks and all of a sudden, that routine is disrupted,” Leavy added. “So while the online stuff might not be exactly the same, it’s keeping that trivia community connected.” CONTACT: sports@hometwn.com
Latimer nixes property tax payment late fees On Thursday, April 2, Westchester County Executive George Latimer proposed county legislation to ease the financial burden now on county residents. The introduced legislation amends the Westchester County Tax Law to authorize towns in Westchester County to waive penalties for the late payment of county taxes, county district taxes and assessments until July 15. The provision would be based on hardship determination presented to the town, and does not cover town taxes. This would allow a penalty-free additional 76 days to pay county taxes. The hardship must be caused by the public emergency relating to COVID-19. Penalties under this provision could be waived for a two and one-half month period including the months of May and June and up to July 15. If taxes are not paid by July 15, the 5 percent penalty would begin to run as of July 16. A group of town officials will help develop the criteria to qualify for the hardship determination and maintain a list of taxpayers within their jurisdiction qualifying for the hardship determination. Hardship determinations can be based upon objective criteria related to the COVID-19 pandemic such as: loss of employment, illness, closure of a business or other loss of income or revenue. The July 15 date coincides with the extended deadline to file New York State and federal income taxes. Under the proposed legislation no town is required to offer the temporary waiver of penalties upon a hardship determination and may choose to optout of this law. Latimer also provided an update on the county’s number of confirmed COVID-19 cases throughout Westchester. As of April 8, cases per municipality are as follows:
Ardsley 41
New Rochelle
870
Bedford 74
North Castle
52
Briarcliff Manor
North Salem
18
Bronxville 33
Ossining Town
62
Buchanan 10
Ossining Village 321
Cortlandt 220
Peekskill 199
Croton-on-Hudson 51
Pelham 53
Dobbs Ferry
Pelham Manor
36
84
43
Eastchester 150
Pleasantville 54
Elmsford 45
Port Chester
355
Greenburgh 368
Pound Ridge
7
Harrison 129
Rye Brook
81
Hastings-on-Hudson 44
Rye City
73
Irvington 35
Scarsdale 128
Larchmont 29
Sleepy Hollow
Lewisboro 31
Somers 68
Mamaroneck Town 67
Tarrytown 82
Mamaroneck Village 115
Tuckahoe 46
Mount Kisco
White Plains
100
127
483
Mount Pleasant 223
Yonkers 1,913
Mount Vernon
805
Yorktown 230
70
Unknown 7,867
New Castle
Town numbers reflect the unincorporated sections of the part of each town outside villages within each town. The n umbers reflect the actual residents of the municipality, not “zip code” residents who live in an adjacent community. The information provided to the county lags state numbers by as much as three days, due to the state releasing data to the county only after the tested individual has been informed of their status. In total, there have been 568 cumulative cases of hospitalization in the county. There are currently 344 residents in the hospital and 67 deaths to date due to COVID-19. (Submitted)