Author Benjamin Alire Saenz wrote this line in his young adult novel “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.” The book’s protagonist is 15-year-old Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza, a quiet and lonely boy whose father comes home from the Vietnam War a changed man. At first, Ari is angry at his father’s uncommunicative and withdrawn manner, but as he matures, he is able to see it from a new perspective. Ari reflects, “And loved my father too, for the careful way he spoke. I came to understand that my father was a careful man.” Ari sees there is beauty in understanding the power our words can have.

Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) is widely regarded as the greatest writer of the Spanish language, best known for his epic story “Don Quixote.” The book was originally published in two parts, the first released in 1605 and the second 10 years later in 1615. While it is undeniable that Cervantes must have been incredibly diligent to produce a work that is, even in modern printings, over 1,000 pages long, it is also worth noting that he struggled as a writer for 20 years before releasing the first half of “Don Quixote.” In the end, his diligence did indeed lead to good fortune. The work is considered to be the first modern novel and is one of the most widely translated books of all time.

County to Host Back to School COVID-19 Testing
and Vaccination for Local School Personnel

Poughkeepsie …  The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health (DBCH) will host five regional testing and vaccination sites throughout September for school personnel, fulfilling the recent state mandate requiring all teachers, administrators, and other school employees submit to weekly COVID-19 testing unless they show proof of vaccination.

The County is also planning to offer routine surveillance testing in every school in Dutchess County by October, utilizing grant funds. Utilizing a $5.6 million dollar grant awarded by the New York State Department of Health’s Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity for Infectious Diseases program, school districts will select vendors to provide full-service, in-school surveillance testing on a weekly basis for all unvaccinated staff and students whose parents consent to participate in the program.

County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “Our main goal is to keep our students and faculty safe this school year. This protocol will help keep COVID out of schools and help the faculty and students focus on academic success.”

The County’s September “Back to School” plan includes five testing and vaccination sites located throughout Dutchess County. Dr. Neil Smoller and his staff at Village Apothecary will provide rapid COVID-19 testing, as well as first and second doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to all teachers and school personnel who work in a local P-12 school or live in Dutchess County. Booster doses will be available for those eligible per New York State regulations. Pre-registration is required for these events; school personnel can register at drneal.co/dutchess.

Free vaccination and testing for any teacher or school staffer in any Dutchess County district will occur at the following locations on the dates and times specified:

Wappingers Central School District
Wednesdays (Sept. 15th, 22nd and 29th)
6:30-8:30AM
WCSD Administrative office board room – 25 Corporate Park Drive, Hopewell Junction

Webutuck Central School District
Thursdays (Sept. 16th, 23rd and 30th )
6:30-8:30AM
Webutuck High School Gymnasium – 194 Haight Road, Amenia

Pawling Central School District
Thursdays (Sept. 16th, 23rd and 30th)
3-4PM
Pawling Middle School – 80 Wagner Drive, Pawling

Pine Plains Central School District
Thursdays (Sept. 16th, 23rd and 30th)
6-7PM
Stissing Mountain High School – 2829 Church St, Pine Plains

Hyde Park Central School District
Fridays (Sept. 17th, 24th and Oct. 1st)
6:30-8:30AM
Haviland Middle School – 23 Haviland Road, Hyde Park

DBCH, in partnership with ProPhase Labs, will also offer free COVID-19 testing to the public, including school personnel, students and all other residents in the coming weeks at the following locations:

Poughkeepsie Galleria – former JCPenney site
2001 South Rd, Poughkeepsie
Tuesdays, beginning Sept. 14th, 3-7PM
Saturdays, beginning Sept. 18th, 9AM-noon

CVS Plaza Dover
3081 Route 22, Dover
Thursdays, beginning Sept. 16th, 3-7PM

Pre-registration is requested and is available online. Walk-up testing is also available. There is no cost to residents or to the County to offer this testing option. ProPhase Labs works directly with insurance providers, or for those without insurance, with the Federal government for all costs.

For more information on testing and vaccination locations in Dutchess County, please visit dutchessny.gov/coronavirus.

Please share this information with your friends and neighbors.

Effective today, Friday night BINGO is cancelled for the month of September. BINGO will be resume on the first Friday in October 2021. We apologize for any inconvenience and look forward to your participation next month.

Thank you

#CNN#News

Biden sends direct message to the unvaccinated

Joe Biden shared a message to unvaccinated Americans as the nation continues to fight rising coronavirus cases and deaths. He implored them to get the vaccine, noting “we’ve been patient, but our patience is wearing thin.” #CNN#News

Perspective can make a world of difference. According to Amit Ray, a spiritual master known for his teachings on meditation, yoga, peace, and compassion, changing your point of view can improve how you see the world. If your mind chooses to see the best in people, it will. But the opposite is true too. If you focus only on the things that go wrong in your day, it will seem like the world is out to get you. In other words, what we experience mirrors our own perspective, and we can adjust it to get a better view.

An actress turned writer, Ruth Gordon was familiar with courage as a perpetual exercise. After a Broadway debut and a handful of successful films in the 1940s, she took a 22-year absence from movies, preferring the visceral courage of stage acting. After marrying screenwriter Garson Kanin, Gordon dove into new territory once again by collaborating with him on screenplays, netting several Oscar nominations. When she did return to the screen, her quirky characters — in films like “Rosemary’s Baby” and “Harold and Maude” — made her a cult favorite. Gordon’s commitment to new ventures inspires us to embrace unfamiliar experiences: The more we do, the less frightening they’ll be, and the more we can grow.

Zelda Fitzgerald was a writer, artist, and lively socialite whose beauty captured the attention of author F. Scott Fitzgerald when she was a young debutante in Montgomery, Alabama. Though their marriage was often turbulent, the pair inspired and encouraged each other’s creative work, each serving as a muse for the other. Their love often found its way onto the pages of their writing, such as this line from Zelda Fitzgerald’s 1932 novel “Save Me the Waltz,” which closely parallels her own life and marriage.