Many wise leaders have noted that chasing happiness as our primary goal seldom results in a happy life, a notion summed up nicely in this quote from First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. She went on to note that, “Paradoxically, the one sure way not to be happy is deliberately to map out a way of life in which one would please oneself completely and exclusively… For what keeps our interest in life and makes us look forward to tomorrow is giving pleasure to other people.” In other words, if you pursue a life of purpose and meaning, you don’t have to find happiness; it will find you.

Attention residents of Beacon Housing Authority, the Seniors Feeding Seniors Food Program has returned to BHA. Meals will be delivered on the last Saturday of the month (9/25/21). Meals are prepared by Springfield Baptist Church and will be available for pick up in the Forrestal Heights Community Room at 12pm.

You must sign up in order to receive a meal. The Sign up sheet is located on the bulletin board outside of the Forrestal Heights Community Room.

Please note that if you sign up for a meal you must come a pick up or make arrangements to have someone pick it up for you. There will be no door to door delivery of these meals. Meals will be disbursed from 12pm until 1pm.

Please take advantage of this opportunity to get a nutritious meal. Sign up today!

Napoleon Hill was a well-known self-help author in the early 20th century, whose books conveyed a sense of urgency to take action. He understood that change can be scary, and because of this, many people hesitate before pursuing the things they truly want. It’s easy to tell ourselves the timing and circumstances aren’t perfect, and use that as an excuse to put things off until later. But Hill reminds us that the timing will never be “just right,” and now is as good a time as any to get to work on chasing your dreams.

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 At first, Ari is angry at his father’s uncommunicative and withdrawn manner, but as he matures, he is able to see it from a new perspective.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.