The Beat

Funding will be used to collaborate with post-secondary educators and students, advancing online programming and access to resources

Ticonderoga, N.Y.  – Fort Ticonderoga has been awarded a Humanities New York CARES Grant with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the federal CARES Act in the amount of $10,000. Project funding will enable museum staff to collaborate with post-secondary educators and students as they shift in-person programming to online, and make additional museum resources available digitally.

“Fort Ticonderoga will develop and expand resources for college professors and instructors as they seek a richer, more engaging experience for students who are increasingly being taught online,” said Miranda Peters, Fort Ticonderoga Vice President of Collections & Digital Production and Project Director for this program. “This semester brings challenges, but also many opportunities as we redefine how museums can support post-secondary education in a digital world.”…

Saranac Lake, NY - The Saranac Lake streetlight banner program has a new addition to its lineup that celebrates the thriving local arts scene.

The newest banners were designed by local artist Anna Kittle with the help of the volunteer Saranac Lake Arts and Culture Advisory Board. The Arts and Culture banners highlight writing, art, dance, theatre, and music, and include three of each of the five designs. The village has 15 light poles that banners are displayed on regularly.

“The colorful, well-designed banners that line our downtown main streets are ageless, adding festiveness, purpose, and variety, while promoting our most treasured activities, events, connections, and special causes that make Saranac Lake decidedly different,” Kathy Ford, chair of the Arts and Culture Advisory Board said. “Soon to be added to the mix of paddling, hiking, and more will be striking new banners promoting the arts that are so vital to Saranac Lake. A special project of the Arts and Culture Advisory Board, these five banners capture our vibrant local arts community, representing music, creative writing, theatre, dance, and art.

Series will focus on local businesses and reimagined visitor experience

Auburn, N.Y. - In an imaginative concept, the Cayuga County Office of Tourism is creating a series of videos showcasing interviews with local businesses. The videos will focus on how the businesses have reimagined their business model as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and what visitors can expect when they visit.

The video series gives a voice to businesses around the county, showcasing business owners and managers as they discuss how the current situation has encouraged them to make thoughtful and safe changes and to let their visitors know they truly care about their well-being and enjoyment.

The Wolk Concourse will serve as the main thoroughfare in the museum’s new visitor center

Rochester, N.Y., September 14, 2020—The Louis S. and Molly B. Wolk Foundation has pledged $350,000 to support the George Eastman Museum’s transformative Thomas Tischer Visitor Center. The Wolk Foundation’s gift will be recognized with the dedication of the largest space in the visitor center as the Wolk Concourse. This broad thoroughfare—with educational and interpretative content that will introduce the museum and George Eastman—will lead visitors to the education and meeting hall, the museum café and store, George Eastman’s historic mansion and Terrace Garden, and the museum’s exhibition galleries.

Staatsburg, N.Y. (9/10/20) —This fall, Staatsburgh State Historic Site invites families and groups of friends to explore the beautiful grounds of the Gilded Age estate (now Mills Memorial State Park) by taking a photographic scavenger hunt challenge. A phone with a camera and some walking shoes are all that is needed to complete ten fun riddles on a loop through the beautiful landscape along the Hudson River. All ages are invited to participate. Learn about some of the highlights of the historic grounds around the mansion while having fun! Find the signs located near the mansion with the QR code for “Virtually Staatsburgh” to download the clue sheet, or visit https://millsfriends.org/virtual/family-fun/ .

Temperature Checks, Contact Information for Tracing, Face Coverings When Not Seated and Other Safety Protocols Required; Bar Service Will Not Be Permitted and No Service After Midnight

The City of New York to Provide a Team of 400 Enforcement Personnel to Ensure Compliance

Guidelines Will Be Reassessed Based On Data By November 1; If Infection Rate Does Not Increase, Restaurants May Be Permitted To Go Up To 50 Percent Capacity; State Will Monitor Any Positivity Increase on an Ongoing Basis for Potential Reassessment

Restaurants Must Publicly Post Their Indoor Dining Capacity and Phone Numbers to Report Violations; Patrons Who Observe Violations Can Report Issues by Calling 833-208-4160, or by Texting 'VIOLATION' to 855-904-5036

Governor Announces State to Launch 'New Yorkers Protecting New Yorkers' PSA with New York State Restaurant Association to Encourage Compliance

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced indoor dining in New York City will be allowed to resume beginning September 30th with a 25 percent occupancy limit. All restaurants that choose to reopen will be subject to strict safety protocols, including temperature checks, contact information for tracing, face coverings when not seated and other safety protocols.

99% of Guests Feel Safe and Recommend Visiting the Museum

Jamestown, NY – The National Comedy Center, the nation’s official cultural institution and non-profit museum dedicated to comedy, has surveyed guests who have visited the Comedy Center since it reopened its doors nearly four weeks ago and the results are in. Visitors are giving the Comedy Center high marks for LaughSafe, its new, state-of-the-art health and safety program, which has transformed one of the most interactive museums in the country and revamped the experience with new health and safety protocols specifically designed for the COVID era. The post-visit research results confirm that National Comedy Center guests feel comfortable and safe during their visit, and report that their museum experience has been worry-free, stress-free and touch-free.

For Thousands of Long Islanders Who had Summer Cut Short by COVID-19 

NY State and Long Island Officials Extend Season for Beaches, Parks and Campgrounds

Long Island, NY (September 3, 2020) ­– Long Island is tossing out Tumbleweed Tuesday.  New York State Parks, along with Nassau and Suffolk Counties are joining with Discover Long Island to announce an extension of the 2020 summer season for many of the region’s attractions, parks, pools, campgrounds and beaches in order to give Long Islanders an extended summer season. …

Long Lake, N.Y. - The Town of Long Lake Parks, Recreation & Tourism Department announces the 2020 Photography Contest. Photography submissions must be taken within Long Lake and Raquette Lake. Featured locations for consideration must be from the following locations. In Long Lake, Cedarlands Easement, Fishing Brook Easement, and Mt. Sabattis and in Raquette Lake, photos from Golden Beach and Brown’s Tract.

Offering a unique virtual experience with programming, lecture series, social media events, and other activities

Ticonderoga, N.Y. – Fort Ticonderoga continues its 2020 Digital Campaign - an exciting virtual experience featuring interactive programming, engaging lectures series, and creative at-home educational activities and resources. This virtual experience is in addition to onsite visitation. Fort Ticonderoga is open to the public through October 11, 2020. For specific days of operation, visit www.fortticonderoga.org or call 518-585-2821.

The unique virtual opportunity brings the layers of history and natural beauty into homes across the globe. Featuring the museum’s annual interpretation (2020 is 1774), Fort Ticonderoga staff continue to press forward with their commitment to providing resources and entertaining programs to engage, inspire, and give context to the world around us.