Neil A. Carousso produces NewsNation original “Kurt’s Country” – a celebration of country music and a slice of Americana with host Kurt Bardella.
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Businesses Near Mets, Yankee Stadiums Take A Hit As Baseball Returns Without Fans
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — The boys of summer are back in town, but establishments near Yankee Stadium and Citi Field are fighting an uphill battle in a comeback dampened by a baseball season without fans in attendance.
“So far, since the pandemic, my sales are down $300,000,” said Joe Bastone whose family has owned Yankee Tavern for 93 years.
On the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by BNB Bank, Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso examine how the local economy is impacted by empty stadiums as Major League Baseball begins its 2020 season Thursday night with the Yankees in Washington, D.C. The Mets host the Atlanta Braves on Friday in their season opener that can be heard on WCBS 880 at 4:10 PM.
Bastone says 50 percent of his revenue is earned during Yankees home games. Patronizing his bar and restaurant is a game day routine for fans who travel from the region and throughout the country. Yanks legend Babe Ruth was known for buying a round of beer there for fans to celebrate a Bombers victory.
“It’s really devastating,” he lamented.
Yankee Tavern is only making 10 percent of what it typically earns on 161st Street. Bastone added televisions to an extended outdoor dining space with indoor dinning prohibited under state law indefinitely. He hopes people will enjoy a ballgame from his establishment beyond the right field gate.
“I just got a rent bill, which included $85,000 in real estate taxes,” he said, continuing, “I just don’t understand why we’re paying real estate taxes when the municipalities, the State and the City tell us we’re not allowed to operate.”
Bastone told Connolly and Carousso that “half” of businesses in the 161 Street Business Improvement District, which represents many of the merchandise shops and sports bars outside The Stadium, will not survive the pandemic-related shutdowns and the 2020 MLB season absent fans.
Irene DeBenedittis, third generation owner of Leo’s Latticini in Corona, Queens, is looking at the glass half full despite a grim outlook for what is typically their busy season with both the Mets in town and the U.S. Open Tennis Championships that draws millions of people from around the world every summer.
“I had the plexiglass set up for outside and we’re just doing takeout and home orders,” she said. “For now, I think it’s going well like that.”
Her grandparents started the family deli in the 1930s. Irene grew up making fresh mozzarella with her two sisters Carmela and Marie. Their mother Nancy took over the business and was beloved by her customers. But, the millions of Mets fans who came for lunch before an afternoon game at Shea Stadium and the City workers who stopped in on their lunch hour for a homemade hero did not know her as Nancy; they knew her as “Mama” – the endearing nickname that lives on since she passed away in 2009, as the deli is colloquially referred to the name of their Citi Field concession designation “Mama’s of Corona.”
“I’m proud of what we were taught – our ethics, the background,” DiBenedittis said.
It’s that positive outlook on life that is getting her through this crisis.
“You have to appreciate what you have and work for it,” she said.
Irene told Joe and Neil that she is operating her Queens deli out of love – the same unconditional love her grandparents instilled in Mama who raised three daughters in a community that saw them as family.
She said in these unprecedented circumstances, she encourages her workers to treat their customers “like yourself or your family.”
It’s #OpeningDay for the @Mets! Sports sidelined to #COVID19 has had a considerable impact on the economy.
Listen to @JoeConnollybiz & my @WCBS880 podcast as we talk to the owners of 90+ year old businesses Leo’s Latticini/#MamasofCorona & @YankeeTavern: https://t.co/MnZI2bDMO1 pic.twitter.com/r4FgahqcWd
— Neil A. Carousso (@NeilACarousso) July 24, 2020
DiBenedittis says Leo’s Latticini is earning a much smaller profit amid the coronavirus pandemic between the deli and the bakery next door. The concession at Citi Field, where they sell their specialty sandwiches and Italian desserts, will remain closed this season.
“We’re doing the best we can,” she said.
Hear what a baseball season without fans means for the local economy plus stories about legendary players going out to eat on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or on the media player above.
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A Week Of Pandemic Violence
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — A surge in gun violence this week began with the killing of a 1 year old in Brooklyn and continued throughout the week as police officers, including NYPD Chief of Department Terrence A. Monahan, were injured in a Wednesday protest on the Brooklyn Bridge that was billed as a march against violence.
Neil A. Carousso produced the Week In Sound as heard on WCBS Newsradio 880 for the week ending July 17, 2020 that included an increase of gun violence in New York City, spikes in COVID-19 cases nationwide, progress on a vaccine from Moderna, and debate over reopening schools safely. Hear it on the media player above.
You can listen to The 880 Weekly Rewind with Lynda Lopez Friday nights at 7 PM ET for a deeper dive into the top local, national and international stories of the week, featuring interviews with newsmakers and the Week In Sound as heard on WCBS Newsradio 880.
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Doctor Advises Americans To Avoid All Gatherings To Stop COVID Spread
By Lynda Lopez
Produced by Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Coronavirus cases have been spiking throughout the country over the past weeks, and some believe some states should not be moving as quickly as they are to get the economy running again.
The New York Times reports much of the surge of new cases has been driven largely by states in the south and west that were among to first ease restrictions.
At least six states set single-day records on Thursday for daily coronavirus cases – Albama, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Oregon and Texas.
As New York and New Jersey continue to see a significant drop in cases, there’s worry that travelers from surging states may lead to a spike in the Tri-State, but both Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Gov. Phil Murphy have began easing restrictions to allow for some indoor and outdoor gatherings again.
Currently, areas in Phase 4 in New York are allowed to hold gatherings of up to 50 people and indoor gatherings at 33% capacity. Meanwhile, New Jersey permits outdoor gatherings of up to 250 people and indoor gatherings of 25% capacity.
WCBS 880’s Lynda Lopez spoke with Dr. Waleed Javaid, director of infection prevention and control and Mount Sinai Downtown, who cautions for more safety measures.
He says with areas still experiencing a rise in cases, there’s a chance the virus has not peaked in certain areas and the death toll could continue to increase.
“What we’re seeing across the country if the spike,” he said. “Hospitals are getting overwhelmed. I was listening in to some reports from Florida and other places that, literally, they are running out of space. This is very much the same or similar to what we saw in New York a few months ago.”
“The transmission of the virus takes time and when it does, it take about 10 to 14 days before we’d be the peak and then also mortalities falls a few weeks behind that as well,” Dr. Javaid explains.
The doctor thinks gatherings should not even be permitted at this stage and Americans should consider the fact that the pandemic is no over and the virus remains a real threat.
“I know it’s very hard harsh statement to say something like that but we need to think beyond today and beyond tomorrow beyond next week and look into months from now,” he said. “All activities we do today impact what happens tomorrow, so overall my final statement would be avoid gatherings if at all possible.”
He notes that while outdoor gatherings are better than indoor gatherings, that does not mean the virus still cannot be transmitted from person to person. Dr. Javaid says people still need to wear masks and need to practice social distancing.
Meanwhile, he says while younger people may think the virus does not affect them, they are wrong.
Many of the new cases in states with spikes are people from the younger generation and he believes the easing of restrictions may have contributed to that.
“You and I both heard the reports of a lot of people mingling, a lot of outdoor activities in certain states. I’m not saying one is equal to the other, but there is some degree of link between the activities – going to the beaches for example and parties – and having a higher number of cases. Even though we might see a higher number of younger people going to the hospital, the severity of the illness is almost always worse as the age progresses,” he tells WCBS 880’s Lopez.
Dr. Javaid says in a perfect world, he would ask everyone to avoid all gatherings until a proper treatment, vaccine or cure is found.
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Week In Sound: COVID Spikes and Classroom Debate
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Coronavirus cases increase throughout the nation, including in New Jersey where Gov. Phil Murphy mandated people wear masks outside when social distancing is not possible. Plus, leaders debate how to reopen schools safely and much more on a busy news week.
Neil A. Carousso produced the Week In Sound as heard on WCBS Newsradio 880 for the week ending July 10, 2020. Hear it on the player above.
You can listen to The 880 Weekly Rewind with Lynda Lopez Friday nights at 7 PM ET for a deeper dive into the top local, national and international stories of the week, featuring interviews with newsmakers and the Week In Sound as heard on WCBS Newsradio 880.
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Summer Businesses’ Blueprint To Recovery
By Neil A. Carousso
NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — Seasonal businesses are hoping to mount a recovery starting with the 4th of July weekend, but that starts with safety.
Wendy Collins, co-owner of The Mission Inn Bed and Breakfast in Cape May, New Jersey, told Joe Connolly and Neil A. Carousso on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight, sponsored by BNB Bank, that typically, she would be booked solid through August by now. However, she remains “cautiously optimistic” that last-minute bookings will continue as the Tri-State Area moves forward with reopening in phases.
“Now, it’s probably on average a 15 minute conversation every time the phone rings,” Collins said.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, customers would only ask one or two questions before booking a stay.
“The questions are extremely detailed in terms of social distancing, are masks required, what are your cleaning protocols, what’s happening in the town with the restaurants,” she said.
Collins lists the cleaning products she uses and strict health protocols, including contact-free check-in and check-out on The Mission Inn website.
“The game has changed,” she said of the hospitality industry. “Patience is critical. Everybody is playing with new rules and trying to figure it out as we go, and if we’re just patient to each other and kind to each other, we’ll get through it.”
Collins says Cape May businesses are calling 2020 the “year of survival.” For her, that begins with building on the trust of her customers – 60 percent of whom are repeat vacationers at her four year old bed and breakfast.
“We’ve got a lot of strong people here, a lot of strong entrepreneurs, and we’re just trying to tread water in 2020 and get back, and hopefully, looking ahead to 2021,” she said.
Gabrielle Long co-owns two locations of Kai-Kai Sandals in Montauk with her brother, Kai Costanzo, and a boutique named Summer Stock at Gosman’s Dock on “The End” of Long Island. They also own Inn at Old Harbor on Block Island.
“Everybody has been very understanding, and also, kind of grateful,” Long told Connolly and Carousso of the health procedures she and her brother implemented to keep their employees and customers safe.
“At least in Montauk, there’s lines out on the street for people picking up a smoothie or going into the hardware store when it gets too crowded,” she described as capacity limits and social distancing prevent the usual crowds from congregating in her shops, especially on summer weekends.
Long concurs with Collins’ assertion that “patience is important.” She adds that communication with customers waiting on line, to reiterate the protocols are for their safety and that they will be inside the store as soon as possible, will make them feel more at ease as everyone adjusts to the “new normal.”
Her workers all wear masks and have been trained to practice and enforce social distancing and sanitize the store.
“Some of these policies that we have in place are not bad for the future,” Long said as she plans beyond this unusual summer season. “We’re not going to go back to how it was, so we’ve got more space in the store, and that allows for more space for customer,s and when we’re allowed to have more customers, great.”
Hear how businesses in local summer vacation spots have prepared for reopening with an eye on recovery on the WCBS Small Business Spotlight Podcast on the RADIO.COM app or the media player above.
