The Gossips of Rivertown

Friday, June 19, 2026

Open Season on Alley Buildings

At its meeting last Friday, June 12, the Historic Preservation Commission formally voted on the certificate of appropriateness to demolish the carriage house/garage behind 30 Union Street and replace it with a new building which lacks the character of the original structure.

At that same meeting, the HPC heard a proposal to demolish a garage on Prison Alley, behind 222-224 Warren Street, to provide parking spaces for the tenants of the building in front.

The owner of the building maintained the building was "ready to fall apart" and he had been advised by his insurance agent to demolish it. Nick Fox, code enforcement officer, said he had inspected the building and expressed the opinion that the building was not deteriorated beyond repair. After reviewing photographs provided by Fox, John Schobel, who as vice chair of the HPC was chairing the meeting, told the applicant, "It doesn't look as bad as you say it is."

It was suggested that the opinion of a structural engineer was needed. When the building's owner said that he was an engineer, HPC member Miranda Barry had to inform him, gently, that an opinion was needed from an unbiased engineer.

The issue will be taken up again at the next meeting of the HPC, which is scheduled for Friday, June 26. That meeting may or may not include a public hearing on the demolition. Before Friday, Gossips will confirm if there is to be a public hearing or not.

Of Outdoor Classrooms and State Aid

The recently announced grant of $1.6 million for an outdoor classroom at Montgomery C. Smith Elementary School was a topic of conversation at the HCSD Board of Education meeting on Tuesday.

The topic of the outdoor classroom was introduced by Kjirsten Gustavson in her Facilities Committee report. This prompted Maureen Sheridan to make a statement. After offering profuse congratulations to the community members who spearheaded the project and expressing the hope that what she was about to say would not interfere or jeopardize the funding, Sheridan asked, "How is it that we are laying off staff, cutting programming, raising school taxes to close a multimillion dollar spending gap in part because the State of New York is not able to or willing to increase its aid allocation this year, but there's 1.6 million readily available and offered to a grassroots parent group for an outdoor project that just a week ago few people knew about?" In her subsequent comments, Sheridan said, "No one had any idea that this kind of money was going to be allocated to this project," noting that organizers had originally hoped to get just $100,000 or $200,000. Diana Howard concurred, saying that her first knowledge of the project was when she read about it in the Register-Star. Howard and Sheridan stressed the fact that the board knew nothing about this.

Board president Mark DePace explained that the $1.6 million was coming from the Community Resiliency, Economic Sustainability, and Technology Program, for which more than $300,000 million had been earmarked specifically for capital projects. He told the board that he and interim superintendent Brian Bailey had used visit by Assemblymember Didi Barrett and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to talk about the shortcomings of the state's Foundation Aid funding, explaining that "districts like Hudson, who have both extreme poverty and extreme wealth, are punished by the formula" used to calculate Foundation Aid.

Bailey said the visit from Heastie was "an opportunity to tell how different Hudson was from all of the neighboring schools that people constantly compare us to . . . and it needs different care from our legislators." He said there were "good conversations that happened that hopefully will have a lasting impact."

The entire discussion can be heard here, from 33:30 to 46:40.

Thursday, June 18, 2026

News from City Hall

Gossips just received this announcement from City Hall.

MAYOR WITHDRAWS IDA APPOINTMENT RECOMMENDATION

Last week, Mayor Ferris asked Michael Chameides to serve on the City of Hudson Industrial Development Agency, Chameides was glad to accept, eager to put his experience to work for Hudson's economic development. At the time, the Common Council had not yet moved to fill the vacant seat.

Since then, it has become clear that the Common Council intends to appoint one of its former members. That choice is theirs to make, and out of respect for it, Chameides is withdrawing his name from consideration.

Mayor Ferris said, "Michael Chameides and Vicky Daskaloudi are both committed public servants that Hudson is lucky to have call home. I have no doubt Michael will continue to help shape our community's future for the better moving forward. I am eager to work with Vicky on the IDA."

"I'm glad to have been considered by Mayor Ferris," said Michael Chameides. "I wish Vicky Daskaloudi well in the role."

Parking on Saturday

This Saturday is the Pride Parade. Its impact on traffic flow and parking in the city is significantly less extensive than that of the Flag Day Parade last Saturday, but there are still street closures and parking restrictions to be aware of. (Click on the image below to enlarge.)

Wednesday, June 17, 2026

Mayor's Open Office Hours

Mayor Ferris's open office hours for the month of June are tomorrow, Thursday, June 18, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Residents are invited to stop by City Hall to ask questions and discuss issues.

To arrange for an ADA-accessible meeting on the first floor or at an alternate location, contact Mayoral Aide Tiffany Martin at mayoralaide@cityofhudson.org or (518) 828-7217.

Results of the Exit Poll

At the HCSD Board of Education meeting last night, Board president Mark DePace reported on the results of the exit poll that sought community input or whether or not pickleball striping should be introduced on the historic tennis courts at Montgomery C. Smith. DePace's report can be heard here, starting at 2:20:27.

DePace said that of those responding to the exit poll, 322 were in favor of introducing pickleball striping and 199 were opposed--an outcome that DePace described as "fairly close." (There were a total of 1,345 votes cast for the school budget, so it is safe to say that the majority of the voters missed the exit poll.)

Despite the intel reported by Justin Weaver a couple of weeks ago, it seems, from statements made by DePace last night, that decisions have not yet been made about which courts would get pickleball striping, the ones closest to the bleachers or the ones farthest away, or even if repaving the tennis courts will be part of the current capital project. DePace indicated too that they have not yet confirmed if pickleball striping would preclude the use of the courts for sanctioned tennis tournaments.

DePace told the board, "We don't need to make a decision tonight" regarding the tennis courts. When a decision will be made is not clear.

Update on the Dunn

At the informal meeting of the Common Council on Monday, Council president Margaret Morris provided an update on the status of the sale of the Dunn warehouse building.

It will be recalled that at its informal meeting in May, the Council tabled a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute a contract for the sale of the building to Hudson Brewing Co. This provoked Mayor Joseph Ferris to issue a statement denouncing the Council's actions and calling what transpired "the orchestrated takedown of a small business that wants to continue to grow in Hudson." Gossips' post about that meeting, which contains Ferris's complete statement, can be found here.

At this month's informal meeting, Morris reported on a meeting she had with Kaitlin Armocida, the operations manager for Hudson Brewing Co. The conversation dealt with two issues in particular that were not addressed in the contract. The first was stabilization. The resolution indicates that Hudson Brewing would be required to pay the City $90,000 if they fail to stabilize the building within twelve months of closing, but what constitutes "stabilize" is not defined. Morris and Armocida agreed that exactly what is expected needs to be defined in the contract of sale.

An issue of concern for Morris was the use of the property. The recommendation to sell the building to Hudson Brewing was based on the proposed use of the building as a brewery and taproom, and Morris wanted that use memorialized in the contract of sale. Morris reported that Armocida was agreeable to this.

At the informal meeting in May, several members of Council thought the $90,000 penalty if Hudson Brewing failed to stabilize the building within twelve months or sold it within twenty-four months was inadequate. They wanted ownership of the building to revert back to the City in the first instance and wanted the City to have first right of refusal in perpetuity if the building were to be sold. Morris's update on Monday did not address this issue.

According to Morris, a new contract is expected to be ready for the Council's review last month.

Tuesday, June 16, 2026

A New Superintendent for HCSD

At the Hudson City School District Board of Education meeting tonight, the board voted unanimously to appoint Todd Hilgendorff the new superintendent of schools for the district.

In introducing Hilgendorff after the vote, board president Mark DePace said, "Throughout a rigorous interview process, Todd distinguished himself as the strongest candidate and best fit for Hudson, demonstrating his experience, passion, and proven results, most notably guiding Greenville out of its TSI designation, a current priority for our district."

TSI, a designation given by the New York State Education Department, stands for "Targeted Support and Improvement."

Lance Wheeler's video of Hilgendorff's introduction and address at the BOE meeting can be viewed here.

Food News

Hudson is blessed with the year-round Hudson Farmers' Market and a second farmers' market in the summer at the waterfront during Waterfront Wednesdays. But what if you crave things fresh from the farm when those markets aren't open? Here's the answer.

Letterbox Farm, located just south of Hudson on Route 9, recently opened a self-serve farm stand at the Cannonball Factory, 359 Columbia Street. The farm's "outpost downtown" is stocked with eggs, meat, pot pies, broth, quiche, dairy, and many other good things from the farm. And there is a bonus: For a limited time, they are giving away a free dozen eggs with any purchase if you use the promo code CBF at checkout. What could be better?

Monday, June 15, 2026

A New Superintendent for HCSD

At its meeting tomorrow, the Hudson City School District Board of Education will vote on a resolution to appoint Todd Hilgendorff as superintendent of schools. Hilgendorff would be appointed for a three-year term beginning on July 13, 2026, and ending on July 12, 2029.

Hilgendorff is currently serving as interim superintendent of Greenville Central School District in Greene County. He was appointed to that position in early April 2026 to serve until the end of the school year. Prior to being named interim superintendent, Hilgrendorff was assistant superintendent for business for Greenville Central School District. Before that he was the principal of Greenville High School and later director of curriculum. He previously taught middle school science at Guilderland Central School District.

According to NewYorkSchools.us, Greenville Central School District has 1,099 students and 94 teachers. In the statewide assessment tests for the 2024-2025 school year, 48 percent of GCSD students scored proficient in math and 46 percent scored proficient of ELA (i.e., reading and writing). By comparison, in the same tests, 25 percent of HCSD students scored proficient in math and 31 percent scored proficient in ELA.

The Board of Education meeting takes place tomorrow, Tuesday, June 16, at 6:00 p.m. in the Hudson High School auditorium and will be livestreamed on YouTube.

A New Community Member for the IDA

At tonight's informal Common Council meeting, a resolution was presented authorizing the mayor to appoint Michael Chameides as the community member of the Industrial Development Agency (IDA).

Michael Chameides

The position of community member on the IDA didn't always exist. Up until 2020, everyone on the IDA served ex officio, that is, they were on the IDA because of the office they held: the mayor, the Common Council majority leader and minority leader, the city treasurer, the city assessor, and the chair of the Planning Board. The seventh position was for a representative of the Hudson City School District because, as a taxing entity, the school district is impacted by the decisions made by the IDA.

In 2020, after several years of HCSD declining to send a representative and two years of seeking someone from the community to serve on the IDA, Richard Wallace volunteered. He was appointed the community member of the IDA at the beginning of 2020.

The community member is appointed for a three-year term, and although Wallace expressed willingness to serve a second term, in 2023, Charles Millar was appointed to the position. At the beginning of this year, when Millar's term was up, Jonathan Spampinato was appointed to replace him. Now that Spampinato has taken over Mike Tucker's job as president and CEO of Columbia Economic Development Corporation (CEDC), the IDA needs a new community member.

In the resolution recommending Chameides' appointment, Mayor Joseph Ferris notes that Chameides served as mayoral aide to Kamal Johnson for the first year and a half of Johnson's six years in office and also that he served for four terms as a county supervisor representing the Third Ward. It describes his work on the Board of Supervisors in this way: "[H]e managed complex operations, conducted financial and data analysis, and delivered practical results--including chairing the County's Public Transportation Committee, where he expanded service, identified new revenue, and grew ridership." The resolution doesn't mention that Chameides was one of two Hudson supervisors (Abdus Miah was the other) to vote in favor of the County's acquisition of 11 Warren Street. (Of the other three supervisors, Claire Cousin was absent, Linda Mussmann left the meeting before the vote was taken, and Rick Scalera recused himself because of his affiliation with Galvan.)

At the Council meeting tonight, it was noted that former Fifth Ward councilmember Vicky Daskaloudi had also submitted a letter of interest in serving on the IDA. It was decided that both Chameides and Daskaloudi would make presentations to the Council at its meeting next week, and the Council would decide which of the two would be appointed to the IDA.

More Kiosks Are Coming

Ever since the first six parking kiosks were installed at the entrances to municipal lots last summer, people have wondered when the other ten kiosks would appear. Wonder no more. The following announcement was received minutes ago from the mayor's office:

Installation of the remaining 10 parking kiosks will begin tomorrow morning. Extending from the 100 Block of Warren Street to the 700 Block, these kiosks will provide people parking in Hudson an additional option to pay for parking. A kiosk will also be placed on Columbia Street where on-street parking is in effect. The new kiosks will accept quarters and credit cards.

Kiosks will be installed at the following locations:

136 Warren Street
213 Warren Street
425 Warren Street
516 Warren Street
539 Warren Street
602 Warren Street
701 Warren Street
722 Warren Street
735 Columbia Street
751 Warren Street

For more information about the kiosks, on-street parking, and the municipal lots, please email doreen.danforth@hudsonpoliceny.org.

Sunday, June 14, 2026

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

With Flag Day behind us, the next big event is the OutHudson Pride Parade happening this coming Saturday. In the meantime, here is what's happening.

On Monday, June 15, at 4:30 p.m., Mayor Joe Ferris and leaders from OutHudson and Hudson's LGBTQ+ community will mark the "unofficial kick-off" to Hudson's Pride Parade with a ceremonial raising of the Pride flag at City Hall.
Also on Monday, June 15, the Common Council holds its informal meeting at 6:00 p.m. There are a few things of interest on the agenda for the meeting, among them a resolution authorizing the mayor to sign a quote provided by the Columbia County Real Property Tax Service Agency to do a revaluation of properties in Hudson. CCRPTSA has quoted an amount of $73,500 to complete the reassessment, which can be paid in installments of $24,500 in 2027, 2028, and 2029. There is also a resolution appointing Michael Chameides to replace Jonathan Spampinato as the community member on the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) and a resolution authorizing a budget amendment to give a "longevity increase" (in other words, a raise) to Housing Justice Director Michelle Tullo. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
On Wednesday, June 17, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners meets at 5:00 p.m. HHA typically meets at 6:00 p.m., at exactly the same time as the Zoning Board of Appeals, but this month, HHA is on the agenda for the ZBA meeting, so the meeting time was changed. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person in the Community Room at Bliss Towers and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

Update: The meeting of the HHA Board of Commissioners has been canceled.

At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17, the Zoning Board of Appeals holds its regular monthly meeting. The agenda for the meeting includes a public hearing on the area ariance needed to build an inground swimming pool behind 555 State Street. Also on the agenda is an application from the Hudson Housing Authority for area variances required to construct a three-story block of four townhouses containing six units at the corner of Columbia and Second streets. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.

On Thursday, June 18, the Housing Trust Fund Board meets at 5:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
Also on Thursday, June 18, the Common Council Legal Committee meets at 6:00 p.m. The agenda for the meeting has not yet been published. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
Also on Thursday, June 18, at 6:00 p.m., Rich Volo, a.k.a. Trixie Starr, holds a book launch and conversation about his debut novel The Gay Boat: Italy. The event takes place at Hudson Hall. For more information and to make a reservation, click here.

On Friday, June 19, Operation Unite hosts a Juneteenth Celebration. The event begins at 2:30 p.m. at "Olympic Torch Park," also known as Rogers Park, where there will be a candle vigil followed by a procession down State Street to a Community Cookout and Block Party which will take place in the vicinity of State and Fifth streets.
On Saturday, June 20, the OutHudson Pride Parade happens. The theme of this year's parade is "Charlie and the Disco Factory." Parade starts at 2:00 p.m. and proceeds down Warren Street to Promenade Hill, where the Pride Festival will be held. Click here for more information about scheduling and events.

The Persistence of Lloyd

For the past two years, Lloyd Koedding has been a ubiquitous presence in Hudson. According to his own account, he moved here in 2021, but to Gossips' knowledge he only emerged as a "public figure" in May 2024. Since then, he has attended every public meeting, been a regular fixture at the library, and is frequently spotted walking or sitting someplace on Warren Street. Once calling himself "Your Voice of Reason," Koedding now assigns himself the titles "Bright Light" and "Savior of the Tree of Peace."

Last November, Koedding ran for mayor of Hudson as a Republican. The 68 votes he got may well have influenced that outcome of a race that was decided by just 42 votes. This year, Koedding has changed his party affiliation from Republic to Democrat and is challenging incumbent Third Ward supervisor Sonja Okun in the Democratic primary on June 23. (Early voting for the primary is going on right now.)

But Koedding's zeal for public office doesn't stop there. To ensure that he would be on the ballot in November, Koedding gathered signatures on nominating petitions for two independent parties of his own creation: the Harmony Party and the Prosperity Party. (Last year, in his run for mayor, Koedding was on the ballot on the Republican line and his own Harmony Party line. The Prosperity Party is a new creation.)

For reasons unknown to Gossips, the nominating petitions for the two independent parties were rejected by the Board of Elections. Koedding filed a legal protest to the action, and the case is scheduled to be heard in court on Tuesday, June 16, at 1:00 p.m.

Saturday, June 13, 2026

Missing the Boat

For at least two decades it has been standard practice for the Common Council to ride on the replica of The Hudson in the Flag Day Parade. Here's the Council aboard ship in 2009, the year of Quadricentennial of Henry Hudson's exploration of the river in 1609. (Note the Henry Hudson era ruffs worn by some of the councilmembers.)

The plan this year was to cede the replica ship to the Hudson High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team, to celebrate them for making it to the Class A state semifinals this spring, but, alas, when The Hudson was pulled out of storage, it was discovered the foundation of the float, an old farm wagon, had some serious structural issues. As Gossips reported on Monday, The Hudson will be out of service for this year's parade season.

With no conveyances for the team or the Common Council and less than a week to go before the big parade, Councilmember Henry Haddad (First Ward) took on the task. If The Hudson could not appear in the parade, at least the whale that originally towed the replica ship could be part of the parade. But when the whale was pulled out of storage, it was discovered that it too had been the victim of vandals and time. The whale was covered in pigeon droppings, half its teeth were missing, one eye had been gouged out, and the pump that makes the whale to spout water was broken.

Undeterred, Haddad cleaned up the whale and recruited artist Sarah Bernie to re-create the missing eye. The pictures below show the whale last night, after it had been cleaned up and festooned with bunting, and this morning, when Bernie was working on restoring the missing eye.

After a plan to borrow Germantown's Haunted Hayride wagon fell through (there was no way to get it here from Germantown because the wagon is not road legal), Haddad commandeered his father's flatbed trailer and asked the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society if they would pull their pontoon boat out of the water to be part of the parade. HALPS was happy to oblige.

Haddad fitted up the flatbed trailer with picnic tables and a beach umbrella, and he and Councilmember Jennifer Belton (Fourth Ward) decorated it with red, white, and blue trim and pinwheels. The flatbed trailer will carry the Common Council.

The team supporters provided the decorations for the pontoon boat that will carry the basketball team in the parade.

The parade steps off in just a few minutes. Look for the whale and the Common Council and the Hudson High School Boys Varsity Basketball Team. And if you see Councilmember Haddad, thank him for his efforts.

UPDATE: Here are the "floats" in the parade. (The whale eluded Gossips' volunteer photographer.)

Gratitude to Peter Jung for the parade pictures.

And here's the whale!

Voices of Support

Yesterday, The Columbia Paper published a letter to the editor from Tara Silberberg, Gallatin Town Supervisor. Today, that letter appears on imby: "Sam vs Didi: A Question of Leadership." The letter begins:

In 2025, I supported the effort to give Columbia County voters the opportunity to decide whether the county should have an elected county executive. I also served on the campaign's "kitchen cabinet," where volunteers and Columbia County Democratic Committee leaders met regularly to discuss strategy and help building support for the referendum. Because of that experience, I had a front-row seat to Sam Hodge's leadership, and it raises serious questions for me about his candidacy for the State Assembly.

Readers are encouraged to read the entire letter, which can be found here.

Today, too, Gossips publishes this letter from Hudson Common Council President Margaret Morris, weighing in on the Sam vs Didi race.

I am writing to express my support for Didi Barrett in the upcoming June 23rd Democrat primary for Assembly. I have worked with Didi throughout my time in office, both as First Ward Councilmember and now as Common Council President. She has been a great advocate for Hudson, incredibly accessible, and a voice of reason that has always delivered for our city.

Didi helped secure critical funding for the Hudson truck traffic study; she helped install solar-powered, ADA-accessible crosswalks across Hudson and has been instrumental in securing funds for the Friends of Public Square Hudson to revitalize the Public Square / Seventh Street Park.

She has supported countless not-for-profit organizations in Hudson and has delivered state funding to help offset local property taxes and provide direct relief. When I need information or have a question about the state, I call Didi. And she is there. What more could we ask for?

I encourage you to support Didi Barrett in the upcoming Democratic primary for the 106th Assembly District. Her proven track record and dedication to public service is truly an asset to the City of Hudson, and we are fortunate to have her.