The Gossips of Rivertown

Sunday, June 21, 2026

Sunday on the Waterfront: A Barge Too Far

During the interminable review of Colarusso's dock operations by the Planning Board, there was much talk about number of trucks and number of barges, but it seems the Planning Board never anticipated this.

Photo: Richard Wallace

A barge parked in such a way that it extends completely beyond the dock, encroaching on the park, blocking access to the slips, and obscuring the view of the river and the mountains from Rick's Point.

Saturday, June 20, 2026

News for R. B. Schlather Fans

Two years ago, at around this same time, Hudson Hall announced the second opera in its "Handel on the Hudson" series--Giulio Cesare, Handel's most popular opera. The opera, to be produced and directed by R. B. Schlather, would be performed at Hudson Hall in April 2025. The announcement was exciting news for those of us who had experienced Schlather's production of Handel's Rodelinda in 2023 and his production of Virgil Thomson and Gertrude Stein's opera about Susan B. Anthony, The Mother of Us All, in 2017.

This past week, Hudson Hall announced that 2027 will bring R. B. Schlather productions of two works by Handel: Deidamia, Handel's final Italian opera, in the spring, and a staged production of the beloved oratorio Messiah in December. Both productions feature the early music ensemble Ruckus.

The following is quoted from the Hudson Hall announcement:

Composed in the same year, Messiah and Deidamia reveal the full range of Handel's legacy. Messiah is a cultural touchstone. Deidamia is one of Handel's best-kept secrets, rarely staged and hiding in plain sight. Presented together in the same year at Hudson Hall, they offer a rare opportunity to move beyond a composer's greatest hits and discover the deep cuts. With R. B. Schlather and Ruckus as expert guides, it promises to be an unforgettable adventure.

Tickets for Deidamia go on sale to Hudson Hall members in Fall 2026 and to the public in January 2027. Tickets for Messiah go on sale in Spring 2027.

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 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.