It was reported on WAMC today that Leon Botstein has resigned as president of Bard College: "Bard College President Leon Botstein resigns following investigation into interactions with Jeffrey Epstein."
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| Photo: Elias Guerra for WAMC |
While serving as a Selectman of Nantucket, Stephen Paddock signed a letter in 1775 pleading with the Provincial Congress of Massachusetts to exempt Nantucket from representation in the Continental Government. The letter outlines the specific difficulties of the people of Nantucket.
"Our local situation is peculiar, and our circumstances in several respects different from any other place in America . . . placed on an Island, detach'd at least Thirty miles from any part of the Continent, whose production is insufficient to support one third part of its Inhabitants with the Necessaries of life, and laying open to any Naval power, to stop all supplies with a small armed force by sea, the only channel by which we can receive them; The Inhabitants are the greater part, of the people call'd Quakers, whose well known principles of Religion, will not admit of their taking up arms in a military way in any case whatever. . . ."
However, at some point during the war Paddock was moved to serve, as [a] document from the New York State Archives requesting recompense for his service shows.
After the war, Paddock moved to Claverack Landing, and at the invitation of Colonel John Van Alen, stayed in his home until his own house on Front Street was erected. Later Paddock built a larger home at First and Warren Streets.
In 1787 Paddock partnered with Seth Jenkins on a sailmaking factory they built on Third Street. They sold sails in New York City and to shipbuilders in Hudson. Paddock also received a license in 1786 "to retail all kinds of spirituous liquors."
He was treasurer of the Hudson Aqueduct Company, a project that began in 1785 to develop a water system with wooden pipes in the city. On behalf of the association, he purchased land with rights to both the Ten Broeck Spring and the Hyuck's Spring, later known as Hudson Fountain. Jasper Danckaerts, visiting the colonies in the late 1600s wrote of the springs: "Large clear fountains flow out of these cliffs or hills; the first real fountains, and the only ones, we have met in this country." Paddock served as alderman 1785-1792 and 1795-1796. He also served in county government as Supervisor and Moderator for Hudson, and as moderator in 1810 when the Proprietors' Organization was dissolved.
Judah, the son of Stephen Paddock, was a sea captain and had many seafaring adventures. A sword given him by the Empress Catherine of Russia as a tribute for his rescue of a Russian man-of-war ship was once displayed in the Hudson Masonic Lodge and later given to General William J. Worth when he visited Hudson. On another trip Judah was shipwrecked, captured sold into slavery and ransomed.
He was not only an adventurer but a key leader in the development of Hudson. Judah had a lucrative business sailing to the West Indies, Russia, and Liverpool and established a general freighting business between Hudson and New York City. It began with sailing cargo ships and transformed into the New York and Hudson Steamboat Company.
He was a director of the Hudson Aqueduct Company, on the building committee of the Almshouse erected at 4th and State Streets and on the committee to create a canal through Middle Ground Flats to expedite the Hudson Athens Ferry service.
Judah Paddock was one of the early supporters of the Lancaster School in Hudson, a school for the education of the children of the poor. . . .
In 1800 Judah sailed on the Oswego, delivering flax seed and staves to Cork, Ireland. He then sailed to Cape Verdi Island and loaded his ship with salt and skins for his return voyage, but was driven off course by a storm and ended up on the Barbary Coast. He and his crew were captured by slave traders and sold into slavery. After six weeks in captivity he was ransomed and returned home. His account of this episode, A Narrative of the Shipwreck of the Oswego: On the Coast of South Barbary, was published and is available in the History Room collection.
"All that I was able to learn while a slave in Barbary confirmed my belief that many unfortunate mariners have been wrecked on that shore and there perished, who were supposed by their relatives and friends to have foundered at sea." --Judah Paddock, A Narrative of the Shipwreck of the Oswego
Stephen Paddock's second son was also seafaring and became quite wealthy. Laban (1770-1861) became the president of the Hudson Whaling Company in 1829. He was also president of the Bank of Columbia. He had a house built at what is now 117 Union Street and could watch his ships returning from a lookout at the back of the house.
In 1981, with proceeds from the published biography she wrote of her adoptive mother, British Academy Award-winning actress Margaret Rutherford, Dawn Langley Simmons (1922-2000) purchased 117 Union Street "as is" for $11,500. She moved there with her "daughter, a dog, a cat and a pet rabbit" from New York City. Dawn was raised in England as a boy, but identified as a woman and was described a in a New York Times obituary as "a person around whom legends swirled." She found a home in Hudson, as so many have, for a time.
On Tuesday of this week, the Hudson Common Council voted in favor of a five-year renewal with Chargepoint for electric vehicle chargers in the city. Mayor Joseph Ferris approved the contract the following day.
In response to the news, City elected officials released the following statements:
Council President Margaret Morris:
Under Rich Volo's leadership of the Conservation Advisory Council (CAC), the City continues to adopt climate smart initiatives and to pursue grant opportunities to support these initiatives. This five-year contract will ensure that the electric vehicle chargers installed through a grant secured by the CAC will continue to be available to residents.
Fourth Ward Councilmember & Conservation Advisory Council Chair Rich Volo:
In 2018, I secured $45,000 in grants for the electric vehicle charging stations behind City Hall. On many days, all ports are used. The new contract will also enable ongoing repairs. Together, the City's Conservation Advisory Council has been working with the Mayor's office on New York State's Climate Smart initiative actions, additional grant money, and street tree and seedling plantings.
Mayor Joseph Ferris:
The new electric vehicle charger contract is a win-win for the environment and the City's finances. It is a testament to what can be accomplished when the Mayor's Office and Common Council work together on creating a more eco-friendly city. The easier it is for people to charge electric vehicles, the more likely they are to make the switch from gas to electric. At the same time, this contract ensures that the two chargers that are currently broken will be replaced at no cost to the City. It is fitting that I was able to approve this five-year contract in the same month as Earth Day.
For more information about the Conservation Advisory Council and its work, please email Rich Volo at richvolo@cityofhudson.org.
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| Photo: Brian D. Decker, Jr.|Facebook |
Sidewalk Improvement District Fee Credit Applications for work previously done by property owners to repair or replace damaged sidewalk are due to the Mayor's office by May 15, 2026. (Email to mayoralaide@cityofhudson.org.) The credit application can be found on the Public Works Board page under Sidewalk Improvement District. To learn more about the Sidewalk Improvement District, please click here. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Tiffany Martin at (518) 828-7217 option 2.
The City of Hudson Police Department is actively investigating a child abuse allegation involving an incident that occurred on April 1, 2026, at M.C. Smith Elementary School.
The case began after a child abuse hotline referral was received and forwarded to investigators, prompting a formal review into allegations involving a 7-year-old student with special needs and a one-on-one school aide. School administrators reported conducting internal interviews shortly after the incident and later coordinating with human resources and legal counsel before notifying authorities.
Detectives interviewed multiple school staff members who were present during the incident. Statements obtained during the investigation included allegations that the aide physically grabbed the student by the face and struck her head against a wall during the incident.
Detectives later interviewed the aide, identified as Virginia S. Pitcher of Hillsdale, New York. During that interview, Pitcher admitted to pushing the student and grabbing her facial area, stating she was attempting to stop the child from pulling her hair and biting her.
Following the investigation, Pitcher was charged with Endangering the Welfare of a Child under New York Penal Law 260.10, a Class A misdemeanor.
On April 23, 2026, Pitcher was arrested by the HPD Detective Division. She was processed and issued an appearance ticket.
She is scheduled to appear in Hudson City Court on April 30, 2026, at 9:30 a.m.
The City of Hudson Police Department continues to review the case as part of its ongoing investigation.
The department also received assistance from the Columbia County District Attorney's Office, whose support in securing legal process and assisting with subpoenas helped facilitate the investigation.
