Related to the Superintendent Search

At the January 20 meeting of the Hudson City School District Board of Education, board member Michael Zibella noted there were "six to eight districts in the immediate area looking for a superintendent." One of those districts is Catskill Central across the river. 

Today, Catskill Central shared this information with the Catskill community by email and on its website:

Dear Catskill Community,

The Board of Education would like to send an update to the community regarding the Superintendent search. We hired a search consultant, conducted a full search, interviewed candidates, and brought back three finalists that our community met with. We are very pleased with the completeness of the process and the interest of everyone involved. The Board offered employment to one candidate who accepted. Unfortunately, the candidate then withdrew. The Board pivoted and offered employment to another well-qualified candidate who accepted, then withdrew. Needless to say, this was very disappointing to the entire Board.

At this time, the Board of Education is continuing to explore its options and continue its search. Thank you to our community and stakeholders for their patience while we continue to maneuver this process.

Sincerely,

The Catskill Central School District Board of Education

According to information found on the district website, Catskill Central School District is working with Questar III BOCES in its superintendent search.

It's a Small World

Last week's post explaining how Bliss Towers got its name inspired Louise Bliss to share some information that may not be generally known. Louise's first husband was Malcolm Bliss, the son of Elah and Roger Bliss, Roger Bliss being the person for whom Bliss Towers was named. Louise and Malcolm's son Robert was a teacher and the assistant superintendent of schools in Rutland, Vermont, when our mayor Joe Ferris was growing up and going to school there. According to Louise, her son remembers that in high school Ferris was an excellent student who participated in clubs and organizations that seem now to "fit right in" with becoming a mayor.

As Mayor Ferris said when I told him that I was planning to write this post, "It's a small world."

COPYRIGHT 2026 CAROLE OSTERINK

Of Interest

In 2018, a group from the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University created eight design ideas for Oakdale Lake. In 2021, students from Pratt Institute's School of Architecture and Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation proposed ideas for reimagining Hudson's waterfront. 

Now a group from the Yale School of Architecture is doing a project on Hudson, which focuses in part on the waterfront. To assist in this effort, Sam Pratt created a timeline of Hudson history. That timeline can be found here. 

The timeline is the focus of a post by Donna Streitz, of Our Hudson Waterfront, which is featured on imby.com today: "A Clear Lesson from Waterfront History." The following is quoted from that post:

The timeline makes clear that Hudson's waterfront has played a central role in the city's economic, cultural, and civic development far beyond the shoreline itself. Today, that legacy is at risk following the Hudson Planning Board's 2025 approval of a Conditional Use Permit for the dock--owned and operated by A. Colarusso & Sons since 2014--that imposes no limit on truck volume and allows weekend operation.

Streitz's entire post can be read here.

What a Concept

Ron Bogle, the new chair of the Planning Board, appeared at last night's meeting of the Conservation Advisory Council to propose that the Planning Board and the CAC might collaborate to achieve better outcomes. He suggested there were projects that had come before the Planning Board in the prior year "that would have benefited from input from the CAC." He didn't specify which projects, but two spring to mind: Mill Street Lofts and the conditional use permit for Colarusso's dock operations. 

In the discussion that followed, CAC member Joshua Cohen noted that in Saugerties the Planning Board regularly asks the Conservation Advisory Council to weigh in on projects before it. This hasn't been happening Hudson. Quite the opposite. It will be recalled that former Common Council president Tom DePietro specifically advised against the CAC weighing in on the Colarusso issue.

It was speculated that Nathan Woodhull, who has served on the CAC and was recently appointed to the Planning Board, might serve as a liaison between the two bodies. 

Could this be the beginning of a more enlightened age in Hudson? 

COPYRIGHT 2026 CAROLE OSTERINK

Report About Parking

At last night's Common Council Safety Committee meeting, Captain David Miller of the Hudson Police Department reported on the situation with parking. He acknowledged that some people feel the changes in parking are not beneficial but assured the committee that parking, now overseen by HPD, is "working great."

The HPD took over management of the Parking Bureau six months ago. To demonstrate that the Parking Bureau was running more efficiently and more profitably, Miller compared revenue figures from that third and fourth quarters of 2024 and 2025. The income from parking during those two quarters in 2024 was $555,395; during the same period in 2025, the revenue was $649,256--an increase of 17 percent. Miller also reported that in December, 1,322 parking tickets were issued, 1,883 tickets were paid, and 13 cars were booted, resulting in total revenue from parking for December of $101,413.47. 

The video of the entire Safety Committee meeting can be viewed here. 

COPYRIGHT 2026 CAROLE OSTERINK

Mark Your Calendars

Columbia Memorial Health is holding a Community Town Hall on Wednesday, February 11, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. The meeting will take place in person at the CMH Support Services Building at 65 Prospect Avenue.

CMH president and CEO Dorothy M. Urschel and her executive team will provide updates about CMH's goals and strategic imperatives. It will also be an opportunity for the hospital's leadership to hear from the community and answer questions.

All attendees, both in-person and virtual, are asked to register, which can be done here.

Job Opening at the Board of Elections

There is an opening at the Board of Elections for a Democratic Election Specialist. The job is a full-time position with a competitive salary, an excellent benefits package, and New York State retirement. The Election Specialist is the person the public encounters when they visit the Board of Elections. The person filling the position must reside in Columbia County and be a registered Democrat. A full description of the duties and the requirements of the job and information about how to apply can be found here.

Youth Department News

After announcing on Saturday that all programming, including that which took place at the Hudson Area Library, was canceled until further notice because there was a problem with the heating system at the Youth Center, the Youth Department posted this update on Facebook today. It seems the K-2 programming at the library has resumed.

Unwelcome Prognostication

I'm never eager to share bad news, so I let an hour and a half pass before reporting that Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, and, according to groundhog lore, we're in for another six weeks of this dreadful winter.

The Common Council Committees

Two of the new standing committees of the Common Council are holding their first meeting this week, and the makeup of each committee has been determined. We share that information here.

• Safety Committee (Police and Fire)

Henry Haddad (First Ward)

Dewan Sarowar (Second Ward)

Dominic Merante (Fifth Ward)

Claire Cousin (Fifth Ward)

• Services Committee (Youth and Seniors)

Gary Purnhagen (First Ward)

Lola Roberts (Third Ward)

Claire Cousin (Fifth Ward)

Jennifer Belton (Fourth Ward)

Dominic Merante (Fifth Ward)

• Code and Infrastructure (Code Enforcement and Public Works)

Jason Foster (Third Ward)

Henry Haddad (First Ward)

Mohammed Rony (Second Ward)

Dewan Sarowar (Second Ward)

• Legal Committee

Jennifer Belton (Fourth Ward)

Jason Foster (Third Ward)

Margaret Morris (Council President)

• Finance Committee

Mohammed Rony (Second Ward)

Rich Volo (Fourth Ward)

Lola Roberts (Third Ward)

Margaret Morris (Council President)

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

The brutal cold continues, but we made it through January, and tomorrow is Groundhog Day, when those of us who put stock in the rodent prognosticator find out how much longer this winter will go on. Meanwhile, there is a full week of meetings ahead, including meetings of two of the new Common Council standing committees.

• Monday, February 2, is Groundhog Day. If you are up before dawn and want to be among the first to know Punxsutawney Phil's predication, you can watch the festivities, which begin at 3:00 a.m., here at the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club website.

• At 5:30 p.m. on Monday, February 2, the Common Council Safety Committee holds its first meeting. The Police Department and the Fire Department present their monthly reports to this committee. The meeting is intended to be hybrid, but the link to join the meeting remotely has not yet been published.

Update: To join the Safety Committee meeting remotely, click here.

• On Tuesday, February 3, the Conservation Advisory Council meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Thursday, February 5, the Columbia County Housing Task Force meets at 4:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place at 1 City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• At 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 5, the Common Council Services Committee holds its initial meeting. The Youth Department and the Senior Center are the subject matter for this committee, so the meeting may provide more information about the situation with the heating system at the Youth Center. This meeting, too, is meant to be a hybrid, but the link to join the meeting remotely is not yet available.

Update: To join the Services Committee meeting remotely, click here.
COPYRIGHT 2026 CAROLE OSTERINK

Whaling in Hudson

We all recall last year's monumental exhibition Hudson: A History of Whaling & Maritime Commerce. 

Recently, the principal architects of that exhibition--Elaine Eichelberger, Richard Bazelow, and Brenda Shufelt--were interviewed by Kristina Handy for Upstate Archive on WTEN+. In the interview, they talk about whaling, the history of Hudson, and the exhibition. The interview can be viewed here and on YouTube.

The exhibition is currently on display, until mid-February, in the Community Room at the Claverack Free Library, 9 Route 9H. The exhibition in Claverack contains some additional research on Claverack mariners done by Bazelow, as well as scrimshaw on loan from Paula Ptaszek, a collection inherited from her parents who owned the antique stop at Red Mills. 

The entire exhibition is now online at the Hudson River Valley Heritage website and can be viewed here.

Not to Be Missed

The featured story on imby.com this morning is by Mayor Joseph Ferris: "What it means to be a sanctuary in 2026." It is recommended reading.

PSA: Water Main Break in the Boulevards

There is a water main break near 46 Parkwood Boulevard that will affect nearby properties through the morning and possibly into the afternoon. Homes in the area, from Oakwood to Glenwood, will likely have no water or very low pressure. 

On Hiring a New Superintendent

At the HCSD Board of Education meeting on January 20, a woman who didn't give her name but identified herself as a "proud graduate of the Hudson City School District" and said she has worked for the district for the past sixteen years, questioned why it was necessary to look outside the state or even the region for a new superintendent. She asserted, "The strongest leaders the district has known came right up through the ranks right here." She cited in particular Neil Howard, who retired in 1995, Jack Howe, who served as superintendent from 2009 until he retired in 2012, and Maria Suttmeier, who succeeded Howe and retired in 2022. Suttmeier had previously been assistant superintendent from 2009 to 2012 and associate principal at Montgomery C. Smith from 2006 to 2009.

The woman addressing the board went on to say that since Suttmeier's retirement in 2022, the graduation rate has declined, morale has suffered, and staff turnover has been high. She urged that the board consider candidates who "know Hudson, care about Hudson, and are invested in the community." She also expressed disappointment in the board's decision to hire HYA for the superintendent search, the same group used in 2023 when Juliette Pennyman was hired. The full comment to board can be heard here, beginning at 1:27:17.

Peter Meyer, who served on the HCSD Board of Education when Suttmeier was named superintendent in 2012, has raised similar questions. In a memo sent to the HCSD Board of Education on January 7, Meyer suggested that, "before embarking on a search for a new superintendent," the Board of Education should ask itself the following questions:

• What was wrong with the search process for the last two superintendents?
• What was right about the search process for the last successful superintendent?
• What are the two most important jobs of a superintendent?
• Why was Superintendent Suttmeier making progress on student reading scores?
• Is this board satisfied with the current reading scores?
• How do we create a district where two thirds of students read above grade level and how long should it take?

The last two superintendents were Lisamarie Splindler, who resigned after seventeen months and during that time commuted every day from Newburgh, and Juliette Pennyman, who resigned abruptly and without explanation after just two years in the position.

This picture from 2012 accompanied the Register-Star announcement that the Board of Education had named Suttmeier the new superintendent. Shown from left to right: Elizabeth Fout, Kelly Frank, Suttmeier, Carrie Otty, Peter Merante, Jeri Chapman, Meyer

When Meyer learned that, when the board held its superintendent search "workshop" on January 7, it has already entered into an agreement with HYA to handle the search, he submitted these additional questions for the board's consideration:

• Is the HYA company that conducted the workshop on January 7 the same company that recommended that it hire Dr. Pennyman in 2023?
• Why hire a company that has already failed once?
• Why did Dr. Pennyman resign so suddenly in 2025?
• And what was wrong with the process for choosing the superintendent before Pennyman? I think she only lasted a year.

At the January 20 meeting of the Board of Education, Mark DePace, board president, addressed the question of why the board was again using HYA. He suggested that this time would be different because the board would be working with an HYA associate who was based in Albany and was familiar with the Hudson City School District. He also stressed that the process this time would involve more community engagement. 

Given DePace's defense of the search process the board is currently pursuing, it is unlikely that answers to most of Meyer's questions will be forthcoming. Still, it would be nice to know the board's thoughts about these questions posed by Meyer:

• What are the two most important jobs of a superintendent?
• Why was Superintendent Suttmeier making progress on student reading scores?
• How do we create a district where two thirds of students read above grade level and how long should it take?

It would also be nice to know the circumstances leading to Pennyman's abrupt resignation.  

COPYRIGHT 2026 CAROLE OSTERINK

Word from the Youth Department

This was announced a few times earlier this week on Facebook, but now the notification is being shared by email. The Youth Center is closed, and all programming offered by the Youth Department, including that which takes place at the Hudson Area Library, is canceled until further notice, because of "unresolved mechanical issues with the heating system" at the Youth Center.

The new Common Council "Services Committee," which deals with the Youth Department and the Senior Center, has its first meeting on Thursday, February 5, at 5:30 p.m. More information about the nature of the problem and efforts made to resolve it, as well as the rationale for canceling all programming, even that which does not take place at the Youth Center, will likely be provided at that meeting.

The Word on the Town Hall Meetings

Today's article in the Register-Star left some questions about the schedule of the town hall meetings being planned. Here's the word just received from City Hall.

Mayor Ferris' office is pleased to announce the dates and locations of the first round of town hall meetings:

• Ward 2--2/9 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Bliss Towers
• Ward 3--2/18 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Creative Legion
• Ward 5--2/19 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at FASNY
• Ward 4--2/26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hudson Area Library
• Ward 1--3/2 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Spark of Hudson

We look forward to updating everyone in the community on this year's activities, hearing your ideas, and answering any questions you may have!

An assurance to Gossips readers: The town halls will be included in the weekly post: "Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead."

They're Back

Remember Odds Against Tomorrow? It appears Harry Belafonte and Robert Ryan didn't perish after all in the explosive end of the movie but return to Hudson, unchanged by time, to encounter something new and disturbing in this short video created by Mark Allen and Tate Cozzo (a.k.a. The Rivertown Collective).

You can watch it here.

Ferris Schedules Town Halls

During the campaign, Mayor Joe Ferris said he intended as mayor to hold regular town hall meetings in each ward. The Register-Star reports today that Ferris has announced the first round of these meetings: "Hudson Mayor Ferris set to start holding town halls."

The following in quoted from the Register-Star article. For some reason, it appears Ferris plans to hold two meetings in the Fifth Ward.

The first town hall will be held in Ward 2 in the Bliss Towers community room at 41 N. 2nd St. on Feb. 9; the second in Ward 5 at the FASNY Firefighters Home at 125 Harry Howard Ave. on Feb. 17; the third in Ward 3 at the Creative Legion, 7 Fairview Ave., on Feb. 18; the fourth will be also at the Firefighters Home on Feb. 19; the fifth in Ward 4 in the Hudson Area Library community room Feb. 26; and the sixth in Ward 1 at The Spark of Hudson, 502 Union St., on March 2.

All of the meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. and are expected to last for ninety minutes.

Snow Removal Update

Tonight will be the last night of snow removal . . . until the next time. We're not even halfway through winter. 

Photo: Hudson Common Sense

The chart below shows the streets that will be visited by the snow removal crew tonight. (Click on the image to enlarge.)