About the HCSD Budget

In ten days, voters in the Hudson City School District will have the chance to approve or reject the $59,171,704 budget proposed for 2026-2027. The presentation of the budget that was made at the Board of Education meeting on Tuesday can be found here. The video of the presentation can be found here. 

The proposed budget involves a 5.8 percent increase in the tax levy. Of interest to property owners is the impact of that increase on their tax bill. The chart below calculates that. 

For us in Hudson, the increase is $138.67 annually, or $11.56 a month, for every $200,000 of a property's assessed value. Most houses in Hudson are assessed at considerably more than $200,000, so the impact on the average Hudson homeowner will be considerably more than $138.67 a year. 

There is one thing that seems encouraging in the presentation. Readers may remember the organization chart below, which Gossips published in 2024. It shows an impressive tier of administrators reporting directly (and exclusively) to then superintendent Juliette Pennyman, who created a few executive level positions during her tenure as superintendent. 

According to the chart found in the presentation, starting in July 2026, there will only be two executive level positions reporting to the superintendent. 

The vote on the budget, and for members of the Board of Education, takes place on Tuesday, May 19. The polling place for Hudson is the Central Fire Station at 77 North Seventh Street. The polls are open from 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.

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Superintendent Search Update

At Tuesday's meeting of the HCDS Board of Education, Dr. Kaweeda Adams of HYA provided an update on the superintendent search. She presented the professional profile, created based on community engagement, and a summary of the community survey conducted earlier in the process. Those documents are reproduced below and can also be found here.

In the Leadership Profile report, "Academic Improvement and Instructional Focus" are identified as Highest Priorities, after "Communication & Transparency" and "Rebuilding Trust & Morale." In the Community Survey Summary, "Establish a culture of high expectations for all students and personnel" is ranked second under "top-rated leadership profile characteristics." 

It was reported, as it has been before, that the board received twenty-nine applications for the position of Superintendent of Schools, and nine applicants have been identified for further review. The board conducted the first round of interviews with the candidates this past Sunday. It is expected the semi-finalists will be interviewed in an executive session meeting on Tuesday, May 26.

One of the members of the BOE asked if the process being followed now was the same process that had been used in the past. BOE president Mark DePace replied, "Not last time but four years ago." In other words, it is not the process that resulted in hiring Juliette Pennyman in 2023, but it was the process followed to identify LisaMarie Spindler in 2022, who resigned after fourteen months in the position.

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ICE Among Us

Gossips received the following press release from the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement recounting an incident that took place yesterday morning in Greenport.

At 7:17 [Wednesday] morning, six ICE vehicles surrounded four community members in a vehicle outside Bob's Restaurant in Greenport. While on their way to work and stopping for some breakfast, ICE attempted to detain them. The people inside the car knew their constitutional rights. They kept the doors closed, called the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement (CCSM) emergency hotline, and waited. CCSM's rapid response team arrived within minutes, demanded a judicial warrant be presented, which ICE could not produce, and stayed on scene until the agents left. Nobody was detained. It is the latest entry in a documented pattern of ICE targeting vehicles associated with construction work in our region.

"They said to roll down the window, that they wanted to talk to us. Then we kept saying no, that they had no right. Then they told us, they said these exact words: 'You are immigrants, you have no right to be here and you have no right to an opinion.' That was their response. And we kept telling them that we do have rights, we told them we have the right to remain silent," said one of the people in the car.

Bryan MacCormack: "Our people were ready this morning because we have been building toward this for years. They knew it wasn't local police. They knew not to open the door. They knew who to call. That is not luck, that is community defense. ICE came with six vehicles for four people and left with nobody."

Federal enforcement is escalating. ICE is operating across New York with a budget and a mandate to abduct as many people as it can. The question for Albany is not whether to respond. The question is whether to respond seriously.

The serious response already exists--the New York For All Act (S2235-Gounardes / A3506-Reyes). New York For All would prohibit state and local resources from being used for federal immigration enforcement, end 287(g) agreements across the state, and bar ICE and CBP [Customs and Border Protection] from non-public areas of state and local property without a judicial warrant. CCSM is calling on the State Legislature to pass it and on Governor Hochul to sign it. . . .

A video of the incident can be viewed here.  

UPDATE: The press release from the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement makes reference to a program known as 287(g). If you are not familiar with it, listen to this report, which aired today on NPR's All Things Considered: "ICE is giving local police big money to help with immigration enforcement."

A Special Report from Hudson Common Sense

As homeowners in Hudson face a possible 5.8 percent increase in school taxes, Hudson Common Sense takes a hard look at the cost to the taxpayer of a related Hudson institution: the Hudson Youth Department. The special report titled "Half the Kids. Twenty Times the Budget" can be read here.

HCSD Board of Education Candidates

The Hudson City School District has published the names of the three candidates who have filed petitions to run for the two open seats on the Board of Education. They are Michael Zibella, who is currently on the board, Lou Zapp, and Royce "Rip" Noblin. 

Michael Zibella

Lou Zapp

Royce "Rip" Noblin

The candidates' statements can be found here.

Of Interest

A statement from Leon Botstein on his retirement as president of Bard College appears today on imby.com.

Photo: Matt Dine

It is followed by a statement from the Executive Committee of Bard's Board of Trustees, which includes a link to the summary of WilmerHale's independent review of communications between Botstein and Jeffrey Epstein.

News of Hudson Depot Lofts

At Monday's meeting of the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA), a team of three, representing Depot Lofts and led by Jacob Meglio, who identified himself as "senior head of operations at Galvan," was present to answer questions. The specific interest of the IDA was Hudson Depot Lofts, to which the IDA had granted a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) and other financial benefits with certain expectations. 

Before they got to the topic of Depot Lofts, Meglio offered some insight into the status of Galvan properties that have been gifted to Bard College. As he explained it, T. Eric Galloway was the sole trustee of Galvan Initiatives Foundation. Galloway has now resigned and has been replaced by Bard College. A board of directors, appointed by Bard, now exists to manage what had been the collective holdings of the Galvan Foundation, and an LLC was created solely to manage this building.

Although, on April 8, Zillow was indicating there were 47 apartments available in the building (in other words, 64 percent of the apartments were vacant), Meglio reported that upwards of 50 percent of the apartments were now occupied. (If you check Zillow today, you will learn: "There are currently no available units for Hudson Depot Lofts on Zillow.") At the IDA meeting, it was noted that the second floor, the floor immediately above the commercial space, where the least expensive apartments are located, is almost completely occupied. Those now managing the building are hoping that warmer weather will improve leasing. (Marketing of the building started about a year ago.) 

Council president Margaret Morris spoke of a discussion she had had with Bard CFO Tuan Toay about restructuring the PILOT to increase the number of apartments in the lower tier of affordability (up to 80 percent of the AMI) and reduce the cap on the upper tier from 130 percent of AMI to 110 or 120 and asked if the conversation was still ongoing. Meglio said he could not comment. 

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Why We Can't Have Nice Things

Last October, in celebration of the bicentennial of the opening of Erie Canal, a replica of the Seneca Chief re-created the inaugural voyage of the original Seneca Chief from Buffalo to New York City. 

At each of the stops on the commemorative journey of the new Seneca Chief, a White Pine tree was planted as a symbolic tribute to the Haudenosaunee, the confederacy of the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayagas, and Senecas, and as a commitment to a sustainable future. The tribute to the Haudenosaunee was fitting because the Erie Canal contributed to their displacement.

Hudson was a stop on the Seneca Chief's bicentennial celebration journey, and our White Pine was planted on Promenade Hill.

At the Conservation Advisory Council meeting tonight, CAC member Joshua Cohen reported that he had recently gone to Promenade Hill to check on the well-being of the tree and discovered it was gone. There was no evidence that it had been cut down; it was just gone. He reported this to Rob Perry, Superintendent of Public Works, who investigated and found the tree, quite dead, on the slope leading down to the river. Someone had yanked the tree out of the ground and tossed it over the fence.

CAC member Alexandra (Sam) Semchenko resolved to find out who had done this. Peter Frank, who was in the audience, volunteered to plant a replacement.

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They Paved Paradise . . .

Despite the attention paid to making the city walkable, Hudson residents remain wedded to their cars, and the city--residents, elected officials, regulatory boards--remains obsessed with parking. Fifty or more years ago, the desire to create parking lots justified the demolition of buildings. The sites of many significant buildings in Hudson are now parking lots. Fortunately, that doesn't happen as much anymore, but a recent development on Green Street may be a harbinger of things to come. The lawn in front of 72-74 Green Street was paved over--with asphalt--to create offstreet parking for the building, which was recently rehabbed as apartments.

The pictures below--Google captures--show how the building and its front yard used to look.

The creation of this parking lot raises concerns about the fate of the wrought iron fence that used to surround the yard. Some of it remains, but most of it is missing. Back in 2012, Gossips revealed that this fence had been salvaged from the entrance to Promenade Hill back when Urban Renewal reconfigured the west side of Front Street. 

Sadly, there is nothing in the city's zoning code to prevent this from happening. One wonders how long it will be before the folks on Washington Street decide that paving their front lawns will be the solution to their parking problems. The picture below, which accompanied an article in the Register-Star, shows that residents, whose street parking spaces are being taken up by patrons of Pocketbook Hudson, have already started parking their cars on their front lawns.

 

Photo: Spenser Walsh | Register-Star

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

"Tra la, it's May, the lusty month of May! That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray!" What was true for Camelot may not be true for Hudson, but nevertheless here is what's happening in this first full week of May.

• On Monday, May 4, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) meets at 2:00 p.m. Gossips has learned that Dan Kent of the Galvan Foundation and a representative of Bard College will be present to discuss the problems that have been encountered in leasing apartments at Hudson Depot Lofts. 76 North Seventh Street. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at 1 City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

• Also on Monday, May 4, the Common Council Safety Committee (Police and Fire) meets at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 
• On Tuesday, May 5, the Conservation Advisory Council meets at 6:00 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 Tuesday, May 5, at 6:00 p.m., there is a meeting of the Hudson City School District Board of Education in the Hudson High School auditorium. The meeting is advertised as a Budget Hearing. The meeting will be livestreamed on YouTube. 
• On Thursday, May 7, the Common Council Services Committee (Youth Department and Senior Center) meets at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• On Friday, May 8, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.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. 
• On Saturday, May 9, the 7th Annual Mad Hatter's Parade steps off from the Hudson Area Library at 3:00 p.m. The parade route goes along Fifth Street to Warren Street, down Warren to Second, along Second to Allen, down Allen to South Front Street, and from there proceeds to Basilica Hudson. For more information about the parades, click here. 

• On Saturday, May 9, and Sunday, May 10, it's Basilica Farm & Flea Spring Market 2026. The market is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day. For more information, click here.

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News from Bard

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."

Photo: Elias Guerra for WAMC

This has relevance for us in Hudson because Bard is now, or is soon to be, a major property owner in the City of Hudson.

The news has also been reported in the New York Times: "Bard College's President Will Retire After Epstein Revelations."

More of the Semiquincentennial Exhibition

If you haven't already seen Patriots of Hudson in the Revolutionary War, the exhibition celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence created by the History Room at the Hudson Area Library, you are encouraged to visit. It provides a wealth of information about the people who, at the end of the American Revolution, founded the City of Hudson. 

Here's something you may not have known. What do a sea captain shipwrecked off the Barbary Coast and captured to be sold into slavery and the adopted child of the British character actress Margaret Ruthford, who has raised as a boy but lived as a woman, have in common? The short answer is: Hudson. Dawn Langley Simmons owned and resided in Laban Paddock's house. Judah Paddock was the sea captain who was eventually ransomed and returned to Hudson to join his brother Laban and their father, Stephen Paddock. Stephen and Judah were both patriots of the American Revolution.

Stephen Paddock

Nantucket Selectman, Sail Maker,

Hudson Proprietor

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 Paddock

Businessman, Sailor, 

Sold into Slavery and Escaped

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. . . .

Judah Paddock's Ordeal

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

  

Laban Paddock

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.

Panels from the exhibition previously published on Gossips can be found here, here, and here.

Ear to the Ground

On Wednesday, April 29, Operation Unite NY held its annual Hudson Youth Government Day at City Hall. Gossips has learned that, during the course of the day, Elena Mosley, founder and executive director of Operation Unite, announced she had a new associate director: former mayor Kamal Johnson. 

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Moving Away from Fossil Fuels

At its meeting on Tuesday, the Common Council passed two resolutions having to do with EV chargers. The first resolution, which renews the City's contract for the existing EV chargers, was the impetus for a statement issued today by City Hall.

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.  

At the same meeting on April 28, the Common Council passed a second resolution having to do with EV chargers. This one selected a new vendor for EV chargers proposed to be installed in the City parking lot across the street from the train station and in the parking lot at the Hudson Dog Park.