Who Knew?

In April, a reader sent me this picture:

The picture was accompanied by this message:

This past autumn, there was an old European-looking canal boat tied up to the Colarusso shed peninsula. Just walking around and noticed it sunk. Seems a shame, cool old boat. You know the story behind this thing?

I did not know anything about the boat docked in the southernmost embayment at Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, bordering the Colarusso property. Sadly, other concerns distracted me from finding out. Today, a story in the Register-Star by Shawn Ness and Spenser Walsh identifies the boat and explains how it got there: "Historic boat from WWII likely to be scrapped."

The boat is/was a 70-foot Dutch tugboat built in 1903 called the Golden Re-Al. Most notable in the vessel's long history is its use in World War II. During the Dutch famine of 1944-1945, known as "Hunger Winter," when the German army occupied the Netherlands and people in Dutch cities were facing starvation, the Golden Re-Al, then called the Wilhelmina, brought critically needed food and supplies. 

According to the article, the Golden Re-Al has been docked here in Hudson for the past five years. Now, because of weather damage and vandalism, the owner, Richard Manack, intends to scrap it. Manack is quoted in the article as saying, "The vessel's destroyed. Ice has been doing a number on it, so inside the vessel now, it's destroyed, and because it's destroyed, they're going to scrap it." 

The article is accompanied by photographs provided by Manack that show the boat in its current location at some point before it sank.

Photo: Richard Manack | Register-Star

Photo: Richard Manack | Register-Star

It's regrettable that information about this boat was not generally known in Hudson until now, when its destruction seems evitable.

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Air Quality Update

Our air quality is still being affected by smoke from the wildfires in Canada and northern Minnesota, and an Air Quality Alert is in effect until midnight tonight. As the map below shows, however, we are better off than much of the state. Columbia County is orange, which indicates "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups." Much of the rest of the state is red, indicating the air is unhealthy for all. 

You can monitor air quality for yourself in real time at airnow.gov. Right now, airnow.gov indicates the air quality in Hudson is just below the orange range in the yellow, which is "Moderate."

The Sidewalks of Hudson: The Mayor Speaks

As background for the following statement from Mayor Joseph Ferris, this Gossips post from February 2026 is recommended: "Money for Sidewalks." There is also this one, from August 2025: "Governmental Dysfunction."

In recent weeks, critics of Mayor Ferris have made reference to his decision not to pursue a $1 million Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) which had been initiated during the previous administration. In his statement, Ferris responds to that criticism and defends his decision.

No one disagrees that Hudson sidewalks need improvement. This is why the City instituted a Sidewalk Improvement District.

In recent days and weeks, my decision in January to withdraw a sidewalk grant application has become news. I believe it is important to set the record straight in regard to the purported zero-match Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application for ADA sidewalk improvements that I withdrew after taking office.

It was never free money from the State. The proposed $2 million dollar project would have required $1 million in matching funds from Hudson – a fact that the previous administration knew.

Documentation that demonstrated the City could and would allocate these funds was never submitted because those funds did not exist.

The City’s pre-application read that “The total preliminary project cost is estimated to be $2,005,500 with $1,005,500 from the City's Sidewalk Improvement District (SID) revenue fund and municipal capital reserves.”

The City of Hudson does not have a municipal capital reserve.

The State flagged that the proposed CDBG budget included parking lot repaving that did not appear to relate to ADA compliance. They further made clear that “maintenance items such as general re-paving would not be included in the CDBG share of the project.” The grant consultants guiding the City at the time warned that the lack of formal documentation meant the State would likely eliminate Hudson from consideration.

I was only made aware of this proposed grant application after taking office by the State and the grant consultants. With the City on the hook for more than a million dollars if awarded the grant and a plan the State had serious concerns about, I made the decision to withdraw this ‘plan of a plan’ application.

I remain committed to the work of improving our sidewalks. I’m just as committed to not saddling our city and taxpayers with a hefty bill and no way to pay for it. 

The Pitfalls of Virtual Meetings

Sometimes, when the audio on Zoom or Teams is particularly bad, I turn on the "live caption" function to help me decipher what's being said. I did so tonight for the meeting of the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners. The results were not helpful, but they certainly were entertaining. The live caption was less able to interpret what was being said than I was--hilariously so. Among the most memorable transcription fails was John Madeo of Mountco mentioning the "Zombie Board of Appeals" and HHA executive director Jeffrey Dodson making the statement, "I'm not taking sex meat." It's obvious that Madeo actually said "Zoning Board of Appeals." I have no idea what Dodson's actual words were.

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ZBA Meeting Canceled

Tonight's meeting of the Zoning Board of Appeals was to feature a public hearing on the area variances required for the Hudson Housing Authority to construct a block of four three-story townhouses at the corner of Columbia and North Second streets, but the meeting has been canceled for want of a quorum. It is not known if the hearing has been postponed until next month's ZBA meeting, or if it will be rescheduled.

Tonight on the Waterfront

The Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Preservation Society (HALPS) will be participating in this week's Waterfront Wednesdays event.

Attendees at tonight's Waterfront Wednesday can contribute to a community art project inspired by the lighthouse and share their memories, reflections, and hopes for the future of the lighthouse. Those who participate will receive a limited edition Hudson-Athens Lighthouse button.

Also, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., tour boats will depart for the lighthouse every 20 minutes, providing plenty of opportunities to experience this beloved landmark close up. 

Another Reason to Stay Indoors

The temperatures are expected to be a bit lower today than they were yesterday, but there's a new reason to stay indoors with all the doors and windows closed: air quality. 

ABC News reported this morning that there are more than 830 wildfires burning in Canada and more than a dozen in northern Minnesota near the border, and the smoke from those fires is now descending on an area from the Midwest to New England, and that includes the Hudson Valley. A Gossips reader reported, "I'm watching with alarm this morning as the air outside my window turns a sickly yellow." 

The maps below, reproduced from the ABC News report, show the situation at 9:00 a.m. today and the prediction for 2:00 p.m. this afternoon. 

As the maps show, things are expected to get worse for us this afternoon. Information about how to cope with the situation can be found here.

"Say It Ain't So, Joe": The Mayor Responds

The featured story in today's Register-Star is Mayor Joseph Ferris's response to criticism for extending the contract to sell the property on Mill Street. Ferris claims, as he has before, that he was advised to take the action he did, without the knowledge or consent of the Common Council, by city attorney Andrew Howard.

In his response, Ferris makes a rather grievous error, claiming that the original contract set the closing date "on or about" May 3, so the contract had not actually expired when it was amended on May 20. The following is quoted from the Register-Star article:

"In no way did the closing date for the sale lapse," Ferris said. "(May 3, 2026) was an 'on or about' closing date (in the contract between Kearney and the city), and we, as in city were, and continue to, await the court's decision. . . ."

In fact, the contract of sale, which was executed on May 3, 2023, does not say "on or about"; it says "on or before" (boldface added). The difference between "about" and "before" is significant.

The article has not yet been posted online. When it is, Gossips will provide the link.

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Update: Here's the link to the article: "Mayor responds to Mill Street criticism."

About Tonight's Planning Board Meeting

Tonight's Planning Board meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. instead of the usual 6:00 p.m. The extra half-hour at the beginning of the meeting is for the purpose of discussing the proposed clarification to Section 325-17.1 of the city code. This clarifying amendment was sent to the city and the county planning boards, as a matter of course, for a recommendation, a recommendation that is in no way binding on the Common Council.

One wonders why this proposed clarification is causing so much uncertainty and angst. It actually seems pretty straightforward. The zoning in the city's Local Waterfront Revitalization Program (LWRP), which was adopted by the Common Council in November 2011, designates the dock operation as a nonconforming use. The reason for making the dock operation a nonconforming use was to prevent the expansion or intensification of the dock operations beyond what existed in November 2011, when the zoning was put in place, to ensure that whatever went on at the dock could coexist with the use of the adjacent park and the public and private investment happening in proximity to the dock. 

During the five years the LWRP was being developed and finally adopted (2006-2011), O&G Industries, headquartered in Connecticut, in an agreement with St. Lawrence/Holcim, was hauling aggregate from the quarry to the river to be loaded on barges at the dock. According to the code, the activity at the dock that existed in 2011 was not to be expanded or intensified. When A. Colarusso & Sons purchased the property from St. Lawrence/Holcim in 2014, the LWPR zoning and its restrictions were in place. Unfortunately, no one thought to document and memorialize the level of activity that existed at the dock or the number of trucks traveling between the quarry and the dock in 2011. 

Earlier this year, Donna Streitz did the hard work of investigating and piecing together available information to determine what the level of activity was in 2011--the level that, according to the code, "shall not be enlarged, extended, or placed on a different portion of the lot or parcel of land occupied by such use on the effective date of this chapter, nor shall any external evidence of such use be increased by any means whatsoever." Streitz's findings are the basis for the proposed amendment to clarify Section 325-17.1.

This isn't the first time problems have arisen because an initial set of data had not been established in 2011. In 2017, Colarusso widened its road through South Bay, from Route 9G to the dock. At the time, the question was raised if the widened road encroached on the Recreational Conservation (R-C) District. The question could not be answered because the actual width of the Core Riverfront (C-R) District, as it extends through South Bay, had never been established. It was simply a green line on the zoning map. There was no way to determine where the C-R District ended and the R-C District began in the protected wetland that was once South Bay.     

The proposed amendment to Section 325-17.1 is an opportunity to clarify the intent of the zoning by establishing a baseline for activity at the dock, to ensure that the LWRP vision for the waterfront--a vision that restricted the existing industrial use and balanced it with the recreational and nonindustrial uses developing around it--could be realized.

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Hot Days Ahead

Near record high temperatures are predicted for tomorrow, and Wednesday and Thursday won't be much better. Given that forecast, City Hall has issued the following statement:

In anticipation of dangerous heat levels over the next several days, the Hudson Cooling Station will be open Tuesday, July 14, through Thursday, July 16, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day. The Cooling Station is in the community space at the Central Fire Station, located at 77 North 7th Street (please use the Washington Street entrance). Cold water will be available in the refrigerator and restrooms will be open.

Please stay cool, safe, and hydrated!

The statement doesn't mention it, but Gossips has confirmed that dogs will be allowed at the cooling station.

"Say It Ain't So, Joe"

Hudson Common Sense Editors today published an open letter to Mayor Joseph Ferris about his decision to extend the contract for the sale of the parcel on Mill Street without the knowledge of the Common Council or the community. To read that letter, click here.

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

It's mid-July, and as we move deeper into summer, here is what's happening.

• On Monday, July 13, the Common Council Code and Infrastructure Committee 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 Tuesday, July 14, at 4:00 p.m., Mayor Joseph Ferris holds a public hearing on the proposed law regarding videoconferencing for public meetings. The hearing takes place in person only at City Hall. 
• At 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 14, the Planning Board holds a public hearing on the proposal to redevelop the former John L. Edwards School as apartments for seniors. 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.

Correction: The Planning Board meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. not 6:00 p.m. The first half hour of the meeting will be devoted to helping members of the Planning Board understand the intent and impact of the proposed clarification of city code Section 325-17.1.

• On Wednesday, July 15, the Hudson Housing Authority meets at 5:00 p.m. 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.
• At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, July 15, the Zoning Board of Appeals holds its monthly meeting. No agenda for the meeting is as yet available, but it is expected the meeting will include a public hearing on the area variances needed by the Hudson Housing Authority to build four three-story townhouses containing six dwelling units at the corner of Columbia and North Second streets. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.

South elevation--Columbia Street

West elevation--North Second Street

• On Wednesday, July 15, Waterfront Wednesdays features Brasskill and Natural Dye Workshop with Fixit Picnic. The event runs from 4:00 p.m. until sunset. The performance begins at 6:00 p.m.

• On Thursday, July 16, The Olana Partnership continues its free Third Thursday Outdoor Evenings series from 5:oo to 7:00 p.m. Visitors can enjoy free access to the landscape and the historic house. At 6:00 p.m., singer-songwriter Mario Rincon presents music inspired by the sounds of Andalusia and Appalachia against the backdrop of Olana's breathtaking views. Refreshments will be available for purchase from Via Ravioli. A free shuttle from the Hudson Area Library to Olana will be available from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. For more information click here.

• On Saturday, July 18, the first of two Project Restore Hudson Valley sessions takes place in Hudson. The second session is scheduled for August 1. The sessions run from 9:00 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., with lunch provided. The topics for the first session are Climate Change and Solutions, Energy Transition, and Materials Matter. For more information and to register, click here. The location will be revealed upon registration.

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News of the Robert Jenkins House

In this semiquincentennial year, there was welcome news about the Hendrick Hudson Chapter House, with its ties to the American Revolution and the earliest days of Hudson. A press release issued by the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution follows:

The Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution has successfully concluded a restoration that was funded in large part by a $496,775 matching grant from the federal Department of Interior, National Park Service. The grant itself was funded through the Historic Preservation Fund and the Save America's Treasures grant program, and it funded 50 percent of several major rehabilitation projects of the 1811 Historic Robert Jenkins House at 113 Warren Street in Hudson, NY. 

The nearly $500,000 grant was matched by generous donations by chapter members as well as local institutions including the HRBT Foundation, the William G Pomeroy Foundation, and the Bank of Greene County. Many neighbors, city and county, many local businesses, and visitors from all over the country were very generous donors as well. In June, a significant donation of $15,000 was received from the Home for the Aged, to be used exclusively to achieve accessibility at the chapter house.

The Home for the Aged was founded in 1883 with its purpose being "the providing of a suitable home for and proper care, support and maintenance of aged and indigent men and women in the said County of Columbia." It is a privately endowed institution that for well over 100 years maintained a stately home in Hudson at Union and Seventh streets. Currently, the foundation provides support for senior citizens in Columbia County.  

Restoration projects at the Robert Jenkins House that have been concluded include a stunning new slate roof, new gutters, and repaired masonry on the house's east and west parapets. Now finishing up is a new electrical system on the first floor, which required a demolition of outdated 20th century finishes in its basement, revealing the house's 1811 fireplace with beehive oven and wood box.

The chapter is now beginning repair work to exterior doors at the rear of the house. Those restored doors will lead to a thoughtfully designed accessible entrance, including a historically compatible, curved, ADA-compliant access ramp and expanded landing areas which include a handsome patio of stone pavers. The design prioritizes what will be a new and important entry to the chapter house, which is surrounded by a lovely backyard that has been a focus of the chapter's attention in recent years.

Chapter Regent Virginia Martin said, "It would be difficult to overstate the importance of these beautifully executed restoration projects, or of the project for accessibility that we are now embarking on. The Federal-style Robert Jenkins House is arguably Hudson’s most iconic and historic residential structure. Built in 1811, the interior was gently remodeled in 1900, and it remains remarkably untouched since that time. The house sits on the most beautiful and historic block in Hudson, in the Front Street-Parade Hill-Lower Warren Street Historic District. Its size and imposing roof parapets are striking, distinctive, and visible from blocks away."

She continued, "The house has among the most prominent lineage in the City, as it was built by the son of a Proprietor. The Proprietors founded the city in 1785 after moving their families and whaling business from Nantucket, where the British were harassing them, to what was then Claverack Landing. They created a city, named it Hudson, and established a thriving whaling economy that we remember and celebrate now."

Chapter membership is determined that the beautiful house be made accessible to everyone for their enjoyment--be they visitors interested in touring the house and its museum and genealogical and historical library, or people interested in attending its public programs, or the chapter's own members.

The Robert Jenkins House was gifted to the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution in 1900 by the granddaughter of Robert Jenkins, who herself had been born in the house in 1833. The purpose then was to establish it as a focal point for city residents, which continues to be a goal of the chapter.

The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR), founded in 1890, is a nonprofit, nonpolitical women's service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education for children. There are currently about 190,000 members in chapters in all 50 states and abroad. The Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the NSDAR, founded in 1895 and chartered in 1896, currently has 130 members and meets in the historic Robert Jenkins House, which it owns.

DAR members trace their lineage back to a patriot in the American Revolution--whether serving as soldier, shopkeeper, or seamstress. The organization welcomes eligible women without regard to race, creed, or religion. It is one of the most inclusive genealogical societies in the country.

The chapter and the chapter house can be accessed at hudson-dar.org, facebook.com/HudsonDAR, instagram.com/robertjenkinshouse, hendrickhudsonchapterdar@gmail.com, and (518) 828-9764.

For more information on the completed restoration project or the accessibility project just beginning, please contact chapter regent Virginia Martin at (518) 828-9764 or hendrickhudsonchapterdar@gmail.com. For questions regarding the Save America's Treasures grant program, or to comment on this or any other proposed Historic Preservation Fund grant project, please contact the State, Tribal, Local, Plans & Grants Division, National Park Service, at (202) 354-2020 or stlpg@nps.gov.

Another Change

On Friday, the Historic Preservation Commission granted a certificate of appropriateness for a new sign at 35 South Third Street.

What had been Wylde, a cafe, wine bar, and community space, is now GoodBoyBob, a specialty coffee roaster currently with two locations in California: Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach.

Banque on Pause

Trixie's List shared the news today. Banque is closing for the summer. 

The following is quoted from the statement published on Trixie's List: 

Like many hospitality businesses, we have faced ongoing staffing challenges that have made it increasingly difficult to deliver the level of quality, hospitality, and experience that has always been at the heart of Banque. Rather than compromise those standards, we believe it is the right time to step back, regroup, and thoughtfully consider what comes next.

This is not necessarily goodbye. We remain deeply committed to the vision behind Banque and are exploring what the next chapter may look like. While we don’t yet know exactly what form that will take, we are excited by the possibilities and look forward to sharing more when the time is right.

Hudson Dog Park Give and Take

This weekend, Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12, the Hudson Dog Park is having a Give and Take fundraiser.

An assortment of gently used (and never used) dog gear and toys--some of it shown in the photo above--will be displayed at the dog park. Take what you want and pay what you will. Payments can be made by PayPal, Venmo, and debit or credit card using a QR code provided, so don't forget to bring your phone.

Come to the Hudson Dog Park this weekend. Pick up some gear for your dog or some fun stuff (there's a lion mane, and Halloween is not that far off) and show your support for the dog park. Help keep the fences mended and the poop bag dispensers filled!