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. 

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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.

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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.  

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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.)

More News from Bard

Yesterday, Gossips shared the link to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) and their answers about the transfer of ownership of about eighty properties in Hudson from the Galvan Foundation to Bard College. That set of FAQs was of particular interest to tenants in Galvan-owned properties. But there is another set of FAQs of interest to Hudson property owners and residents who do not live in Galvan properties. Those FAQs can be found here.

Among the questions answered is one having to do with community involvement in Bard's plans for "redevelopment and programmatic decisions related to these properties." This is the answer provided:

Beginning in July 2025, Bard College has engaged in a listening tour to learn about the needs and perspectives of the diverse people and communities of Hudson. As we move forward, we are continuing to engage with the public, elected officials, community leaders, business owners, residents, and local organizations to hear their recommendations and concerns.

Gossips has no knowledge of who has been involved in these "listening tours."

The FAQs make it clear that Bard does not intend to use the properties in Hudson to "expand its own campus footprint" or as dormitories. 

It's indicated that there are more than eighty properties in the portfolio being given to Bard, but only six are identified. They are:

• The Armory (51 North Fifth Street)
• The Foundry (724-726 Columbia Street)
• Hudson Depot Lofts (76 North Seventh Street)
• The Old Library (400 State Street)--a.k.a. the Hudson Almshouse
• The Tennis Courts (614-620 Columbia Street)--a.k.a. the Community Theater
• The Salvation Army (40 South Third Street)

The response to the oft-heard suggestion that Bard should give the Armory to the Hudson Area Library or to the City of Hudson is this:

Adhering to its fiduciary duties, the College is unable to give away properties. We are in discussions with the Hudson Area Library and city officials to ensure that there is a long-term and sustainable path forward for this building to remain as a center for civic life in Hudson and to continue housing the library and other important public services.

Responding to concerns about the impact this transfer of property will have on Hudson's property tax base, Bard has this to say:

By activating dormant commercial and residential properties, Bard expects to expand the current property tax based in the City of Hudson. The College would like to dispel the common misconception that any property owned or co-owned by not-profit organizations automatically results in tax exemption. Property tax exemptions are determined by usage for qualified organizations, not strictly ownership.

One wonders what these "dormant commercial and residential properties" are. Is Bard planning to carry on the restoration of the Community Theater building or 22-24 Warren Street or 352-354 Warren Street, the former Johnny's Ideal Printing? Presumably, time will tell.

On the subject of Hudson and Bard, the irrepressible Hudson Wail posted this meme on Instagram today.   

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Snow Removal Continues

Rob Perry, superintendent of Public Works, reports that, as of 1:00 p.m. today, snow has been removed from both sides of the following streets:

• Worth Avenue
• Warren Street
• Columbia Street
• Green Street
• State Street
• Union Street below Fourth
• Allen Street
• McKinstry Place
• Eighth Street
• City Hall Place
• West Court Street
• Park Place
• Robinson Street

Photo: Hudson Common Sense

Below is the schedule for Day Three of snow removal, starting at midnight tonight and continuing into Friday, January 30. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

For those of us living (and parking overnight) on streets from which the snow has already been removed, the usual alternate side of the street parking rules apply, tonight and until our next snow emergency.

News of the Lighthouse

Roger Hannigan Gilson reported today in the Times Union some distressing news about the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse: "Barge strike on historic lighthouse caused more damage than initially thought." 

The following is quoted from the article:

A report commissioned by the owners of the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse, which was struck by a barge in a hit-and-run last April, shows that the blow "significantly" exacerbated structural issues at the 19th-century beacon.

The examination was completed by Troy-based Proper & O'Leary Engineering. It found far greater damage to the base than previously known and estimates the necessary repairs could cost between $1.9 million and $3.6 million. The report also says that a tugboat pushing barges down the river slowed down and moved to the side to make way for another ship--a detail discovered by the U.S. Coast Guard that has not been previously reported and offers greater insight into why the crash occurred. 

At this point, how the damage to the lighthouse will be remedied is not clear. The article explains:

After the crash, Carver Companies said it was suspending the Erin Elizabeth [the tugboat that collided with the lighthouse] pending an investigation. Calls to the company were not returned.

"We are still hopeful that Carver will be good partners by living up to their early commitment to repair all the damage done," Hudson-Athens Lighthouse Restoration Committee Chair Van Calhoun said in a statement. In a later interview, Calhoun said the preservation society has communicated with Carver since the report was finished, but they have not yet met.

Change on the Waterfront

We have known for months that the removal of the abandoned cement silo was part of Colarusso's plan for screening and landscaping its dock operations. Its removal was meant to improve the view of the mountains from Henry Hudson Riverfront Park. We just didn't know when it would happen.

Today, without warning or ceremony, the silo came down. Richard Wallace alerted Gossips to the silo's demise and took this picture.

Photo: Richard Wallace

For years, peregrine falcons, an endangered species in New York State, have nested atop the sil0. In October, Colarusso attorney T. J. Ruane told the Planning Board there were only two months in the year when the nest is not in use and the silo could be removed. It seems January is one of those months. According to information found online, the nesting season for peregrine falcons begins in February. In February and March, adults return to nesting sites. In the next few weeks, when the peregrine falcons return to this nesting site, they will find it gone.

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Addendum: Ben Fain provided this picture of the downed silo from a different vantage point.

Snow Update

City Hall has not yet issued its list of parking directives for tonight's snow removal, but the disappearance of snowbanks and the relocation of the orange "No Parking" signs should provide adequate direction for those parking their cars on the street tonight.

Rob Perry, superintendent of Public Works, reports that the amount of snow and size of the snowbanks resulted in DPW being able to clear only about 50 percent of what they usually accomplish. That being said, as of 1:00 p.m. today, the snow on one side of the following streets has been removed:

• Worth Avenue
• Warren Street
• Columbia Street
• Green Street
• State Street
• Union Street
• Allen Street
• Sixth Street
• West Court Street

The snowbanks on both sides of the street have been removed on these streets:

• McKinstry Place
• Eighth Street
• Park Place
• Robinson Street

Snow removal will continue tonight into tomorrow. 

Perry also reported that only two cars had to be towed last night to make way for the snow removal crew and concluded, "It appears we have nearly 100 percent compliance" with the snow removal parking directives.

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News from Bard

When representatives from Bard College did a roundtable with business owners at the Park Theater in December, there was some indication they might hold a similar meeting about the residential properties gifted to them by the Galvan Foundation. It seems, however, that instead of another public meeting, Bard has chosen to communicate with tenants in former Galvan properties in a different way: with on online statement that answers some frequently asked questions. That statement can be found here.

Most of the information provided is of greatest interest to people living in former Galvan-owned properties. There is some, however, that is of more general interest. For example, many of us in Hudson have been curious to know how many and which properties have been given to Bard. Here is Bard's answer to that question:

To protect tenant privacy, Bard College will not publicly disclose a full list of every property included. All tenants will be notified of any changes impacting them or the property they live in.

Early on, it seemed Bard intended to sell many if not most of the properties received from Galvan. On the question of selling properties, this is the answer now provided:

Yes. Bard plans to sell some of the properties. The College will prioritize beneficial impacts on the community of Hudson's economic, social, and cultural development when considering the sale of these properties. All tenants will be notified of any pending sale impacting the property they live in.

Contact information is provided for people interested in buying the building they currently live in.

Even more information about the Galvan gift to Bard College and Bard's intentions regarding the properties it has acquired can be found in the FAQs here.