An Opening and an Anniversary Today

Earlier this week, Gossips snapped this picture of the painters putting the finishing touches on Animalkind's headquarters on upper Warren Street, newly rebuilt and renovated after the building was severely damaged by a fire in May 2012. Today--Sunday, September 15--Animalkind celebrates the grand opening of its new adoption center, described as "cat-friendly and totally awesome." The open house is from 2 to 4 p.m. All are invited, but those who plan to attend are asked to let their intentions be known online or by leaving a message at (917) 697-6301.

Today, September 15, also marks a significant milestone for a favorite Hudson restaurant: The Cascades. Twenty years ago today, on September 15, 1993--which was a Wednesday--The Cascades began serving breakfast and lunch at 407 Warren Street and has been doing so ever since. 

I always knew that the name of the restaurant--The Cascades--had do to with the fact that the owner, Bob Lucke, is from Seattle, but I only recently learned the whole story. When Lucke was getting ready to open his restaurant here in Hudson, he went back to Seattle for a visit and discovered a little cafe in his old neighborhood called The Catskills. That was the inspiration for him to name his restaurant--on the other side of the country, just across the river from the Catskills--for a mountain range he loved in the northwest.