Happy to Be Mistaken

A reader emailed me this morning, suggesting that current appearances might be deceiving when it comes to the fenestration of the new house going up at 215 Union Street.

The reader pointed out that sheathing is typically applied in whole 4-by-8-foot sheets, to save time and provide a more solid covering, and in the process, the sheathing often covers all or part of window and door openings. Once in place, the sheathing can be cut to reveal the entire opening. He suggested that discovering the true height of the windows required further investigation, and he was right.

A return visit to the house, with camera adjusted to zoom in through the window openings, discovered that the structural openings inside are considerably higher than the openings in the sheathing.

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Only a Matter of Time

This report appeared in the Times Union this morning: "100 Gallons of Oil Spilled from Rail Car at Port of Albany." WAMC also covered the story: "Clean-up Crews Respond to Oil Spill to an Oil Spill at the Port of Albany."

Painted Benches at Bliss Towers

Last evening, the four benches in the courtyard at Bliss Towers were painted in three different colors: sky blue, sunshine yellow, and burgundy purple. Arthur Cusano reports on the completion of this surprisingly contentious project in today's Register-Star: "Bliss Towers benches get a coat of color." 

This morning, Gossips headed over there to survey the results.

They look fine. The job appears to have been neatly and well done. It's hard to comprehend what all the brouhaha was about.
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More Complications for the Mosque

It's been at least eight years since Hudson's Islamic community began its plans to build a mosque at the corner of Third and Columbia streets, and the way has not been smooth.

In December 2006, when the Islamic center went before the Planning Commission, it was discovered that the site was located within the boundaries of the Local Waterfront Revitalization Area, and there was a moratorium on development within that area until the LWRP (Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan) could be completed and adopted.

In May 2007, when the moratorium had expired, the mosque project came back before the Planning Commission. At that time, it was anticipated that raising the money for the project would take five years, and that time frame was written into the site plan approval. In July 2013, the money needed had not yet been raised, and Abdus Miah, president of the Hudson Islamic Center and an alderman for the Second Ward, was back before the Planning Commission seeking a one-year extension. Because only one person on the Planning Commission in 2013 had been on the Planning Commission in 2007 and 2008 when the project had originally been reviewed and because Miah indicated the plans had "changed a little," Miah was asked to come back the next month--August 2013--with the new plans. So far as Gossips knows, he hasn't done that. Instead, he has been dealing with a new problem. 

In December 2013, it was discovered that the Hudson Islamic Center did not own all the land it needed for the mosque. The lot they were planning to build on was made up of four different parcels, and one of them--25-27 North Third Street--still belonged to the Hudson Development Corporation (HDC). Miah thought HDC had transferred ownership to the Islamic center in 2001. Former city attorney Cheryl Roberts determined that was not the case and added the additional caveats that HDC could not simply give the parcel in question to a religious organization nor could they sell it if there would be no economic development component to its future use.

In the most recent development, HDC board member Duncan Calhoun proposed a scheme that accomplishes the goal of allowing Hudson Islamic Center to have the use of the land without violating HDC's bylaws: HDC leases the parcel to HIC for ninety-nine years. Calhoun's colleagues on the HDC board hail the solution as brilliant, but Miah wants none of it. John Mason reports the details of the impasse in the Register-Star: "Agency offers Islamic Center 99-year lease."
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Raves for Rurbanism

The term coined by Ann Marie Gardner of Modern Farmer and popularized by the New York Times in an article subtitled "Enter the Tastemakers" is the theme of a piece about Hudson in the June/July issue of The Somm Journal, "the essential guide for wine professionals." Unfortunately, the article, written by David Lincoln Ross and entitled "A Savory Revival in Hudson, New York: Discovering a 'Rurban' Food-and-Drink Scene Driven by Ex-Gothamites," is not included in magazine's online content, but Gossips will quote a bit of it. 

It begins this way . . .  

Look beyond the storefront menus displayed on Warren Street restaurants in the emerging food-and-drink hub of Hudson, New York, located 115 miles north of Manhattan, and you will find chefs, somms and bartenders who left their big city careers happily behind. 

What's driving this newest exodus from city to suburb? The much talked about "rurbanism" movement in which urban expats transport not only their cultural preferences, but their culinary ones, too.

and ends this way . . . 

Taken together, these former city chefs, countrified cocktailians and 21st-century farmers and ranchers have transformed the former whaling port on the Hudson River into a thriving culinary and drinks destination.

and in between talks about Zak Pelaccio and Jori Emde of Fish & Game--and also Fish & Game's mixologist, Kat Dunn--Jeff Gimmel and Nina Bashinsky-Gimmel of Swoon Kitchenbar, and John McCarthy of The Crimson Sparrow.

The photo accompanying this post, which was picked up from the article in The Somm Journal, is by Christian Giannelli and was taken for The Barlow Hotel.

Thanks to Lewis Dimm for bringing this to Gossips' attention

Redefining Historic Preservation

It is rumored that T. Eric Galloway thinks he is doing more for historic preservation than anyone else in America today. If this is true, historic preservation in America is indeed in bad shape, and that, sadly, may be the case. A Gossips reader on an extended and extensive road trip throughout the contiguous United States told Gossips about a walking tour in "historic" Cheyenne, Wyoming. It turns out it was a tour of buildings that used to be here but were no longer--at least not in their original form. One example was this 1904 marble building, described and pictured in the walking tour guide, which survives today buried beneath a "modern" facade.

But that's not here. That's Cheyenne, Wyoming. Here in Hudson, we're just expected to accept, gratefully, the bait-and-switch that went on with 900 Columbia Street, when the Galvan Initiatives Foundation's stated intention to move the c. 1810 house intact devolved into "disassembling" it and using the salvaged bricks and some other salvaged elements to build a new house. After all, the 200-year-old house was going to be demolished anyway. Its owners were hell-bent on getting rid of it.

On the subject of 900 Columbia Street, Gossips decided it was time to check in on the new house being built with its salvaged elements and report how things are going. It will be remembered that, in January, the Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously to grant the proposed house a certificate of appropriateness. The rendering below was the one presented with the application.

There was some concern that the foundation was too high and that the setback interrupted the street wall, but in the end--mostly because the foundation had already been built before the project came before the HPC--the proposed house got its certificate of appropriateness. Here is what the slowly evolving house looks like today.

 

The most striking difference between the rendering and the reality is the height of the windows. Gossips was not privy to the actual window measurements presented to the HPC, but the height of the windows in the rendering seems significantly greater than the height of the openings in the actual building. The addition of the lintels, salvaged from the original house, will add some height to the appearance of the windows, but not enough to make the reality match the rendering. 

Then there's the problem that seems to exist with all elevation drawings. Where does one have to stand to see the building as it appears in the rendering?

The roof--all the way up to the ridge--is visible in the rendering, but from the sidewalk across the street, no part of the roof on the actual building can be seen. 

Another shortcoming of the rendering presented to the HPC is context. Compatibility with the surrounding neighborhood is an essential consideration when the HPC decides whether or not to grant a certificate of appropriateness to new construction (for this is what it is) in a historic district, but the rendering presented shows the house in complete isolation. Of course, there is no reason to believe that a rendering showing the house in the context of its genuinely historic neighbors would have accurately represented its scale or that the outcome would have been any different if such a rendering that been submitted.

Perhaps we should rejoice. They have started applying the veneer of bricks to the "Hudson Arcade" at Warren and Fifth streets. A reader told Gossips he thought the bricks being used were 19th-century bricks and suggested they might come from 900 Columbia Street.

An actual brick building wall, constructed as walls were in the 18th and 19th centuries, uses twice as many bricks as a brick veneer. Could it be that we are getting two faux historic buildings for the sacrifice of just one authentically historic one?
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The Magic of the Light

The sublime light we enjoy here beside the Hudson, particularly at sunset, has the power to ennoble anything--even an old cement plant.

  
Thanks to Joe Kenneally for sharing this photo of ADM at sunset from the lake at Clay Pond Farms

Damage from the Storm

The Register-Star today features a photo of efforts to assess and repair the damage brought by Wednesday night's storm "at the corner of south 4th and Allen Streets in Hudson": "Rain wreaks havoc on storm drains." Some clarification is needed for those who know that South Fourth Street and Allen Street do not intersect. 

The actual site of the problem was on East Court Street, where it is met by East Allen Street--right alongside the Columbia County Courthouse. This morning, a crew from the Department of Public Works was back on the scene working to repair what was reported to be a "huge hole" in the water main.

As a consequence of the heavy rain overwhelming the combined sewer system and the failed main, the ground floors of the five town houses on East Court Street were flooded with from four to five feet of storm water and sewage.

The owner of one of the houses told Gossips, "We had about four feet of storm water/sewer, literally destroying our ground floor." The office of attorney Jonathan Cohen is located on the ground floor of another of the buildings in that row. This morning, in addition to DPW trucks, the bright green truck of a water damage restoration service was also parked on the street.
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Stunning News

Gossips does not normally publish press releases, but an exception is being made in this case. The following press release was distributed on Wednesday by Housing Resources of Columbia County. Gossips received it, indirectly, late on Thursday and publishes it now word for word.

HOUSING RESOURCES AND GALVAN FOUNDATION ANNOUNCE COLLABORATION

HUDSON, NY, JUNE 25, 2014--Housing Resources of Columbia County, Inc., and Galvan Foundation announce their agreement to collaborate in the provision of affordable housing in the City of Hudson and Columbia County. The Housing Resources and Galvan collaboration strengthens their ability to advance shared purposes of preserving, maintaining, and increasing the supply of affordable housing in the community.

As an initial measure, Galvan representatives, including T. Eric Galloway and Henry van Ameringen, joined the Housing Resources board of directors. Mr. van Ameringen stated, "The collaboration is an opportunity to ensure Housing Resources remains a formidable provider of affordable housing at a time when low and middle income wage earners, and seniors are increasingly challenged by higher rents and fewer housing options. Stable housing is key. It is important for us to do more for this population." Mr. David Pearce, Chairman of the Board of Housing Resources said, "The board looks forward to working with Mr. Galloway and Mr. Ameringen [sic]. They will provide considerable expertise and support to Housing Resources' mission of preserving and maintaining decent, safe and affordable housing in Columbia County. In my opinion, the people of the City of Hudson and Columbia County will be well served by the collaboration of these two organizations."

About Housing Resources of Columbia County:

Housing Resources preserves and provides decent, safe, affordable housing to residents of Columbia County. Housing Resources offers a range of homeowner and housing services, including home rehab and emergency home repair, foreclosure counseling, affordable housing rentals, senior housing, homeless assistance, first-time homebuyer education and down payment assistance. In addition to being a HUD certified Housing Counseling Agency, Housing Resources holds the Rural Preservation contract for Columbia County and is a NeighborWorks Charter Member. www.housingresources.org

About Galvan Foundation:

Galvan Foundation is a private grant making and operating foundation which began operations in January 2012. The Foundation mission is to conserve and maintain buildings of architectural, historic and social significance in order to improve and enhance the quality of life for all Hudson residents, especially those most vulnerable or economically disadvantaged. www.galvanfoundation.org

The Benches of Hudson

They are unique--unlike park benches seen in other cities.

They are ubiquitous. They are found in the Public Square, a.k.a. Seventh Street Park.

They are found in Washington Park, a.k.a. Courthouse Square.

They are found on Promenade Hill, a.k.a. Parade Hill.

Cathryn Dwyre, when presenting her proposal for re-imagining the Public Square, talked about the benches. She praised the DPW workers who make these benches for their craftsmanship and ingenuity but suggested that perhaps it was time for a new design. Dwyre's comment inspired Gossips to wonder how long this design has been the standard for park benches in Hudson. Then this picture post card provided a clue.

The post card, sent to friends in New Jersey by a woman visiting her sister in Germantown, is postmarked July 16, 1966. It is evidence that the clunky concrete and wood design for park benches has been around for probably at least fifty years.
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Thanks to Bruce Bergmann for sharing this post card

We Are Not Alone

In the July issue of Hudson Valley Magazine there's an article about dog parks: "Our Favorite Hudson Valley Dog Parks." Not only does the article, as the title suggests, name dog parks of note in the Hudson Valley (Park for Paws in Catskill and Bunker Hill Dog Park in Athens are among those mentioned) and celebrate the joys of dog parks, for dogs and humans, it also touches on issues of park maintenance and the challenges of getting a dog park up and running. "Opposition can come on many fronts. Taxpayers don't want their money funding it. Environmentalists worry about the effect on local ecosystems. Local meetings turn into battlefields with proponents and naysayers vehemently debating. The town supervisor doesn't like dogs and halts the project." (Of course, the article is talking about Yorktown. That would never happen here.)

On the subject of dog parks, the GoFundMe campaign to raise $10,000 for a dog park in Hudson is still going on. Click here to pledge your support.
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Public Works News

The report presented each month to the Common Council Public Works Committee by DPW superintendent Rob Perry is always detailed and illustrated, and last night's report, delivered just before the deluge began that flooded streets and overwhelmed the sewer system in many parts of the city, was no exception. Gossips recounts here only the highlights.

Even though the residents of Hudson have been dutifully observing the alternate side of the street parking regulations (and getting ticketed if we don't), the street sweeper, whose early-morning ministrations are the reason for the rules, has been out of commission for months--kaput, not working, not out there in the wee hours cleaning the streets. That will all change today, when the City's brand-new street sweeper is expected to be delivered. Perry warns that for the first few days, the sweeper will be operating during regular daytime hours--when there are cars moving on the street and parked on both sides--while the operators of the sweeper get accustomed to the new machine before returning to the customary early-morning run--when the streets are for the most part deserted.

Perry also reported that in year four of her campaign to "refurbish" Santa's Village (known to some as "Santa's slum"), which gets hauled out and displayed in the Public Square every holiday season, Ellen Thurston may finally achieve her long-sought goal. Thurston has recruited Abel Ramirez and Gia Albergo-Delmar to design and oversee the renovation and enhancements, and the Galvan Foundation has offered the use of the former Van Kleeck garage as "Santa's workshop" for what is hoped will be a picturesque "refitting" of these allegedly beloved little buildings.

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First Response

On Tuesday, Gossips reported that State Assemblymember Didi Barrett and Common Council president Don Moore had sent letters to Senator Charles Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand seeking their help in getting an inspection by HUD or an independent inspection commissioned by HUD of Bliss Towers. Yesterday morning, Gossips received from Jeff First, executive director of the Hudson Housing Authority and property manager at Bliss Towers, a letter he had written in response to Moore's letter.

First's letter, which is two pages long and addressed to the entire Common Council, reports that, since receiving a copy of Moore's letter, he has contacted both Craig Haigh, Hudson code enforcement officer, and Ed Coon, Columbia County public health sanitarian, and both attest they have received no complaints about hazardous or unhealthy conditions at Bliss Towers. First also contacted Patrick Gallagher, HUD specialist in the Buffalo Field Office, who, First reports, "had been in touch with [Senator Gillibrand's and Senator Schumer's] offices and informed them that HUD had no issues with the Hudson Housing Authority. No Fair Housing issues, good financial indicators, no audit findings, and we were scored as a Standard Performer on our 2013 Real Estate Assessment Center (REAC) physical inspection."

First's letter goes on:

I am still at a loss to determine why, after over 40 years, we are the focal point of the City and the center of these "major" scandals. I humbly invite the Common Council to take this opportunity to come down and visit the Hudson Housing Authority to see exactly what the conditions are. Please bring Mr. Haigh, a representative from the County Health Department and whomever else you think you may need to alleviate any concerns regarding conditions here. Also, in the future, if you have some concern regarding conditions, management, appearance or long term plans, please follow professional protocol and contact this agency and discuss these concerns prior to reaching out to State and Federal officials. I am also taking this opportunity to reach out to these same State and Federal officials with the same offer. I welcome any independent investigation into the matters so mentioned.

During my tenure I have had the privilege to work under the administration of several Mayors. I have disagreed occasionally, but cooperated continuously and have given them my utmost respect and admiration. But most importantly, I valued my relationship with the administration of the City of Hudson. I affirmed this relationship to my colleagues in the industry on many occasions. Now I see this 23 year cooperative relationship strained and perhaps irrevocably damaged due to the political agenda and political idealism of a few individuals. . . .

Finally, lately I have been personally and professionally attacked in the media with proven half truths and outright lies and the credibility of the Hudson Housing Authority has been called into question by a group with ill intention and a personal agenda. It is an unfortunate set of circumstances when an agency with an impeccable record and uncompromised integrity has to tolerate this nonsense from our elected officials and or their supporters while bringing unwarranted attention to the residents and staff of this complex.

Not to Be Missed

Hudson was featured in the June issue of New York Spaces, a magazine of architecture and interior design. The text is brief, but there are many wonderful pictures of Warren Street and the shops and galleries found there. Of particular note, for all who celebrate the new commercial activity in Hudson's East End, the featured picture (reproduced at left) is of Warren Street above Seventh.  

Prepare to Be Delighted

In the past, the Hudson Teen Theatre Project, under the talented direction of Carol Rusoff, has taken on Shakespeare, Chaucer, and Greek myth, and the results have been utterly charming. A clue to the secret of Rusoff's amazing success in nurturing the creative talent of teens may lie in the evolution of this year's performance, which at the start was proposed to be an adaptation of a Shakespeare comedy, As You Like It . . . Our Way, but ended up being Everybody Does It, a collection of "famous, funny, and evocative coming of age scenes and snippets from 20th-century plays and movies."

This year's HTTP performance takes its name from Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs and features celebrated comedic and dramatic works spanning the 20th century. "It is amazing and quite by accident," says Rusoff, "that our array of work derives from terrific and still very relevant comedy and drama from almost all the decades . . . from John Hughes' seminal teen movie Sixteen Candles to Robert Anderson's semi-autobiographical play Tea and Sympathy, which explores the still taboo theme, in the 1950s, of sexual orientation and prejudice."

Other works included in Everybody Does It are Alice in Wonderland, adapted for the stage in 1930 by Florida Friebus and Eva Le Gallienne; One Sunday Afternoon, by James Hagan (1933); Summer and Smoke, by Tennessee Williams (1948); Adam and Eve (the beginning and the end), by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harrick (1966); The Miss Firecracker Contest, by Beth Henley (1980); The Faculty Lounge, by Michael Schulman (1981).

Ten young performers are participating in this year's HTTP: Beatrix Albin, Deborah Brannan, Aidan Collins, David Frishkoff, Emma Hanlon, Max Murphy, Kylie Pecord, Ainsley Pizzia, Markliam Sappington, and Megan Schoep.

Performances are at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday--June 26, 27, and 28--at the Hudson Opera House. Admission is free. Show is appropriate for the whole family, from age 8 on up. Reservations are recommended but not required and can be made by calling 518 822-1438.

Speaking for the ensemble about the theme of coming of age, Rusoff says, "It's fascinating to us that so much has both drastically changed and stayed the same. It is so compelling, we want to talk about it, and we hope that the audience will stay and give us their feedback over cookies after the show."

Following Through with the Bliss Benches

The controversy over painting the benches at Bliss Towers brought a lot of attention--for some welcome, for others unwelcome--to the governance and management of Bliss Towers by the Hudson Housing Authority. The media, elected officials, and people who didn't live in Bliss Towers or even in the Second Ward started attending HHA board meetings, which previously had been conducted in Jeff First's office since no one ever showed up for them anyway. 

In the latest effort to bring more transparency and scrutiny to conditions at Bliss Towers, State Assemblymember Didi Barrett and Common Council president Don Moore have written letters to Senator Charles Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand asking them to "call on HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) to conduct either its own inspection of Bliss Towers or commission an independent inspection that would bring to light any and all problems in the building and lay the groundwork for remediation." (The preceding is quoted from Barrett's letter.) 

With the concern about conditions in the building, Gossips lost track of the bench controversy. On May 20, the HHA board voted to allow the benches to be painted, but more than a month later, it hasn't happened yet. So yesterday, Gossips asked Joan Hunt, project manager of Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood, whose idea it was to paint the benches in the first place, for an update. The word is that the benches will be painted on Sunday, June 29, at 6 p.m. There are certain to be enough brushes and other painting equipment for anyone who wants to lend a hand.
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Not to Be Missed: Important Meeting on July 9

On Wednesday, July 9, from 6 to 8 p.m., Riverkeeper and Scenic Hudson will make a presentation, right here in Hudson, about the risks of crude oil transportation in the Hudson Valley. The presentation is co-hosted by the Hudson Sloop Club and made possible by the generosity of Basilica Hudson, where the event will take place.

Photo credit: Dana Gulley

Gossips has posted about this issue a few times in the past, but if you need more information to persuade you that this event is important, here's some background provided by Riverkeeper:

Until recently, there was little or no crude oil transported in the Hudson Valley. The growth of oil production in North Dakota and elsewhere has spurred industry to make the Hudson Valley into an international conduit for crude oil. Up to 5 billion gallons of crude oil is being transported through the Hudson Valley annually by train, barge and ship. All three transportation methods--what is being called by industry a "virtual pipeline"--could affect our communities and environmental resources in Columbia and Greene Counties. Spills, explosions and fires--some resulting in the catastrophic loss of life--have occurred elsewhere on this virtual pipeline. Further, proposed Hudson River oil facility expansions could increase the transport of crude oil locally by as much as 1.8 billion gallons annually.

To educate yourself further about this significant threat to our city and our valley, mark your calendars and plan to attend the presentation on July 9.
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Get Ready for Mrs. Greenthumbs Day

This summer will see the return of Mrs. Greenthumbs Day, an event honoring the memory of Hudson's most talented, most exuberant, and most famous gardener, Cassandra Danz, who had a local radio show, appeared on national television, and wrote books as Mrs. Greenthumbs.

As it has in the past, Mrs. Greenthumbs Day will be observed with an open garden day in Hudson. Eight gardens have already signed on for the tour, but there could be more. As Mrs. Greenthumbs used to say of flowers and gardens, "Less is not more. More is more." So consider opening the garden you love, work hard at, and take pride in to your fellow gardeners, gardener wannabes, and garden appreciators on Sunday, July 20. On that day, the gardens will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

If you want your garden to be a part of this very special event, just send an email to Gossips and let your intentions be known. Do so by Saturday, July 5, to allow enough time to get your garden on the map.

If you enjoy other people's gardens but don't have one of your own, mark your calendar. On Sunday, July 20, you will have the rare opportunity to view gardens in Hudson that are hidden behind buildings and fences and to get inside gardens that can only be longingly glimpsed from the street. 
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Mysteries in North Bay

Acting on a tip from a reader, Gossips headed over to the north end of Second Street earlier today, to the landfill that was once the county dump, and discovered two curious things. 

First, there is a pile of discarded cinder blocks at the end of the road or the north edge of the parking lot--whichever way you want to see it. 

The pile of cinder blocks is in plain sight and far from the building, which seems an unusual location whether the blocks were illegally dumped there or are detritus from work going on in the building.

The other curiosity is this: tracks made by something large and heavy that enter the area right next to a sign that says "No Vehicle Access" and go up to the top of the cap.

People are cautioned not to walk on the landfill or let their dogs run there because such activity can damage the cap. So who is driving on it and for what purpose?
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Resolutions Involving Real Estate

At last Tuesday's Common Council meeting, three resolutions having to do with property currently owned by the City of the Hudson came before the Council and were passed. The first involved the sale of the vacant lot at 24 South Seventh Street to Iron Horse Enterprises, LLC, which we assume is the new owner of the Iron Horse Bar two doors to the north. 

A contract of sale for the purchase price of $20,000 already exists between the City of Hudson and Iron Horse Enterprises, signed for Iron Horse Enterprises by Roy Brown, former Germantown supervisor. The resolution authorizes and directs the mayor to execute the contract of sale "to include the cost of the appraisal to the City in the amount of $600.00 and the payment of back school and county taxes paid by the City in the amount of $2,545.99, and to take all steps reasonable and necessary to implement the intent this Resolution."

Remember back at the end of February when the mayor, in an interview with Marti Martinez on WGXC, talked about selling a municipal parking lot? This may have been what he was talking about.

There were also two resolutions to sell at auction two properties seized by the City of Hudson for nonpayment of property taxes. 

The first, 405 Warren Street, has been auctioned before, more than a year ago on June 1, 2013. At that time, the minimum bid was $264,041.87, and Galvan Partners was the high bidder at $354,000. Six weeks later, Galvan walked away from the deal. Rev. Godfrey Forbes, whom the City recognized as the owner of the building, maintained that the Holy Temple First Church of God in Christ was the owner of the building not he, and therefore the City could not seize the building for nonpayment of property taxes because it was exempt from property taxes. Now finally it seems, all legal appeals have been exhausted, and the City's title to the property is clear. This time, a year later, the minimum bid for the property is $320,167.81.

Also to be auctioned is 518 Washington Street. The minimum bid for this property is $33,362.75. 

The auction takes place at noon on Saturday, July 12. Interested buyers can inspect both properties on June 26, July 3, July 8, and July 10. Just show up at City Hall at 10 a.m. on any of those dates. More information about the terms and conditions of the sale of 405 Warren Street and 518 Washington Street can be found on the City of Hudson website.
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Good News

The Upstreet Market reached its goal in the Indiegogo campaign. When can we expect the first Wednesday evening farmers' market to happen in the Public Square? Fans of locally grown food want to know.   

It's Not Over Yet

Today offers more ways to continue celebrating Hudson Pride. At 4 p.m. the Albany Gay Men's Chorus performs "The Best of Show Tunes" at the First Presbyterian Church.

It's doubly appropriate that the Albany Gay Men's Chorus be performing at the First Presbyterian Church today. It's Hudson Pride weekend, of course, but also, on Thursday, the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church voted to change the language in its definition of marriage from "a man and a woman" to "two people" and to allow its ministers to perform same-sex marriages in states where it is legal.

Admission to the concert is $10 at the door. If you're concerned about missing the Tea Dance at the Red Dot, which also begins at 4, don't be. You can do both. The tea dance will go on for a while, so you can go to the concert and arrive at the dance with show tunes echoing in your head.

Pride Parade Picture Gallery

Photo credit: Peter Jung

Photo credit: C. Vitall

Photo credit: C. Vitall

Photo credit: C. Vitall

Photo credit: C. Vitall

Photo credit: C. Vitall

Photo credit: C. Vitall

Photo credit: C. Vitall

Photo credit: Dorothy Heyl