COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 13 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 10 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 3 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 11 fewer county residents in mandatory quarantine today than yesterday. The number hospitalized remains the same, but today one of those hospitalized is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since yesterday.

The New York Forward dashboard has not been updated since yesterday.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported another death from COVID-19, bringing the total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at that time to 40. The CCDOH also reported 13 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 676, and the number of active cases was 71. There were 135 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 19 were hospitalized, and 3 were in the ICU.

Ear to the Ground

There's been no word about Colarusso since September 23, which was the last time the Planning Board considered the Colarusso applications. At that meeting, it was expected that the Planning Board would make a positive or negative declaration in the SEQRA (State Environmental Quality Review Act) process, but instead the board went into attorney/client session, from which the public was barred, "for the advice of counsel." The counsel providing the advice was assistant city attorney Victoria Polidoro. When the public was readmitted, more than an hour later, Planning Board chair Stephen Steim announced that the Planning Board was not ready to take further action.

Colarusso was not on the agenda for the regularly scheduled Planning Board meeting in October. Although for months the Planning Board had been holding special meetings to consider the Colarusso issue, no special meeting for that purpose was scheduled in October.

On October 8, when city attorney Cheryl Roberts presented the budget for legal services to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, she requested $100,000 be allocated in the budget for possible ligation, but the nature of that litigation was discussed in executive session. On October 20, the BEA reduced the amount budgeted for litigation to $50,000, because, in the words of Council president Tom DePietro, "The last time we had that kind of litigation, it was $50,000." (It will be remembered that A. Colarusso and Sons sued the City of Hudson in September 2017.)

On October 19, the Common Council meeting began with an executive session that lasted forty minutes to discuss "a matter of personnel." Roberts was part of that discussion, but since it happened in executive session, no one outside of the city government knows what was discussed. 

Now Gossips has learned that the mayor has called special meetings with the Common Council and the Planning Board to take place tomorrow, Thursday, October 28. Word is that attorney/client privilege is being invoked to allow these meetings to happen without public notice or public access. Given the hints dropped along the way, it's tempting to surmise that the potential litigation and the executive and attorney/client sessions have to do with Colarusso and its desire to continue using the dock and to widen and extend its haul road. 

In May 2020, Alderman Shershah Mizan (Third Ward) said he wanted the Common Council to pressure the Planning Board to approve the haul road. Jeff Baker, counsel to the Council, who was at the time also counsel to the Planning Board, offered the opinion that the Council "has a right to let the Planning Board know know they are feeling." Council president Tom DePietro, who had once chaired the Planning Board, then opined, "It would have no authority with them."

Is it possible now, with a perceived threat of another lawsuit brought against the City by Colarusso, that the Council and the Planning Board are being advised to avoid litigation and acquiesce? If so, is it appropriate that Cheryl Roberts, our city attorney, should be the one delivering that message?

Commenting on a Gossips post about Jeff Baker's resignation as assistant city attorney and counsel to the Council, published on October 19, "unheimlich" revealed a possible conflict of interest for Roberts when it comes to Colarusso:

It was in May that a press release for the Greenburger Center's Wellness Hub announced a parcel "soon to be donated" by A. Colarusso and Son in Greenport. Cheryl Roberts, Executive Director of the Greenburger Center, should have recused herself at once, especially as the gift was still pending.

Come to think of it, is the donation still "soon to be"? Why didn't she recuse herself from any involvement with the Colarusso application ages ago?

Given this situation, one may well wonder if Roberts is the right person to be advising the Common Council and the Planning Board about matters relating to A. Colarusso and Sons.

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In Memoriam: Vincent Mulford

Gossips received the sad news this morning that Vincent Mulford has died.

It is impossible to describe adequately the effect of his presence among us and his contribution to Hudson. The tangible evidence is the building at 419 Warren Street, which he purchased in 1999 and transformed it from a rabbit warren of offices and tiny apartments into the elegant commercial space it was originally meant to be. In the process, he discovered and restored the second floor space that became known as the Tin Ball Room, the stunningly beautiful setting for many of Hudson's most memorable events.

One of the most fondly remembered traditions of Winter Walk is Vince's tradition of serving eggnog at the front of his shop between his exquisitely decorated shop windows. It was Vince who, in the early days of Winter Walk, brought Sax O Claus, now a Winter Walk regular, to play his saxophone in the street in front of Vincent Mulford Antiques.

Another gift to the city were the flags he flew from the top of his building. Early on, he found a wood stump on the roof of the building, which turned out to be the base of a flagstaff. The stump reminded him of a ship's mast, and he speculated that the early flagstaffs of Hudson may have been crafted by the city's shipbuilders. The flagstaff he used was a mahogany ship's mast he found in Maine. From that he flew an ever-changing variety of flags, many of which were ship's flags.

Vince was passionate about the city clock, located in the tower of the First Presbyterian Church, just down the street from his building. He was first to raise the alarm whenever the clock stopped--because someone forgot to wind it or something more serious had gone amiss. Several times over the years, Vince volunteered to take the job of winding the clock, but that never happened. What may have been Vince's last comment on Gossips, posted on October 12, was about the clock and his history of trying to keep the clock going.

If any one person embodied the spirit that was Hudson in the early days of its miraculous renaissance, it was Vince Mulford. Daniel Seward expressed it best on Facebook this morning.

When I moved to Hudson I thought everyone was an erudite queer intelligent partying child of the sun and moon back alley lord island hopped gregarious razor witted soaking wet survivor flower lover song full beauty full poet of fresh flesh and ancient earth songs brilliant endless warrior of a million days . . . but I was wrong . . . there was only one. Vincent Mulford.

Our loss is profound.

New Interim Directors for HHA

The Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners held a special meeting tonight, which lasted all of four minutes. At the meeting, the commissioners voted to appoint two part-time interim directors: Nick Zachos, former director of the Youth Department, and Aiesha Davie. In commenting on their appointments, both Zachos and Davie expressed their excitement to be part of the HHA team, and Revonda Smith, chair of the HHA board, declared she was looking forward to a future "filled with excitement." 

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Sadly, since yesterday, there has been another death from COVID-19. Also since yesterday, there have been 11 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 5 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 5 county residents have recovered from the virus. There is one fewer county resident hospitalized today than yesterday; none is in the ICU.   

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 4.6 percent and a seven-day average of 3.3 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 4.9 percent and the seven-day average is 3.6 percent.

A year ago today, there was also a death from COVID-19 reported by the CCDOH, bringing the total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at that time to 39. The CCDOH also reported 3 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 663, and the number of active cases was 61. There were 94 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 19 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU.

County and City Budgets for 2022

Yesterday, Matt Murell, chair of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, issued a press release with this headline: "Columbia County Foresees 6.2% Tax Rate Decrease." In the press release, Murell is quoted as saying: "With the average home value in Columbia County currently at $270,389, the average taxpayer will see a $95.66 decrease in their 2022 tax bill under this budget. The tax levy cut, combined with the addition of $390 million in property valuation to the property assessment roll and other factors, brings us to the 6.2% tax rate reduction." The entire press release can be found here.

Also yesterday, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) met to continue its consideration of the 2022 budget for the City of Hudson. Confident that any gap between expenditures and revenue can be closed with ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds, the BEA is now proposing some budget increases: a $15,000 increase in the salary for the mayor, to bring it up to $75,000, the amount of the city treasurer's salary; and a $5,000 increase in the salary for the mayor's aide, which would bring the salary for that job to $40,000. 

The BEA continues its budget workshops on Wednesday, October 27, at 2:30 p.m.

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"Good Cause" Eviction Law Elsewhere

After being vetoed by Mayor Kamal Johnson so that amendments requested by Alderman Rebecca Wolff could be made, the "good cause" eviction law in Hudson seems to have retreated into limbo. It remains to be seen if it will be taken up by the Legal Committee when that body meets on November 3.

Meanwhile, Mid Hudson News reports that a similar law was passed in Newburgh last night: "Newburgh City Council adopts good cause rental legislation."

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Saturday, there have been 17 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 15 fewer than on Saturday, from which it can be inferred that, since Saturday 32 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents in mandatory quarantine today is 27 fewer than on Saturday, but the number hospitalized and in the ICU remains the same. There has not been a death from COVID-19 in Columbia County since October 7.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 3.8 percent and a seven-day average of 3.4 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region was 4.5 percent and the seven-day average was 3.7 percent. 

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 16 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 660, and the number of active cases was 62. There were 99 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 18 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 38. 

Earlier Today at Hudson Terrace

Late this afternoon, Gossips received this press release from Chief Ed Moore of the Hudson Police Department:

At 11:19 a.m. on Monday, October 25, 2021, HPD received a call via Columbia County 911 from an unidentified man that there was a male subject outside the Hudson Terrace Apartments (15 N. Front Street) with a gun. Numerous HPD units responded. A subject was identified as he walked into an apartment upon a Detective’s arrival. HPD secured the public area outside the apartment and subsequently located three witnesses who claimed to see a man with a gun. Video surveillance footage was reviewed that showed two individuals in that location at the time of the 911 call. Detectives identified one of the suspects as a person with an extensive criminal history who is currently free on bail for a felony assault with a weapon. HPD is also currently investigating a felony assault that occurred Saturday morning involving this subject. A second person identified in the video was also detained. A search warrant was obtained from Columbia County Court Judge Richard Koweek. The warrant was executed by the New York State Police Special Operations Response Team around 2:45 p.m.

The investigation is continuing, and arrest/charges are pending.

“We want to work proactively when there is potential for violence. It was only 18 months ago that a homicide occurred near that location, June of this year when a man was shot in the torso there, and only July when we had a stabbing nearby. This weekend’s report of gang violence heightened our concern. ”--Chief

More Election News

Today, Assembymember Didi Barrett endorsed Margaret Morris, who is running for First Ward alderman as a write-in candidate. 

The voters of Hudson's First Ward have a real opportunity to choose a fresh voice and an independent thinker to represent them on the Common Council this election. Margaret Morris's commitment to accountability, transparency and collaboration, and her well-researched approach to the issues facing the City of Hudson will be a tremendous asset to the Common Council. I encourage voters to support her write-in campaign!  --Didi Barrett

Meanwhile, in an email sent this morning to First Ward residents and a few others, current First Ward alderman Rebecca Wolff expressed her support for Jeff Binder, who launched his write-in campaign eleven days ago, and Art Frick, who is on the ballot.  

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Meetings of Interest in the Week Ahead

There are not many meetings happening in this last week in October, leaving lots of time to put the finishing touches on your Halloween costume. 

• Early voting continues all week. Click here for the schedule and the two early voting locations. In Hudson, it's 401 State Street.
• On Monday, October 25, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) meets at 2:30 p.m. Click here to join the meeting on Zoom.
• On Tuesday, October 26, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners holds a special meeting at 6:00 p.m. The topic of the meeting will very likely be the process of finding an interim director. Click here to join the meeting on Zoom.
• On Wednesday, October 27, the BEA (Board of Estimate and Apportionment) meets at 2:30 p.m. Click here to join the meeting on Zoom.
• At 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 27, at Common Council ad hoc committee focused on property will holds its monthly meeting. Perhaps the meeting will provide an update on any progress made in selling 429 Warren Street. Click here to join the meeting on Zoom.

• Also on Wednesday, October 27, the Common Council ad hoc committee pursuing a solar farm meets at 5:00 p.m. The responses to the RFEI (request for expressions of interest) were due last Friday, October 22. The RFEI indicates that interviews and presentations may begin today, Monday, October 25. Responses to the RFEI will undoubtedly be discussed on Wednesday. Click here to join the meeting on Zoom. 

• On Friday, October 29, the BEA (Board of Estimate and Apportionment) meets at 2:30 p.m. The link to the Zoom meeting has not yet been published.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health released its numbers for today at 5:00 p.m. Since yesterday, there have been 9 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 3 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 12 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents in mandatory quarantine today is 10 more than yesterday, but the number hospitalized and in the ICU remains the same. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since October 7.  

The New York Forward dashboard has not been updated since yesterday.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 2 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 638, and the number of active cases was 41. There were 61 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 12 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 38.

A Perfect Prelude to Halloween

Clarkson Chapel was built in 1860 by Levinus Clarkson, who had married into the Livingston family. As Columbia County Historian William Better told Gossips, Clarkson built the chapel for workers on his estate, who were not welcome at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Tivoli. The Carpenter Gothic style chapel was constructed on the grounds of what was then Knollwood, Clarkson's estate.

Photo: Daniel Chase|Wikipedia

On Thursday, October 28, Clarkson Chapel, now owned by Columbia County, will be the scene of an interactive storytelling experience suitable for Halloween. Master storyteller Jonathan Kruk will perform Washington Irving's gothic tale The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

There will be two performances--at 5 p.m. and at 7 p.m. The earlier performance will be geared toward children. The later performance will be for an audience of all ages. Attendance is free, but seating is limited and reservations are required. RSVP to Shari Franks at shari.franks@columbiacountyny.com. Masks will be required; social distancing will be observed; refreshments will be available. Clarkson Chapel in located at 3691 Route 9G in Clermont.

Tenth Annual Tweed Ride Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the day! The Tenth Annual Tweed Ride in Hudson.

Wikipedia defines a Tweed Ride thus: "a group bicycle living history ride . . . in which the cyclists are expected to dress in retro style traditional British cycling attire, particularly tweed plus four suits. Any bicycle is acceptable . . . but classic vintage bicycles are encouraged. Some effort to re-create the spirit of a begone era is always appreciated." And so it is with the Tweed Ride in Hudson. 

Cyclists gather at 1:15 p.m. at 1 North Front Street. The ride through the streets and alleys of historic Hudson begins at 1:30 p.m. and goes on for approximately one hour. A vintage cycle is not required but will definitely be celebrated. Helmets are strongly suggested. 

Election News

Amber Harris, write-in candidate for alderman in the Third Ward, has been endorsed by Assemblymember Didi Barrett.

Amber Harris's deep local roots and commitment to addressing the many issues impacting the community will make her a terrific addition to the Hudson Common Council. I am pleased to support Amber for Third Ward Alderperson!  --Didi Barrett

Get Ready to Vote

Early voting begins today and continues for the next nine days. For reference, here is the schedule for all nine days.

• Saturday, October 23, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sunday, October 24, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Monday, October 25, 12 noon to 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 26, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 27, 12 noon to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, October 28, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday, October 29, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, October 30, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Sunday, October 31, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There are two polling places in the county: the Columbia County Office Building at 401 State Street in Hudson and the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Center at 3211 Church Street in Valatie.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 2. On that day, the polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 16 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 1 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 15 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents in mandatory quarantine today is 9 more than yesterday, but the number hospitalized and in the ICU remains the same. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since October 7.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 5.8 percent and a seven-day average of 3.4 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region was 3.0 percent and the seven-day average was 3.7 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 5 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 636, and the number of active cases was 40. There were 41 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 9 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 38.

Events This Weekend

This weekend provides a golden opportunity to steep yourself in Hudson history.

• On Saturday, October 23, Historic Hudson is offering two guided walking tours through Hudson, beginning at 11 a.m. and at 2 p.m. The tour will be an opportunity to explore Hudson through the lens of vintage photos, postcards, and historic documents and to witness firsthand the changes to our city over time. Each tour will start at the gazebo in Courthouse Square, located at West Court and Union streets, and will include Courthouse Square, Warren Street from Fourth to Front streets, and the waterfront.

The fee for the tour, which supports the not-for-profit Historic Hudson, is $15 for adults and $7 for children under 12. To join this walk through history, RVSP to gambrill@historichudson.org. This is an outdoor, family friendly event, and masks are required.

• Also on Saturday, October 23, the Robert Jenkins House, 113 Warren Street, the Chapter House of the Chapter House of the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will be open for tours from 1 to 4 p.m.

• On Sunday, October 24, the History Room of the Hudson Area Library presents Tales from Hudson's Crypts, a tour of the Hudson City Cemetery led by Kelley Drahushuk. The tour takes place from noon to 1:30 p.m. 

Long recognized as "a virtual treasure trove for historians and enthusiasts of American funerary art," the Hudson Cemetery includes more than 10,000 grave sites, the final resting places of such notable individuals as the original Proprietors of Hudson, war heroes, famous artists, paragons of industry, and Titanic survivors. 

Mask wearing and social distancing is required on the tour, as is registering in advance. To do the latter, email brenda.shufelt@hudsonarealibrary.org or call 518 828-1792, ext. 106.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 17 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 2 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 15 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 39 more county residents in mandatory quarantine today than yesterday, but there are 3 fewer hospitalized and none is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since October 7.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 1.9 percent and a seven-day average of 3.6 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region was 3.1 percent and the seven-day average was 3.7 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 3 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 631, and the number of active cases was 35. There were 39 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 9 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 38.

All Gone

This may not be news to some readers, but it struck me as newsworthy, so I snapped a picture through the windshield while waiting for the light to change. The vintage 1970s McDonalds in Greenport is now only a memory.

County Building to Remain Closed Until Monday

Initially, it was to be closed for only a day, but an hour or so ago it was announced that the Columbia County Health and Human Services building, at 325 Columbia Street, will remain closed until Monday, October 25. The reasons given for the prolonged closure are "positive COVID exposures and an abundance of caution."

Those Constitutional Amendments

Early voting begins on Saturday, and some people may already have their absentee ballots. Lest they be overlooked, Gossips wishes to call attention to the five constitutional amendments--amendments to the New York State Constitution, that is--on the flip side of the ballot. 

You can learn all you need to know about these amendments by clicking here. Of particular interest are Proposal Three and Proposal Four, both of which have to do with voting. Proposal Three would eliminate the requirement that someone register to vote at least ten days prior to an election in order to cast a ballot. Proposal Four would allow no excuse absentee ballot voting, which means that anyone who wants to vote absentee can request an absentee ballot, without having to state a reason.

You can hear Blair Horner, executive director of NYPIRG (New York Public Interest Research Group), discussing the constitutional amendments on the ballot with Alan Chartock on WAMC's Capital Connection by clicking here. The discussion is in the first eleven minutes of the broadcast.

Pocketbook Factory and the IDA

Yesterday, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) heard a report from the consultant Victoria Storrs, formerly of Camoin Associates and now of Storrs Associates, on the economic and fiscal impact of the proposed adaptive reuse of the Pocketbook Factory at North Sixth and Washington streets. The project is seeking exemption from sales tax on construction materials and from mortgage tax and a ten-year PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) for property tax. The proposed PILOT calls for payment of 50 percent of the real property tax in Years 1 and 2, increasing by 10 percent every two years until reaching 100 percent in Year 11.

The significant takeaways from the presentation were that, over the ten-year period, the project would bring $1.2 million to the city in lodging tax revenue, and there would be an estimated $10.27 in new revenue to the City from the project for every $1 of foregone taxes. The entire presentation can be found on the City of Hudson website by clicking here.

A week ago, the Planning Board completed its SEQR (State Environmental Quality Review) process and made a negative declaration. The Planning Board has yet to give site plan approval. Yesterday, the IDA authorized scheduling a public hearing on the project. The date and time for that hearing has not yet been determined.

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Closing the Gap

At the informal Common Council meeting on October 12, city treasurer Heather Campbell reported that, at that point, after receiving all of the budget requests from the various city departments, proposed expenditures exceeded anticipated revenues by about $1.5 million. Going into yesterday's meeting of the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA), after several more budget workshops, the gap had been pared down to about $700,000. Coming out of yesterday's meeting, during which the BEA combed through proposed departmental budgets looking for cuts, the gap between revenues and expenditures was down to $331,613. About that number, Mayor Kamal Johnson commented, "And then we still have ARPA [American Rescue Plan Act]." Those funds for 2022 will be about $300,000.

The BEA had proposed significant cuts to two new requests for funding: the Tourism Board and the Housing Trust Fund. The Tourism Board requested $180,000; they will be getting $30,000. Half the revenue from the lodging tax and 10 percent of the ARPA funds, amounting to about $180,000, was requested as seed money for the Housing Trust Fund; the BEA agreed to allocate $20,000 for the Housing Trust Fund in 2022.

The BEA is scheduled to hold another budget workshop on Friday, October 22, at 2:30 p.m.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 12 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 6 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 6 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 10 more county residents in mandatory quarantine today than yesterday, but the number hospitalized and in the ICU remains the same. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since October 7.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 4.4 percent and a seven-day average of 3.5 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region was 4.9 percent and the seven-day average was 3.8 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 5 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 628, and the number of active cases was 34. There were 46 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 8 were hospitalized, and 2 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 38.

Might the Perfect Be the Enemy of the Good?

At the Legal Committee meeting on October 6, Alderman Rebecca Wolff (First Ward) said she wanted to amend the "good cause" eviction law. The Common Council had voted to enact the law on September 20, with eight of the nine members present (Jane Trombley and Eileen Halloran were absent) voting in favor, and one member (Shershah Mizan) abstaining, and Mayor Kamal Johnson had a public hearing on the law scheduled for the next day. The recommended path to making the amendments Wolff sought was to have the mayor veto the legislation, thus sending it back to the Council. 

As recommended, Johnson vetoed the legislation on October 7. In his veto message, Johnson stated:

I fully support the objective of this legislation and acknowledge its urgency. However, in the period between its submission to my office and today's public hearing on this Proposed Law, members of the Common Council's Legal Committee have expressed a desire to make additional amendments to this proposed law. As I understand it, these changes seek to close unintended loopholes existing in its current form, which have recently come to light in similar iterations appearing in other municipalities across the state of New York. In the interest of adopting the strongest possible protections for tenants in our City at the outset, I believe it is appropriate to return the proposed legislation to the Common Council for further deliberation on these intended revisions before adoption into law.

At the mayor's public hearing, two people--Margaret Morris, a write-in candidate for First Ward alderman, and Kristal Heinz--urged that more time be taken to consider the impacts the legislation might have on the rental market in Hudson. At the time, it seemed that the legislation was only going back to the Council to make the amendments Wolff requested, but it seems it may be going back to the Legal Committee for further consideration. The legislation was not on the agenda for the Council's October meetings. The next meeting of the Legal Committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, November 3. 

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COVID Closes County Building

It was announced this afternoon that the Columbia County Health and Human Services building at 325 Columbia Street will be closed tomorrow, Wednesday, October 20, because of possible exposure to a positive COVID case. "Out of an abundance of caution," the building will be closed for the day so that the Facilities Department can conduct a thorough cleaning.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 18 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases is 7 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 11 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents in mandatory quarantine is 19 more than yesterday, and there is 1 more county resident hospitalized and in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since October 7. 

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 6.5 percent and a seven-day average of 3.2 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region was 5.7 percent and the seven-day average was 3.8 percent. 

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 5 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 623, and the number of active cases was 32. There were 61 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 10 were hospitalized, and 2 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 38.

A Tragic Reminder to Keep Your Dog on a Leash

A reader reported a tragic incident that occurred about an hour ago at the corner of Warren and Front streets, by Kasuri. A silvery white SUV, making a right turn from Front Street onto Warren Street, ran over a black Chihuahua. The vehicle did not stop but instead just sped up Warren Street. Although accompanied by its human, the little dog was not on a leash. The reader who witnessed the tragedy did not get the license plate number of the vehicle that committed the hit and run.

The little dog's human has my deepest sympathy, the driver of the SUV my purest contempt. Please, fellow dog owners, for their safety, keep your dogs tethered to you by a leash except when they are in a safe place like the dog park.

It's Been Confirmed

A rumor Gossips heard last week but was asked by the source not to share has been confirmed by the Register-Star. Jeff Baker, counsel to the Common Council, has resigned: "Baker resigning as assistant city attorney." A reason for Baker's resignation was not given, but it's possible to imagine that Alderman Rebecca Wolff's public rebukes and allegations that Baker was dragging his feet on drafting inclusionary zoning legislation and the Council's disregard of his advice not to proceed so quickly with the "good cause" eviction law may have contributed to the decision. 

Update: New information suggests that disrespect for his legal opinion played little or no part in Baker's decision to resign. There is more information to come. 

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Saturday, there have been 22 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 6 fewer than on Saturday, from which it can be inferred that, since Saturday, 28 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 95 fewer county residents in mandatory quarantine today than on Saturday, but the number hospitalized and in the ICU remains the same. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since October 7. 

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate in Columbia County from Saturday to Sunday of 2.8 percent and a seven-day average of 3.2 percent. By comparison, the positivity rate for the same period in the Capital Region was 3.1 percent and the seven-day average was 3.8 percent. 

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 3 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 618, and the number of active cases was 29. There were 62 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 9 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 38.

What He Was Talking About

At the informal Common Council meeting last week, Chief Ed Moore reported that in September the Hudson Police Department had been called eighteen times to deal with emotionally disturbed people and announced plans to create a field team "to go out and proactively confront these people and get them help." He told the Council that assembling this field team was in the works. 

While plans are afoot, the calls for the police to deal with such situations continue. Earlier today, the HPD issued this press release about an incident that happened over the weekend at Columbia Memorial Hospital:

Man Assaults Hospital Staff

On Saturday 10/16/21 at 2:42 a.m., HPD received phone reports that a man was causing a disturbance in the emergency room at Columbia Memorial Hospital. Patrols discovered Hyron U. Yi, 50 years old, from Greenport, NY, fighting with hospital security staff. The patrol assisted in getting Yi under control. Officers conducted interviews and identified several nurses who had been injured while trying to restrain Yi. Two nurses sustained injuries after falling; one received bruising to her back, and another received head and wrist contusions. Yi allegedly became combative after staff refused to allow him to smoke a cigarette in the emergency room. Yi sustained a serious injury to his hand after repeatedly punching a solid wall.

Upon release from the hospital, Yi was arrested on two counts of Felony Assault 2nd. He was arraigned in front of Hudson City Court Judge Brian Herman and remanded to the Columbia County jail in lieu of $1,000 cash bail/$2,500 bond.

The investigation in continuing.

Election Reminder

Today, October 18, is the last day to apply online for an absentee ballot for the general election on November 2. To do so, click here. Because of the ongoing pandemic, everyone is eligible to vote absentee.

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

We're just halfway through October, but suddenly it's starting to feel like damp, drizzly November--a good time to stay warm and dry in front of your computer. Here's what's happening on the meeting front.

• On Monday, October 18, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment resumes its budget workshops. The topic for today: revenues. Click here to join the Zoom meeting. 
• At 5:00 p.m. on Monday, October 18, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners holds a special meeting. The purpose of the special meeting has not been publicly announced, but based on the discussion at the board's October 13 meeting, it is believed that the topic will be hiring an interim director for HHA. At last report, there were three potential candidates for that position, one of whom is former Youth Director Nick Zachos. Click here to join the Zoom meeting.  
• Also on Monday, October 18, at 7:00 p.m., the Columbia County Women's Alliance presents a discussion on Zoom entitled "The Changing Face of Justice: Women in Law Enforcement." Participants in the conversation are Mishanda Franklin, Sergeant, Hudson Police Department; Jacqueline Salvatore, Senior Investigator and Director of the Police Employee Assistance Program, New York State Police (retired); and Robin Benziger, Lieutenant Colonel, New York State Police (retired). Email ccwomensalliance@gmail.com to RSVP and get the Zoom link.
• On Tuesday, October 19, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting at 6:00 p.m. One thing that will be considered at the meeting is an amendment to the zoning law, which melds a law affecting R4 districts proposed in August and Local Law No. 9 of 2017. The purpose of the amendment is to allow Basil Nooks to open a restaurant at 61-63 North Third Street, a building he owns, which has a long history of being an eating and drinking establishment but has been vacant since 2004. Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

• On Wednesday, October 20, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) holds a special meeting at 1:00 p.m. The meeting is being held to discuss the project proposed by PBF Hudson LLC--the restoration and adaptive reuse of the Pocketbook Factory. Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

• At 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 20, the BEA continues its budget workshops. It is probably safe to predict that the objective of the meeting will be to start trying to close the gap between proposed expenditures and anticipated revenue. Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
• Also on Wednesday, October 20, the Zoning Board of Appeals meets at 6:00 p.m. The agenda for the meeting, which includes two public hearings, one of which is for the project proposed for 16-20 North Second Street, involving the demolition of the existing house and eighteen area variances, can be found here. 

Also on the agenda for the ZBA meeting are appeals from the two property owners to continue the use of their properties (90 North Second Street and 543 Warren Street) as short-term rentals after December 7, 2021, deadline imposed by the short-term rental law enacted last year.

• On Thursday, October 21, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners holds a special meeting at 5:00 p.m. The purpose of the meeting has not been made public, but, at the board's October 13 meeting, in a discussion of hiring an interim director, board chair Revonda Smith referred to October 21 as "our interview day." Click here to join the Zoom meeting.   
• On Friday, October 22, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. Although an agenda for the meeting is not available, it is likely that the HPC will continue its review of the proposal to replace the windows at 10 South Seventh Street. 

This house was rescued and restored by Frank Faulkner in the mid-1990s. The current owners wish to replace the windows, believed to be the original wood windows, with aluminum clad windows. At the October 8 meeting, members of the HPC agreed to make a field trip to the house to assess the windows and their condition. The link to the Zoom meeting has not yet been published on the City of Hudson website.

• At 2:30 p.m. on Friday, October 22, the BEA continues its budget workshops. The link to the Zoom meeting has not yet been published.

Update: This meeting of the BEA has been canceled.

COPYRIGHT 2021 CAROLE OSTERINK

Three New Trees Grow in Hudson

Yesterday was Arbor Day in Hudson, and to mark the day, which they had declared, members of the Conservation Advisory Council, aided by a small army of volunteers, planted three trees in various sites throughout the city. 

The original plan was to plant five trees--one in each ward--but digging hazards were discovered at the first sites chosen in the First Ward and the Third Ward, so the planting of those trees had to be postponed until new sites could be cleared with DigSafeNY. The trees that did get planted were a fringe tree in the 200 block of State Street (Second Ward), a redbud tree at Fifth and Prospect streets (Fourth Ward), and a pin oak at 46 Green Street.

Photo: Carl Bethge

Photo: Dorothy Heyl

Photo: Hilary Hillman

The project was funded by a $1,000 contribution from the Hudson Park Conservancy and $1,898 raised in a GoFundMe Campaign. Lowe's in Greenport contributed soil and mulch, and the shovels and other tools used were provided by Tool Shed Exchange. The City of Hudson Department of Public Works did the advance digging at each site.

The CAC members who planned and carried out the project are (in alphabetical order) Marie Balle, Hilary Hillman, Tom O'Dowd, Rich Volo, and Britt Zuckerman. Assisting with the planting were the following volunteers (in alphabetical order): Carl Bethge, Jeff Binder, Rebecca Borrer, Tom DePietro, Art Frick, Alan Hamilton, Dorothy Heyl, Leslie Hillman, Sydney Jarrard, Don Krapf, Jonathan Lerner, Amy Meadow, Tom McGill, Ed Morris, Suzanne Morris, Alisha Salvatore, and Jackie Salvatore. The dogs of Hudson were represented on the planting team by Sparky and Pony.

COPYRIGHT 2021 CAROLE OSTERINK