Wednesday, June 30, 2021

In Memoriam: Ginna Moore


Ginna Moore died last night. The following is quoted from the obituary written by her husband, Don Moore.
After a grace filled and courageous confrontation with brain cancer, Ginna Holmes Moore of Hudson, New York, succumbed on June 29, 2021, at her home on a hill overlooking the city. As damnable as was the shadow of the COVID pandemic pervading most of her last months, she found a measure of comfort and peace looking out over the city, the Hudson River, and the Catskill Mountains. . . . 
If it is possible, and it is, to be selfless and bristling with opinions, with a smile that lit up many, many lives, that was Ginna. She honed a sense of social justice on issues of women’s rights and racial equity. Both came naturally to her. In her quarter century in the Hudson Valley, Rhinebeck and Hudson, she threw her energies into work with Columbia County Habitat for Humanity, and as an ardent congregant and active volunteer at St. John the Evangelist in Barrytown and Christ Church Episcopal in Hudson. 

Photo: Catherine Smith|Facebook

Ginna's community service in Hudson includes a term on the Planning Board, to which she was appointed in 2017 by Mayor Tiffany Martin, and stepping up to run for First Ward alderman in 2019.

Contributions in Ginna's memory can be made to Perfect Ten Hudson and Friends of Hudson Youth.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been no new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is one fewer than yesterday, and there are two fewer county residents in mandatory quarantine today than yesterday. No one is hospitalized with the virus or in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Thursday, June 24.  

Now here's a puzzlement. Although the CCDOH reported no new cases yesterday and no new cases today, the New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 3.6 percent and a seven-day average of 1.1 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 0.8 percent and the seven-day average is 0.3 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported one new case of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 441, and the number of active cases was 22. There were 6 county residents hospitalized with the virus, and none was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 37.

The Results of the Absentee Ballot Count

It appears that no outcomes were changed by the count of the absentee ballots this morning. In the most closely contested race, that for Fifth Ward alderman, Rebecca Borrer picked up 3 votes, Dominic Merante picked up 5, and Vicky Daskaloudi and Mark Bodnar each picked up 2, which means Merante, who had led Borrer by 1 vote, now leads by 3 votes. Here are the final numbers:

Borrer               53
Merante           56
Daskaloudi      75
Bodnar             31

Since the race between Borrer and Merante is so close, it may be necessary to do a hand count of all the ballots--those cast in early voting and on election day, as well as the absentee ballots.

In the race for city treasurer, Michael Hofmann picked up 53 votes to Heather Campbell's 47, but that was not enough to diminish significantly Campbell's substantial lead. The final count was Hofmann 228 to Campbell 415. Here's how the absentee voting went in each ward.

First Ward
Hofmann             2
Campbell             7

Second Ward
Hofmann             39
Campbell             32

Third Ward
Hofmann             4
Campbell             3
 
Fourth Ward
Hofmann             3
Campbell             3
 
Fifth Ward
Hofmann             5
Campbell             2

In the contest for Second Ward supervisor, Abdus Miah received 36 of the absentee votes and Tiffany Garriga received 43, which means Miah retains his lead, with 156 votes to Garriga's 73. In the contest for Second Ward alderman, Mohammed Rony received 28 of the absentee votes, Dewan Sarowar received 33, and Willette Jones 40. The final numbers in that race are Rony 111, Sarowar 140, and Jones 85. 

It should be remembered that these are the results of the Democratic primary. It isn't over until it's over. The winners will appear on the Democratic line in November, but since many of the candidates were cross endorsed, most by the Working Families Party, their names will appear in November on that party line.
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Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Counting the Absentee Ballots

Gossips has received word that tomorrow morning, Wednesday, June 30, the absentee ballots for Hillsdale will be counted starting at 10:00 a.m. At 11:00 a.m., the count of the absentee ballots for Hudson will begin.

Behind the COVID Numbers

Yesterday, the Columbia County Department of Health reported three new cases of COVID-19. Today, a memo from Columbia County Board of Supervisors chair Matt Murell contains this quote from CCDOH director Jack Mabb:
This follows a prolonged stretch of zero or one new daily cases, then we get three new cases in one day. It's a reminder that the virus has not gone away. . . . These were all random community cases. One was a third grader, one 18 years old, and another age 60.

Here's a sobering fact: the 60-year-old had received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. There was no information about whether or not any of the new cases were cases of the Delta variant.

HHA Plans for New Development

The request for qualifications (RFQ) for the new development being planned by the Hudson Housing Authority is expected to be a topic of discussion at tomorrow's meeting to the Board of Commissioners subcommittee. Ahead of that, you can view the draft RFQ, which is available online here. 

Of interest is the list of HHA holdings presented in Section 1 of the document:
  1. . . . The [Hudson Housing] Authority's public housing portfolio consists of a 120-unit, 9-story high-rise apartment building known as Bliss Tower and 15-units of low-rise housing consisting of three buildings, all constructed in or about 1973. . . . Bliss Tower consists of 3 studio units, 61 one-bedroom units, 34 two-bedroom units, and 22 three-bedroom units. The Low-Rise units consist of 5 three-bedroom units, 8 four bedroom units, and 2 five-bedroom units. 
  2. The Authority also owns an adjacent parcel of land on the North side of State Street. . . . The vacant lot is approximately 1.412 Acres with a portion of the site being improved with a two-bay storage garage, small playground, off street parking lot and passive sitting area.
  3. The Authority administers and manages a 130 Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program. However, there are approximately 80 unused vouchers due to the lack of affordable housing with only 50 vouchers currently funded. The HCV SEMAP [Section 8 Management Assessment Program] performance score has historically shown an underutilization of HCV vouchers due to lack of affordable housing inventory in the City of Hudson; lack of interest from property owners; and extremely high rental rates as a result of the ongoing gentrification that has occurred for many years in the City of Hudson.
Although Revonda Smith, who chairs the HHA Board of Commissioners, has been working to get land owned by HCDPA (Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency) added to the parcels offered in the RFQ, the document currently identifies for potential development only the three sites that are owned by HHA:
  • Site #1: is approximately 1.00 Acre that includes a single nine-story high rise building. (Second Street Site)
  • Site #2: is approximately 1.412 Acres with a portion of the site being improved with a two-bay storage garage, small playground, off street parking lot, and passive sitting area. (State Street Site)
  • Site #3: is approximately 1.995 Acres with a portion of site #3 to the west being improved with three, two story, low rise, garden style buildings consisting of 15 units ranging from three to five bedrooms, and the remainder of site #3 of which is vacant. (Columbia Street Site)
How the redevelopment might proceed is also suggested in the RFQ:
The Authority anticipates the construction of the Project at the State Street Site and Columbia Street Site will happen first. Upon completion of the Project at the State and Columbia Street Sites, the Authority residents in the Low-Rise Units will be given the option to transition their housing to the State Street Site or Bliss Tower. Upon all units in the Low-Rise Units being vacated, the Authority anticipates the demolition of the Low-Rise Units, followed by the construction of the Project at the Second Street Site. 
The RFQ also provides this general information about Hudson:
Over the years, and until recently, the City of Hudson has experienced tremendous social and economic pressure from the effects of gentrification. The in migration of new residents and property owners from areas to the south of Columbia County, particularly New York City, has been dramatic. In early 2020 gentrification in Hudson accelerated mainly due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, which has pushed families from large urban areas down state north to the Hudson Valley region. This has created a housing shortage geographically in Columbia County, but more specifically, a critical shortage of affordable housing for moderate and low-income, and minority populations in Hudson. Consequently, generations of families and long-time residents are being squeezed out of Hudson to less affluent areas of Columbia County heightening the fear of many now facing new challenges of securing decent safe, affordable housing, and housing discrimination barriers in rural areas. 
At the May meeting of the HHA Board, executive director Tim Mattice reported "an influx of applications from downstate"--downstate apparently meaning New York City. The board agreed to close the waiting list temporarily to applicants outside of Columbia County, while investigating the process required for changing its open application policy.
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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been no new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is one fewer than yesterday, and the number of county residents in mandatory quarantine is five fewer than yesterday. No one is hospitalized with the virus, and no one is in the ICU. The number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to the virus remains the same.


The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 0.0 percent and a seven-day average of 0.3 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 0.3 percent and the seven-day average is 0.3 percent. 

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported one new case of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 440, and the number of active cases was 25. There were 10 county residents hospitalized with the virus, and none was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 37.

Can Beer Be Far Behind?

On Friday, the Historic Preservation Commission agreed to grant a certificate of appropriateness for the sign to go on the former Hudson Upper Depot. 

The building, which was constructed in 1871 as a depot on the Hudson & Berkshire Railroad line, has been meticulously restored by the Galvan Foundation to be a craft brewery and the centerpiece of Galvan's proposed "Depot District." 

There is no information on when the new brewery will open.
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A Story That Has Not Been Put to Rest

People have questioned the appropriateness of Calvin Lewis continuing as a alderman now that he, as assistant director of the Youth Department, is a City employee. When it was revealed on June 7, that the newly created position of assistant youth director was to be held by Lewis, Council president Tom DePietro said that, although there was no rule that would prohibit Lewis from continuing as an alderman, doing so "raises too many problems." One of those problems was that, on May 18, when apparently Lewis was already being considered for the job of assistant youth director, he cast the deciding vote on a $8,000 raise for his possible future boss, Liz Yorck. That vote was subsequently deemed invalid by "the City Legal Advisor." Lewis remains on the Council and has not, to Gossips' knowledge, withdrawn his bid for reelection in November.

It seems the question of appropriateness persists. Yesterday, Lewis published this statement on social media, deflecting responsibility for his actions and choices to city attorneys Cheryl Roberts and Jeff Baker.


Monday, June 28, 2021

Solar Farm Update

It started last winter as a scheme to monetize some City-owned land north of Charles Williams Park. Then in May, it morphed into a plan that eyed the capped landfill at the end of North Second Street, much to the dismay of the Conservation Advisory Council and other advocates for the capped landfill as open space, a viewshed, a nesting ground for bobolinks, and a habitat for other wildlife. At its last meeting, which took place on June 23, the Common Council ad hoc committee pursuing the idea of building a solar farm seems to have reversed course. 

Otherwise engaged at the special Planning Board meeting, Gossips could not attend the ad hoc committee meeting, but I learned from some who did that by the end of the meeting, it had been decided they would not do an RFP (request for proposal) but rather a request for expression of interest (REI) in creating a solar installation on the plateau of land that was the original proposed site. The landfill would not be included "due to wildlife habitat, viewshed, and need for open space in our dense urban environment."

David Konigsberg of the Conservation Advisory Council told Gossips: "To be clear about our position, we strongly support deployment of solar energy across the city--including ideas that generate revenues. And . . . we will help the Council by identifying opportunities to do just that. At the same time, we should continue our efforts to envision and build a more livable city. And a part of that is preserving rare and valuable parcels of open space."

Photo: Andy Mitford
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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Friday, there have been three new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is one more than Friday, from which it can be inferred that two more county residents are now considered to be recovering from the virus. The number of county residents in mandatory quarantine remains the same as it was on Friday, as does the number hospitalized and in the ICU. The total number of deaths from the COVID-19 in Columbia County, since the beginning of the pandemic, is 96.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 0.0 percent and a seven-day average of 0.5 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 0.4 percent and the seven-day average is 0.3 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported one new case of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 439, and the number of active cases was 24. There were 9 county residents hospitalized with the virus, and none was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 37.

Venus, If You Will . . .

Whenever the possible restoration or redesign of Seventh Street Park is discussed, the Venus fountain invariably comes up. 

The original fountain, installed in the park in 1883, was replaced by what's there now in 1975. 

PhotobyGibson.com
According to legend, the pedestal of the 1883 fountain, made of coral marble quarried on Becraft Mountain and Vermont marble, was hauled off to Gold's Scrap Yard on Columbia Street, where it was pulverized with sledgehammers. The fate of the cast zinc statue of Venus is different, but no less regrettable. Installed as a freestanding sculpture in the northwest corner of the park, on a base that still remains in the park, now holding a whiskey barrel planter, the statue was bashed to pieces by vandals in July 1978. 

Venus was repaired and returned to its spot in the park a few months later, only to be struck the next year by someone driving while intoxicated. The statue was repaired a second time and returned to the park, where it remained until 1998. It now resides, safely tucked away, in the DPW garage on North Second Street.


There have been many conversations about restoring the original Venus, but because the repairs to the statue in the past have involved filling all the cavities with cement and epoxy, restoration seems unlikely. The more likely path to getting Venus as she was back in the park would be to replicate the statue by using the original statue to make a mold and then casting a new statue. 

But there's another plan afoot for bringing Venus back to the Public Square. Last week, Shakespeare's Fulcrum, the new art gallery at 612 Warren Street, hosted a benefit to raise money and awareness for a new sculpture of Venus in the Public Square. You can read all about the event on Trixie's List: "Shakespeare's Fulcrum Benefit--Venus Statue and the New Divine Feminine Exhibition." The post includes a picture of the model for the proposed new Venus statue, which, it seems, would be executed in glass.


Curious to know if the new Venus was part of a plan for the fountain being contemplated by the Friends of the Public Square (FOPS), Gossips contacted Dorothy Heyl, one of the organizers of FOPS, and asked. Here is her response:
FOPS is aware of the interest in the Venus statue expressed by Shakespeare's Fulcrum. As I told the Council when presenting the Memorandum of Understanding, FOPS has no specific plans for the fountain and will seek extensive community input before making a recommendation and soliciting funds for that purpose.
The Common Council approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with FOPS at its regular meeting on June 15.
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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

As we look forward to more sweltering days ahead, there's not much happening on the city meeting scene. A Tourism Board meeting for today at 5:00 p.m. has been canceled, as has the mayor's hearing scheduled for Thursday on a law amending the code regarding sidewalk repair and ADA standards. Here's what left.
  • On Wednesday, June 30, the absentee ballots for the Democratic primary held on June 22 will be counted at the Columbia County Board of Elections, 401 State Street, starting at 10:00 a.m. The race to watch is the one for alderman in the Fifth Ward, where incumbent Dominic Merante leads Rebecca Borrer by only one vote.
  • On Wednesday, June 30, at 5:00 p.m., the Common Council meets to consider a resolution of support for a grant application to be submitted by Friends of Oakdale Lake. The application is for a NYS DEC Community Impact Grant for water quality improvements at Oakdale Lake. This meeting will be the first meeting of the Common Council to take place since the COVID restrictions were lifted on June 24. It will be held in person at City Hall.
  • Also on Wednesday, June 30, the development committee of the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners meets at 6:00 p.m. The subject of the meeting will no doubt be the request for qualifications (RFQ) for the redevelopment of HHA property. It is expected that there will be a public hearing on the RFQ on Wednesday, July 7, after which the board will vote to approve the RFQ at its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday, July 14, and the RFQ will be released to developers the following day.
And that's all that's happening this week. Enjoy the long holiday weekend!
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Saturday, June 26, 2021

A New York Issue with a Hudson Connection

On Thursday, the New York Post published an article about a new building, 1,645 feet tall, to be constructed next to Grand Central Station and the effort underway to stop it from happening: "Lawsuit seeks to stop mega-tower from ruining the 'grandeur' of Grand Central."

The first paragraph of the article reads:
An 82-year-old preservationist is single-handedly waging war against a 1,645-foot mega-tower that's set to go up next to Grand Central--claiming the behemoth building would mar the "heart of New York."
That heroic preservationist is Christabal Gough, a Hudson resident, a committed observer of the Hudson Historic Preservation Commission, and someone known to many of us here in Hudson. In the article, which is recommended reading, Gough is quoted as saying, "Why do we have a landmarks law if not to protect buildings like Grand Central?"

The lawsuit filed by Gough asserts the proposed new building would "completely overwhelm and resign to utter insignificance the grandeur of Grand Central."

Learn About the Project Firsthand

Tomorrow, Sunday, June 27, the new owners of the Pocketbook Factory are hosting a meet and greet at the building "to introduce ourselves as neighbors, share more details about the project, and answer any questions about the future development plans." (The image below provides the details. Click on the image to enlarge.)


At 3:00 p.m. and at 4:00 p.m., members of the project team will provide tours of the grounds and answer questions about the project. Accessibility to the site is currently limited, but it can be entered from 549 Washington Street, through the alley, and 544 Prospect Street, up the driveway. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP at info@pocketbookhudson.com or "just drop by."

Friday, June 25, 2021

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there has been one new case of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is the same as yesterday, from which it can be inferred that one more county resident is now considered to be recovering from the virus. All the other numbers remain the same as they were yesterday.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 1.8 percent and a seven-day average of 0.6 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 0.2 percent and the seven-day average is 0.4 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported six new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 437, and the number of active cases was 27. There were 7 county residents hospitalized with the virus, and none was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 37.

Moving Forward

This morning, the Historic Preservation Commission was the first city meeting to be held in person since the pandemic. At some time this morning, this notice appeared on the City of Hudson website:
After June 24, 2021, the City of Hudson will no longer be able to conduct virtual meetings pursuant to the Governor's Executive Order 202.1. Any meeting of a public body conducted after June 24, 2021, may only be conducted pursuant to the New York State Open Meetings Law. Specifically, the public must be allowed to attend meetings of public bodies in person.

Thursday, June 24, 2021

A Response to the Planning Board Decision

Last night, with a vote of 5 to 2, the Planning Board granted site plan approval, with a number of extensively discussed and considered conditions, to Verizon to install wireless communications equipment of the roof of 199 Columbia Street, Providence Hall.

Today, Gossips received a "letter to the editor" from Michael Colberg and Alexandra Semchenko. on behalf of the Faulty Towers Response Group, commenting on that decision. The text of that letter follows:
Dear Gossips of Rivertown, 
Last October, a tenant at Providence Hall posted the following on the Planning Board site:
"I have lived at Providence Hall over 13 years. It is a decent place to live, having grown comfortable here. I will say without being overly sentimental that I hope to live out my life here. However, I was very disturbed to find out only recently about Verizon's proposal to build a 5G cellular tower on the roof of the building which I have called home for so long. I live on the top floor herethe 5th floor. To think that this monstrosity will be a scant 10 feet above my home causes me a great deal of anxiety and concern." (10/27/20)
This is one tenant. Thirty-four tenants in Providence Hall have documented their opposition to this proposal. All tenant opposition ceased when Arbor Management, the owners of the building, began "suggesting" that tenants refrain from speaking out. This is in addition to the 30 additional No Consent forms posted, the 8 additional letters sent [to] the Planning Board, and the 163 residents who signed an online petition.
Hudson, its mayor and his administration, its legal team, most members of the Planning Board have played active roles in this process. They abrogated their duty to care for Hudson residents who most need their protection. Arbor Management has failed in its obligation to keep safe its Section 8 residents and furthermore has failed in its obligation to request and receive permission from HUD to rent out its roof to Verizon. HUD is understaffed, and so the outcome of this arrogant omission remains unknown.
We live in a city where many residents spend a lot of time cloaking themselves in the verbiage (but not the actions) of progressive ideology. Some hide behind names like Social Democrats and Working Families Party; the new Planning Board chair even styles himself as an activist interested in social justice. What we are witnessing here is a dichotomy between what is said and what is done. Actions in fact do speak louder than words. That members of this Planning Board remain unconscious about the consequences of treating its most vulnerable residents in such a disdainful and a dismissive way does not mitigate the damage done.
Some of us took a significant amount of time to educate ourselves about electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation technology and the law. It was a steep learning curve. We did it because it was in front of us and we felt that if we were going to participate, we needed to do it with actual knowledge and not rely upon other people's opinions. Time will tell if we understand things accurately.
Regardless of opinion, there are things that are simply the truth. They often take time to make themselves known. Until then, the honest conclusion is: we do not know enough about EMF radiation to expose residents so vulnerable that they seek out a building with a heightened responsibility of care. This fact has been overlooked, because it takes it lot of courage to sit with "I do not know." We have witnessed little courage during this process.
We must acknowledge the efforts made by Laura Margolis and Theresa Joyner, two Planning Board members who took the time to educate themselves, who asked probing questions, and who were aware and principled enough to vote no to this application. The Planning Board's decision is something that each member will bear in his or her life. The members will also, whether consciously or not, carry within themselves all the pain they have caused by their actions.
The quote below is one that can offer ongoing guidance as we move forward:
"Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing."    John Stuart Mill, Inaugural Address at St. Andrew's (1867)
Respectfully yours,
Michael Colberg and Alexandra Semchenko on behalf of the Faulty Towers Response Group

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have no new cases of COVID-19, but the CCDOH is reporting two deaths from COVID-19 which occurred in nursing homes earlier this month but were not reported to the CCDOH until today. The number of active cases being reported today is four fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that four more county residents are now considered to be recovering from COVID-19. One fewer county resident is in mandatory quarantine today than yesterday, and one remains hospitalized with the virus. No one is in the ICU. 

Bizarrely, since the CCDOH is reporting no new cases since yesterday, the New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 0.5 percent and a seven-day average of 0.3 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 0.3 percent and the seven-day average is 0.4 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported no new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 431, and the number of active cases was 24. There were 7 county residents hospitalized with the virus, and none was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 37.

Was a Bear There?

A few weeks ago, on June 6, Gossips reported a bear sighting in the 200 block of Allen Street. This morning, evidence was discovered by a reader to suggest a bear may have made a nocturnal visit to a backyard in the first block of Union Street. There were lots of broken branches on a tree toward the back of the yard, near Partition Street, in an area of yard where there are lots of berries, and scat was discovered that looked a lot like bear scat.

People in this part of Hudson should remain vigilant. There may be a bear who likes hanging out in this neighborhood.
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Trucks in the City

It has been two months since there has been any news of the truck route study. At the end of April, MJ Engineering and Land Surveying, the consultants carrying out the study, outlined these next steps.


If we needed any more evidence that big trucks--eighteen-wheelers--have no place in our little city, it came today, when an errant big rig, having strayed off the truck route, knocked down utility lines in the 200 block of Allen Street. A reader who was driving behind the truck took this picture.

Photo: Sarah Sterling
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More News of Returning to Normalcy

Gossips just learned that the Historic Preservation Commission meeting, to take place tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., will happen not on Zoom but in person at City Hall. Those of us who plan to attend the meeting will have to get appropriately dressed and hie ourselves to 520 Warren Street. It's been more than a year since Gossips has entered there.
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The State of the Primary Election

This morning, the Register-Star reported on the primary races: "Hudson, Hillsdale primaries too close to call." Oddly, they chose to accompany the article with a picture of Heather Campbell, whose 368 to 181 victory over challenger Michael Hofmann is secure. There is no way the absentee ballots could change the outcome: 163 absentee ballots were issued in Hudson, and as of Wednesday 110 were returned. Hofmann, however, was cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party, so his name will appear on that line on the ballot in November.

The race for supervisor in the Second Ward seems equally determined by Tuesday's results, with incumbent Abdus Miah receiving 120 votes and challenger Tiffany Garriga receiving 30. Ninety-six absentee ballots were issued to Second Ward voters, and as of Wednesday 83 had been returned--not enough to change the outcome. Like Hofmann, Garriga has been cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party, so her name will appear on that line on the ballot in November.

The absentee ballots could change the outcome in the race for Second Ward alderman. On Tuesday night, incumbent Dewan Sarowar led with 107 votes, followed by Mohammed Rony with 83 and Willette Jones with 45. Ninety-six absentee ballots were issued to voters in the Second Ward, and as of Wednesday 83 had been returned. No matter what the outcome, Sarowar will remain on the ballot in November, since he was cross-endorsed by the Conservative Party. There is also a Republican candidate running for alderman in the Second Ward: Lee Bradshaw.

The tightest race, however, is for alderman in the Fifth Ward. On Tuesday night, Vicky Daskaloudi led with 73 votes, and Mark Bodnar trailed with 29 votes, but the real contest was between incumbent Dominic Merante and Rebecca Borrer, who ended the day with 51 and 50 votes respectively.

Fifteen absentee ballots were issued to voters in the Fifth Ward, and as of Wednesday nine have been returned. The absentee ballots will decide who--Merante or Borrer--will be on the Democratic line in November with Daskaloudi. Whatever the outcome, both Merante and Borrer will appear in the ballot in November. Merante was cross-endorsed by the Conservative Party and has his own "home-grown party" line, called People First. Borrer has been cross-endorsed by the Working Families Party.

Absentee ballots had to be postmarked by June 22 and must be received at the Board of Elections by June 29. The counting of absentee ballots will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, June 30.
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Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Antennas Approved

Tonight, in a special meeting, the Planning Board gave site plan approval to Verizon to install communications antennas on Providence Hall at 119 Columbia Street. 


At the outset of the meeting, Steve Steim, who now chairs the Planning Board, said he hoped the meeting would take no more than ninety minutes, explaining that he had a "hard stop" at 6:30. The meeting, which included an attorney-client privilege session that lasted for about half an hour, didn't end until 7:11. In the two hours, the board reviewed and discussed the notice of determination under SEQRA and the resolution the board would be voting on. The resolution includes such conditions as a deed restriction on the property prohibiting for twenty years other wireless providers from locating equipment on the building, no changes in the height of the antennas or changes in service from 4G to 5G without approval from the Planning Board, and approval by an architect chosen by the Planning Board on the final plans for the stealthing. 

When it came time to vote on the resolution, Theresa Joyner voted no, reminding her colleagues that not one member of the public had spoken in favor of the proposal. Speaking to the community, Joyner said, "Your long and strong opposition is not being ignored by me." Apparently addressing visitors, she said, "So what if you don't have service. You can live with that." Laura Margolis also voted no, arguing that it was inappropriate to install wireless equipment in a residential neighborhood. The other five members of the Planning Board--John Cody, Gene Shetsky, Larry Bowne, Clark Wieman, and Steim--voted in favor in the resolution. After voting, Bowne observed, "All this hard work has done a great service to the community." He expressed his unhappiness with the applicant, asserting that the shot clock had run out because Verizon had not responded to their requests in a timely fashion, and commended Joyner for her "eloquence and conviction."
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COVID-19 Update

We may have reached a vaccination threshold, and the pandemic state of emergency may be over, but COVID-19 isn't completely behind us. After several days with no new cases, the Columbia County Department of Health reported one new case today. The number of active cases being reported today is one more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that no one has recovered from the virus within the past 24 hours. There is one fewer county resident in mandatory quarantine today than yesterday, but one remains hospitalized. No one is in the ICU, and there has not been a death from COVID-19 since May 4.

The New York Forward dashboard is reporting a positivity rate for Columbia County yesterday of 0.0 percent and a seven-day average of 0.3 percent. By comparison, the daily positivity rate for the Capital Region is 0.5 percent and the seven-day average is 0.4 percent.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported one new case of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 431, and the number of active cases was 24. There were 8 county residents hospitalized with the virus, and none was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 37.

A New Chapter for HDC

The Hudson Development Corporation (HDC) held its monthly meeting yesterday. In his opening remarks, board president Bob Rasner talked about moving forward. HDC has sold two of its properties--a parcel on Mt. Merino and the Kaz site on Montgomery Street--and the income from those sales will provide the agency with "long-term financial stability." Rasner told the board:
We are now moving into the next phase of our task: building the economic and job future of our fellow citizens. To that end, we have started meeting with community leaders outside our board and government to join us in this effort. Those with whom we have spoken to date have accepted the challenge with enthusiasm and good ideas.
Going forward, the HDC will be working on a strategic plan for pursuing its mission of economic development. Rasner concluded his remarks with the quote from Steve Jobs: "Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do."

Rasner provided an update on the sale of the Montgomery Street property, saying that the contract now needed to be reviewed by HDC, and it would be ready for presentation within a week. The identity of the buyer has still not been officially revealed.

At Tuesday's meeting, the board also elected a new member: John Friedman. Friedman's nomination was made by Nick Haddad and Christine Jones, who make up the board's Nominating Committee. In offering his support of the nomination, Phil Forman, who serves as treasurer of the HDC Board, said, "If I'm picking my fantasy team" for the work ahead, he would want "someone who knows Hudson, someone who knows the business community, and someone who is just flat out smart," and he would pick Friedman.

Mayor Kamal Johnson, who serves ex officio on the HDC Board, expressed a desire to see the board "reflect the community." Haddad said they had "reached out to a diverse population." Earlier, Haddad had explained that many people they had spoken with had turned down the opportunity because of the amount of time serving on the board required. Jones commented, "Many Hudson folks don't want to serve on a board like this." Johnson said he didn't want time to be an excuse and pointed to the Planning Board as an example of a board whose service took time but had diversity. He said he wanted to know whom they had spoken with, but Jones told him, "Most of the people who have said no don't want it revealed they have said no." Rasner conceded, "We are old, male, and white, and that needs to be changing."

When the vote was taken, there were nine votes in favor of Friedman joining the board, three opposed, and one abstention. Those present at the meeting and casting a vote were Rasner, Haddad, Forman, Jones, Paul Barrett, Steve Dunn, Martha Lane, Seth Rogovoy, Kristen Keck, Peter Schram, Susan Knauss, and the two ex officio members, Johnson and Council president Tom DePietro. Paul Colarusso, who is also a member of the HDC Board, was absent from the meeting.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CAROLE OSTERINK

It Isn't Over Until It's Over, and It Appears It Is

Yesterday, the Register-Star reported that, according to the Columbia County Department of Health, 71.4 percent of the adults in the county have been vaccinated: "County hits vaccination benchmark."

Today, the Times Union reports that Governor Andrew Cuomo this morning announced the end of the pandemic state of emergency: "Gov. Cuomo declares coronavirus emergency is over." 

News from the Planning Board

Last night's special Planning Board meeting began with chair Stephen Steim telling his colleagues that Verizon had denied the request for an extension, so they had to make a decision on the application at that meeting. Four and a half hours later, the only decision made was to have another special meeting tonight, Wednesday, June 23, at 5:00 p.m. 

During the four and a half hours, Mike Muzzo, the technical consultant hired by the Planning Board to advise them on this application, reviewed the most recent tech memo he had submitted. Muzzo's presentation included these renderings of the building, showing the increase in height of a feature called the "penthouse" to conceal some of the antennas (first two images below) and showing the building from different directions with the antennas in place. 










During the marathon meeting, the Planning Board also worked its way through the eighteen questions in Part 2 of the Full Environmental Assessment Form, answering yes to four of the items (9. Impact on Aesthetic Resources; 10. Impact on Historic and Archaeological Resources; 16. Impact on Human Health; 18. Consistency with Community Character) and no to the rest. 

When the board was ready to begin its review of the resolution that had been prepared by Victoria Polidoro, the board's legal counsel, Planning Board member Clark Wieman said he had "significant issues" with the resolution that he wanted to discuss. At 10:30 p.m., after four and a half hours spent considering the items on the EAF, the board decided to come at the resolution fresh on another day. They agreed to have a special meeting to review and discuss the resolution and to vote on it on tonight, Wednesday, June 23, at 5:00 p.m. Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
COPYRIGHT 2021 CAROLE OSTERINK

Tuesday, June 22, 2021

All the Results from Today

Here are all the results from today's primary election. Early voting is included, but absentee ballots are not. 

City Treasurer
Michael Hofmann            181
Heather Campbell            368

Second Ward Supervisor
Abdus Miah              120
Tiffany Garriga          30 

Second Ward Alderman
Mohammed Rony             83
Dewan Sarowar               107
Willette Jones                    45

Fifth Ward Alderman
Rebecca Borrer             50
Dominic Merante         51
Vicky Daskaloudi          73
Mark Bodnar                 29