COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Thursday, October 27, there have been 34 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is the same as on Thursday, from which it can be inferred that, since Thursday, 34 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 2 fewer county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 today than on Thursday, and none of those hospitalized is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since October 5.  

A year ago, October 31 was a Sunday, and the CCDOH did not report COVID numbers. On the previous day, Saturday, October 30, the CCDOH reported 11 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,433, and the number of active cases was 96. There were 161 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 3 were hospitalized, and 2 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Columbia County at this time last year was 104.

Remembering Hudson's Recent Past

At last report, the City was still waiting for Amtrak and National Grid to cooperate on the utility easements required to begin work on rebuilding the Ferry Street Bridge. 

Today, John Cody sent Gossips this picture taken in 1985, which shows a functioning Ferry Street Bridge. What is accessed by crossing the bridge is somewhat different from what is there today: the state boat launch at the right and an oil tank farm at the left.      

Here's the view of that tank farm from the river, also taken in 1985. 

The oil tanks occupied what is now Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, as well as the now vacant lots north of the Dunn warehouse. They weren't removed until the mid-1990s.

Thanks to John Cody for providing these historic images.

More Voting Prep

For those who missed the Save Our Democracy Rally at Catskill Point on October 17, you can watch Assemblymember Didi Barrett address the gathering on Vimeo by clicking here.

News from the Polls

Early voting began over the weekend and continues throughout the week. The early voting polling places--401 State Street in Hudson and the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building, 3211 Church Street, in Valatie--opened today at noon and will remain open until 8 p.m. On Saturday and Sunday, the Hudson Democrats and the Columbia County Democrats were out on the corner of Fourth and Warren streets reminding people that early voting had begun and a polling place was just two blocks away.

Photo: Hudson Democrats | Facebook

The efforts seem to have paid off. Statistics from the Board of Elections, provided to Gossips by Sam Hodge, chair of the Columbia County Democratic Committee, indicate that 72 percent of the voters who cast their ballots over the weekend were registered Democrats--more than six times more Democrats than Republicans. Here are the cumulative numbers from Saturday and Sunday.

Of course, as news reports regularly remind us, Republicans tend not to do early voting but traditionally vote on Election Day.

Here's the early voting schedule for today and the rest of the week.

• Monday, October 31, noon to 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 2, noon to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, November 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday, November 4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, November 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, November 6, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

On Election Day, Tuesday, November 8, the polls are open from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. Click here to find your polling place.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

Meetings of Interest in the Week Ahead

Today is Halloween, and there are no meetings. But, as the new month begins, here is what's happening.

• On Tuesday, November 1, the Conservation Advisory Council meets at 6 p.m. The meeting is in person only at City Hall.
• On Wednesday, November 2, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) meets at 9:30 a.m. The agenda for the meeting has not yet been published, but, since the IDA has lifted its moratorium on reviewing applications for hotels, it is likely that the review of the application for Hudson Public, the hotel the Galvan Foundation plans to develop at Fourth and Warren streets, will resume. The project received site plan approval from the Planning Board on September 29. Available records indicate that the project has not yet received a certificate of appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Commission. The IDA meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at 1 City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 

• Also on Wednesday, November 2, the Common Council Legal Committee meets at 6:00 p.m. At the meeting, the committee is likely to pursue its plans for repairing the sidewalks, which may involve issuing a bond for $5 million to finance the undertaking. The meeting will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 

• On Thursday, November 3, the Common Council ad hoc committee tasked with solving the problem of trucks in Hudson meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join remotely.

All the budget workshops that were scheduled since Wednesday, October 26, have been canceled, which suggests that the Board of Estimate and Apportionment has completed its work on the budget. The budget is typically presented to the Common Council early in November, so we are soon to find out what budget items have been approved and how it will impact property tax.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

Voting Prep

If you missed the Save Our Democracy 2022 Rally at Catskill Point on October 17, you can watch Josh Riley's speech at that event, and Natalie Merchant's introduction of our congressional candidate, on Vimeo by clicking here.

Early voting began today and continues through Sunday, November 6. Here is the schedule:

Sunday, October 30, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday, October 31, noon to 8 p.m.

Tuesday, November 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Wednesday, November 2, noon to 8 p.m.

Thursday, November 3, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Friday, November 4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday, November 5, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday, November 6, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

There are two polling places for early voting: 401 State Street here in Hudson and the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building at 3211 Church Street in Valatie. Click here to review the sample ballot.

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8. On Election Day, the polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. Click here to find your designated polling site for Election Day.

Time and Again

Many times historic photographs are of broader interest for what appears in the background than for their subject. Such is the case with the photograph below, found by Paul Barrett in the archives of the Columbia County Historical Society. We don't know who the little girl in the picture is, but the houses in the background are 546 and 548 State Street. 

Photo: Columbia County Historical Society

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

One More Halloween Event

Yesterday, Gossips posted about the Halloween Bash taking place tomorrow at the Hudson Farmers' Market and Hudson Halloween 2022 happening on Sunday. One Halloween event was omitted: Trunk or Treat at the FASNY Museum of Firefighting.

Molly the Museum Dog, the Dalmation named for one of the first female firefighters in New York State, will be joined by local firefighters with their decorated firetrucks giving out treats. Inside the museum, kids can collect even more treats from the trunks there. In addition to collecting treats, kids can play games and vote for their favorite firetruck and trunk. 

The event takes place from 10:00 a.m. until noon at the FASNY Museum of Firefighting, 117 Harry Howard Avenue. All activities, treats, and games are free and will be both indoors and outdoors. Free admission to the museum will be offered to all who attend this special event. Reservations are not required. The event is made possible by a grant from the museum's Super Saturdays sponsor, Hudson River Bank and Trust Co. Foundation.

Happening on Saturday

For the past year, the Hudson Valley Collaborative, a research, planning, and design team headed up by Kaja Kühl, has been working on a climate adaptive redesign of Henry Hudson Riverfront Park. This Saturday, October 29, at 4:00 p.m., the design and recommendations that are the result of the year-long process will be presented at the Hudson Area Library.

The design team, in collaboration with stakeholders, developed four overarching goals.

Expand the Park to include areas currently used for parking or not accessible for people.

Improve Access for people of all abilities, including direct access to the water.

Enhance Nature to improve ecological diversity and plan for nature-based adaptation to sea level rise.

Design for Inclusion--Keep the spaces flexible to allow for a diversity of programs, people and uses in the park

Regarding the expansion of the park, the executive summary provided to Gossips by Kühl explains:

Areas currently occupied by gravel parking lots will be transformed into new park green spaces for flexible uses, and Water Street will be relocated to former Franklin Street. This allows for improved pedestrian circulation in the park and connections between the upper and lower lawn area. It also offers the opportunity to create a plaza area in front of Dunn Warehouse that integrates the historic structure into the park. A new amphitheater connects the upper and lower lawn and provides seating during events.

This is proposal is a welcome development for those of us who feared the open space north of the Dunn warehouse might be sacrificed for commercial or residential development, as reported in this post from 2020: "Transformation with Little Information."

The presentation on Saturday will also include discussion of next steps toward implementation of the proposed redesign.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 9 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 8 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 17 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 3 fewer county residents hospitalized today than yesterday; none of those hospitalized is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since October 5.  

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 13 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,390, and the number of active cases was 85. There were 210 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 2 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Columbia County at this time last year was 104.

Halloween in Hudson

Halloween isn't until Monday, October 31, but this weekend offers two great opportunities for kids to dress up and celebrate the spooky holiday.

On Saturday, October 29, the Hudson Farmers' Market stages its Halloween Bash. 

The festivities begin at 9:30 a.m., when the Bad Cats arrive to perform. They will be roaming around the market, in costume, with fiddles and banjos.

At the Kids' Tent, there will be grab bags filled with apples and popcorn from Samascott Orchards, chocolate chip cookies from Happy Belly Hudson, masks, vampire teeth, and more. There will be a temporary tattoo station, a spooky craft spot, some Halloween-y books, and pumpkin/veggie decorating.

Come in costume (or not) to the Hudson Farmers' Market, open at the corner of Sixth and Columbia streets from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

On Sunday, October 30, it's Hudson Halloween 2022. 

Trick-or-treating on Warren Street begins at 2:00 p.m. and continues until 4:00 p.m. Look for the sticker on shop windows to know where treats are being doled out.

At 4:00 p.m., participants gather at Seventh Street Park for the parade down Warren Street to Hudson Hall where the "spectacularly spooky costume contest" takes place. 

The event is free and open to all ages, and it happens rain or shine!

'Tis the Season for Ghosts . . . of All Kinds

Halloween is the season of ghosts, so it seems appropriate to do a post about ghosts found on buildings, the telltale traces of their past uses. Recently a reader sent me these pictures of the ghosts found on 402 Warren Street, one of the buildings destined to become the Galvan Foundation's hotel, Hudson Public.

The ghosts inspired me to want to learn more about H. Hogeboom and to figure out when his law office would have been located here.

H. Hogeboom had to have been Henry Hogeboom. There were two Henry Hogebooms in Hudson history, both of whom were lawyers. The first was a New York State Supreme Court Justice and an esteemed citizen of Hudson. He resided at 116 Warren Street, and it was there that he died, in the wee hours of the morning, on September 12, 1872, at the age of 63. His obituary, published on the day of his death in the Daily Star, ran for more than two full columns. The following is quoted from that obituary:

The announcement of his death has fallen like a pall over every avocation and interest in our community. All feel that "a good man has departed from among us," as well as that a luminary of law has been extinguished; the lips of eloquence been sealed in eternal silence; a mind munificently endowed by the God of intellect, and cultivated by careful, liberal, and exhaustive study and discipline has exchanged its contemplation of "things temporal, for that of things Eternal"; a heart large with all-embracing beneficence, warm with tenderest love for family and friend, for broad humanity, for justice, mercy and right; and alive to all the nobler, finer feelings of our nature, has at last become stilled in that dread silence which anticipated the tomb. And such being the universal feeling, our community "mourn through all its borders." The sad event engages all attention, absorbs every other interest, stills even the selfish clamor of partisan strife and imparts a becoming solemnity to every phase and department of life.

Judge Henry Hogeboom is probably not the Henry Hogeboom who had his law office at 402 Warren Street. It is more likely it was his grandson and namesake, who would have been three years old when the illustrious grandfather died. 

The second Henry Hogeboom was born in Hudson on February 16, 1869, the son of John C. Hogeboom and Clara Esselstyn. His father was a lawyer and involved in state politics, and the family lived at 810 Warren Street.

Photo: Zillow

Henry Hogeboom started his law practice here in Hudson, but in 1911 he moved to Mt. Vernon. Exactly when he had his law office at 402 Warren has not yet been discovered, but it is certain that the ghosts that survive on the building predate 1911, when Hogeboom relocated to Mt. Vernon. Although he had only lived in Mt. Vernon for nine years, his sudden death in 1920, on the platform of a subway station in New York City, was reported on the front page of the Mt. Vernon Daily Argus on August 4, 1920. The following is quoted from that report:

Former Deputy Attorney General Henry Hogeboom, until last January a civil service commissioner here, and who was well known in local political circles, died suddenly yesterday morning at 11 o'clock in the Park Place station of the subway after he had left the train there. His death came one month after the demise of the law partner, Richard J. Donovan, and whose death is believed to have caused Mr. Hogeboom such grief as to have been partly responsible for his death. He was 51 years old, and a well known attorney. 

Overtaxing of his heart following an attack of intestinal poisoning suffered a week ago is believed to have been the primary cause of death. In addition he was intensely affected after the death of his partner, and grieved constantly over it because he and his partner were like brothers. . . .

The article provides this information about the circumstances of his death.

Mr. Hogeboom had left for his office shortly before 10 o'clock and boarded a subway train from Grand Central to go to his office in the Woolworth building. At Park Place he arose to leave the train and just as he reached the door, he gasped several times and fell back. Several passengers grasped hold of him and carried him to the platform.

He died within a few seconds and before Dr. Kenner, of the Broad Street Hospital, only a short distance away, could reach there.   

What history our old buildings hold.

Gratitude to Peter Tenerowicz for providing the photographs of the ghosts that inspired this research.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health released its numbers earlier today. Since yesterday, there have been 10 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, 9 county residents have recovered from the virus. There is 1 more county resident hospitalized today than yesterday, but for the first time since October 6 none of those hospitalized is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since October 5. 

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 11 new cases of COVID-19 and a death. The total number of cases was 5,377, and the number of active cases was 75. There were 221 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 2 were hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 104.

The Entrance to Promenade Hill at Night

Photo provided by Peter Jung

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health released its numbers earlier today. Since yesterday, there have been 13 new cases of COVID-19. The number of new cases being reported today is 2 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 11 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 2 more county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 today than yesterday, but the number in the ICU remains the same. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since October 5.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 17 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,366, and the number of active cases was 70. There were 232 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 3 were hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 103.

It Happened Today

Today, Promenade Hill was officially reopened with a ceremonial ribbon cutting that followed a series of comments by folks in city and state government and from the Starr Whitehouse, the landscape architects who designed the new plaza. 

Photo: Sarah Sterling

  

And this is the view, denied to us for the past seventeen months, that was restored to us at last today.

Photo: Sarah Sterling

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

Every Half-Century or so in Hudson

Today at 4:00 p.m. there is to be a ribbon cutting to reopen access to Promenade Hill after seventeen months of construction on the redesigned plaza. 

Yesterday, Bruce Mitchinson sent me this newspaper clipping from November 13, 1975, showing the ribbon cutting that marked the reopening of Promenade Hill after the destruction and redevelopment that was Urban Renewal in Hudson.

 

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

Make Your Plan to Vote

Election Day is two weeks away, on Tuesday, November 8, but early voting begins this Saturday, October 29. Early voting takes place at 401 State Street in Hudson and the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building at 3211 Church Street in Valatie. Here is the schedule for early voting. 

• Saturday, October 29, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, October 30, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Monday, October 31, noon to 8 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 1, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 2, noon to 8:00 p.m.
• Thursday, November 3, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday, November 4, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, November 5, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, November 6, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Fatal Dumpster Accident in Long Alley

Gossips received this press release from the Hudson Police Department.

On Monday, October 24, 2022, at approximately 11:21 a.m., the Hudson Police Department (HPD) received a call from Columbia County 911 reporting that the Greenport Rescue Squad (GRS) was dispatched to the area of the 200 block of Long Alley in the City of Hudson for a report of a dumpster that had fallen on top of a man at that location.

All available HPD units responded to the scene to assist Greenport Rescue Squad. Officer Kevin Keyser and GRS attempted lifesaving measurers, including CPR, without any success. The victim, an employee of the disposal company, was pronounced deceased at the scene.

Detectives spoke to witnesses, and it appears the dumpster dropped onto the victim while it was being lowered from a truck. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was notified of the work accident.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Thursday, October 20, there have been 45 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 7 more than on Thursday, from which it can be inferred that, since Thursday, 38 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 3 more county residents hospitalized today than on Thursday, but the number in the ICU remains the same. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since October 5. 

A year ago, October 24 was a Sunday, and the CCDOH did not report COVID numbers. On the previous day, Saturday, October 23, the CCDOH reported 9 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,349, and the number of active cases was 85. There were 259 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 3 were hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Columbia County at this time last year was 103.

Colonial New York as a Model for Our Nation

On Thursday, October 27, the History Room at the Hudson Area Library and the Jacob Leisler Institute for Early New York History present a special in-person talk with Patricia Bonomi about colonial era New York. The event takes place at 6:00 p.m. in the Community Room at the library, 51 North Fifth Street.

Colonial New York contributed vitally to the formation of the United States, as did New England or the colonial South, although historians have been slow to acknowledge those contributions. The discussion will highlight the special significance of New York’s religious and racial diversity, its unique geography, and its tumultuous politics.

Patricia U. Bonomi is Professor Emerita at New York University, where she taught American history for twenty-seven years, specializing in the colonial and early national periods. She is a Guggenheim Fellow and a Fellow of the Seminar on Early American History & Culture at Columbia University, where she earned her Ph.D. in 1970. Her books include A Factious People: Politics and Society in Colonial New York; Under the Cope of Heaven: Religion, Society, and Politics in Colonial America; and The Lord Cornbury Scandal: The Politics of Reputation in British America.

The Jacob Leisler Library Lectures are made possible in part through the generous support of the Van Dyke Family Foundation and Hudson River Bank and Trust.

Meeting of Interest in Stuyvesant

Last month, it was expected that the Stuyvesant Zoning Board of Appeals would be voting on a proposal to construct twenty "agro-tourism cabins," along with other tourist amenities, on a farm on Sharptown Ridge. That didn't happen. Instead, ZBA chair Margaret Pino announced that the ZBA was in the process of crafting their response to the application. It is now expected that response and the ZBA's determination will be made known at this month's ZBA meeting, which takes place on Wednesday, October 26, at 7:00 p.m. at Stuyvesant Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive in Stuyvesant.

Special Meeting on Friday

At the Common Council meeting on Tuesday, it seemed a vote on the settlement agreement with the Galvan Foundation and Galvan Civic I was to be postponed until the Council's November meeting. Today, it was announced that the issue will taken up at a special meeting to be held on Friday, October 28, at 6:00 p.m. The notice of the special meeting indicates its purpose is "to discuss the Galvan litigation with our attorney in an executive session." The litigation has to do with property tax exemption sought for 614-620 Columbia Street (the former Community Theater building) and 612 Columbia Street (the house just west of the theater building). Although much of the meeting will not be open to the public, it will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

In this week, the final week of October and the penultimate week of daylight saving time, there's not much happening.

• On Monday, October 24, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA)--the mayor, the Council president, and the city treasurer--holds a budget workshop at 2:30 p.m. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.
• On Tuesday, October 25, there is a ribbon cutting at 4:00 p.m. to mark the official opening of the newly redesigned entrance plaza at Promenade Hill.

• On Wednesday, October 26, the BEA holds a budget workshop at 2:30 p.m. in person only at City Hall.
• At 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, the Common Council Technology Committee holds its monthly meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• On Friday, October 28, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. The meeting includes a public hearing on the proposed restoration of the former Crescent Garage, 750-752 Warren Street. The meeting will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.    

• On 2:30 p.m. on Friday, October 28, the BEA holds another budget workshop in person only at City Hall.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

A Preview of Promenade Hill

On our late afternoon walk today, Joey and I ventured down to Promenade Hill. The new plaza won't officially be open until Tuesday, when there will be a ribbon cutting at 4:00 p.m., but there was a big gap in the fence, big enough for a dog and a human to pass through easily, and so we did. Here are some views of the plaza from the inside.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

Spooky Events in Historic Places

There are several opportunities to get in the mood for Halloween even before the witching day itself. On Tuesday, October 25, Columbia County hosts master storyteller Jonathan Kruk at Clarkson Chapel, 3691 Route 9G in Clermont. 

At 5:00 p.m., Kruk presents an entertaining, interactive show of "Spooky Stories" intended for children, and at 7:00 p.m., Kruk performs Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Admission is free. Refreshments will be available. RSVP to Shari Franks at shari.franks@columbiacountyny.com. 

On Saturday, October 29, and Sunday, October 30, the Clermont State Historic Site presents "Legends by Candlelight Ghost Encounters."

Visitors will begin their night of spooky entertainment enjoying a bonfire with marshmallows. They will then be whisked off on a walking tour to meet the ghosts of Clermont. Those participating should wear comfortable shoes, be dressed for the weather, and be ready for an adventure!

There will be three ghostly encounters each night, at 6:00, 7:00, and 8:00 p.m. Advanced tickets are required for the spooky adventure. No walk-ins will be permitted. For more information and to secure tickets, call 518 537-4240.

Restored Access to SASS

In an article published on Wednesday in the Register-Star, it was announced that Promenade Hill, with its newly redesigned plaza entrance, will reopen on Tuesday, October 25: "Promenade Hill Park set to reopen on Oct. 25."

The park is reopening just in time for folks to catch some fall color in the Scenic Areas of Statewide Significance visible from the promenade, but the reopening seems to be happening quietly without any ceremony or hoopla. 

If it's ceremony and hoopla you seek, albeit on a small scale, head down to the Hudson Dog Park the next day at around 5 o'clock. There denizens of the dog park will be celebrating the third anniversary of that park's opening on October 26, 2019, with the unveiling of a new sign.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK

Update: Gossips has gotten word that there will be ceremony and hoopla at the reopening of Promenade Hill. A ribbon cutting is planned to take place at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 25

Veni, Vidi, Perdidi

Last year, the Historic Preservation Commission had to deal with the removal of the panes of colored glass that for well more than a century had surrounded the shop windows at 508 Warren Street. 

The alterations to the storefront had been made without a certificate of appropriateness from the HPC. In defending his actions, the owner of the building claimed the glass that had been removed was not stained glass but rather colored glass and some of it wasn't glass at all but rather vinyl. The storefront was to be a clothing store, Loup, and the owner argued, "It is prohibitive for us to do business with a kaleidoscope of color coming in." And thus, Warren Street lost a significant piece of its historic character.

This year, the owner of the building was once again before the HPC, once again seeking a certificate of appropriateness for work he had already done on the building. This time, it was installing awnings.

This morning, a reader alerted me that the building is now for sale, listed on Zillow for $1.875 million.

COPYRIGHT 2022 CAROLE OSTERINK