Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

The autumn foliage has peaked, and, in two weeks, we will be back in the dreariness of standard time. While the sun is still setting after 6:00 p.m., here is what's happening.

• On Monday, October 19, the Planning Board holds a special meeting at 8:30 a.m. The purpose of the meeting is to vote on granting site plan approval to the proposed redevelopment of Hudson Housing Authority property. The resolution the Planning Board will be voting on, with its conditions, can be found here. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

• Also on Monday, October 19, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) holds two budget workshops. The workshops are hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click on the department name in the list below to join the meeting remotely.
• 2:30 p.m.--Fire Department
• 3:15 p.m.--Youth Department
• At 6:00 p.m. on Monday, October 19, the Common Council holds its informal meeting. On the agenda for the meeting are three resolutions relating to financing for improvements to Oakdale Park, as well as a proposed moratorium on the storage of large capacity lithium batteries in the City of Hudson. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Wednesday, October 21, at 2:30 p.m., the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) meets to review nondepartmental expenses and revenues. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.  
• At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners holds its monthly meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person in the Community Room at Bliss Towers and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• Also at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 21, the Zoning Board of Appeals holds its monthly meeting. No agenda for the meeting is as yet available. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.
• On Thursday, October 22, Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Friday, October 23, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. At this meeting, the HPC will continue its review and deliberation on the new application for Galvan's Hudson Public Hotel, 402-406 Warren Street, a project which currently is subject to a stop-work order for violations to its previous certificate of appropriateness. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

• At 2:30 p.m. on Friday, September 23, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) holds a workshop to continue its review of projected revenues for 2027. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• On Saturday, September 24, early voting begins at 9:00 a.m. The polling place for early voting in Hudson is the new office of the Board of Elections at 11 Warren Street. The schedule for the nine days of early voting, leading up to Election Day on Tuesday, November 3, follows:
• Saturday, October 24--9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, October 25--9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Monday, October 26--9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 27--Noon to 8 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 28--Noon to 8 p.m.
• Thursday, October 29--9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Friday, October 30--9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, October 31--9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Sunday, November 1--9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Autumn in Hudson and All That Jazz

The 2026 Hudson Jazz Festival is just a couple of weekends away--October 2 to 4. In addition to the nightly concerts on the Hudson Hall mainstage, there is music at venues--indoors and out--all around town. 

The 2026 Hudson Jazz Festival expands through the city this fall with the return of Sounds Around Town, a free live performance series at venues, restaurants, bars, retail stores, galleries, and public spaces across the city. Curated by Bard College Professor of Music and jazz pianist John Esposito, the series features nearly thirty Bard College jazz students and faculty and Hudson Valley musicians and local artists playing sixteen free shows. Performances begin September 26 and continue through through the Hudson Jazz Festival weekend, October 2 to 4.

Sounds Around Town begins with performances at the Hudson Farmers' Market on September 26 by the Sivaan Barak Saacks Quintet and Miles Taylour Sweeny: Bad Times Trio. The series resumes during Festival week with free performances at Hudson Hall, the Hudson Amtrak Station, the PARC Park outside Mel the Bakery, and retail stores, galleries, restaurants, bars, and breweries through the city. Sounds Around Town artists include John Esposito, Maia Jarrett Quartet, Nico Bald Trio, Sparrow Lore, Sam Bernhardt Quartet, Armen Donelian, and many more. . . .

Free and family-friendly programming is also woven throughout the Festival, including the October 1 free Community Kick-Off at Hudson Harmonic, featuring the Hudson Valley Maverick Jazz Camp Ensemble, Hudson High School Jazz Band, and Flying Elements from Bard College. Complimentary light snacks will be provided with a cash bar, along with information to help residents and visitors plan their Festival weekend. Then, on Sunday at 1:00 p.m., Lady Moon & Friends play a Family Concert at the Half Moon.

Other city-wide events include a free Lunch & Learn: A Conversation on Jazz, Collaboration with Vuyo Sotashe, Chris Pattishall and Festival host Keanna Faircloth at The Spark of Hudson; a Sunday jazz brunch with Brazilian guitarist Vinicius Gomes at Pocketbook Hudson; and the Late Set, the Festival's multi-level opening night afterparty at The Spark of Hudson on Friday, October 2, at 9:00 p.m., featuring live music by bassist Tristen Jarvis and a live DJ set to get the dance floor pumping.

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

We are midway through September, and this is the last full week of summer. As we move further toward autumn, here is what's happening.

• On Monday, September 14, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) meets at 2:00 p.m. On the agenda for the meeting is a resolution terminating the financial agreement for the hotel project proposed for 620 Union Street. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at 1 City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 

• At 5:30 p.m. on Monday, September 14, the Common Council Safety Committee (Police and Fire) holds its monthly meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• On Wednesday, September 16, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners meets at 5:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person in the Community Room at Bliss Towers and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

• On Thursday, September 17, the Common Council Legal Committee meets at 6:00 p.m. No agenda for the meeting has yet been published. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• On Friday, September 18, the Columbia County Democratic Committee holds its annual picnic from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Federation of Polish Sportsmen's Pavilion, 400 Newman Road. The event is free but reservations are required. For more information and to make a reservation, click here.

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

The autumnal equinox does happen for another two weeks, but, with Labor Day behind us, summer is unofficially over. Time to put away those white shoes. In this unofficial first week of autumn, here is what's happening.

• On Tuesday, September 8, the Planning Board meets at 6:00 p.m. The agenda for the meeting includes the continuation of the public hearing on the Hudson Housing Authority's redevelopment plan and a proposal to replace a trailer used as office space at CraftTech Industries on Dock Street with a larger trailer. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 

• On Wednesday, September 9, the Housing Trust Fund Board meets at 5:30 p.m. Gossips has learned that at the last meeting of the HTF Board on August 27, a meeting that was publicized as hybrid but for which a link was never provided, Michelle Tullo said her position, that of Housing Justice Director, would be phased out at the end of the year. Perhaps more about that will be revealed at this meeting. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 
• At 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, the Zoning Board of Appeals holds a special meeting for the purpose of having a public hearing on the area variances needed by the Hudson Housing Authority to construct a block of four three-story townhouses at the corner of Columbia and Second streets, on the site of what remains of the Community Garden. At this meeting, the ZBA is also expected to discuss and act on the application for area variances. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.

• On Thursday, September 10, the Common Council Legal Committee meets at 6:00 p.m. No agenda for the meeting has yet been published. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 

Update: The Legal Committee meeting has been rescheduled and will now take place on Thursday, September 17.

• On Friday, September 11, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. At this meeting, Galvan is expected to present, in the words of Walter Chatham, "an acceptable program that will allow [the commission] to remove the stop-work order even as we negotiate with them and finalize the details." The project in question, of course, is the Hudson Public Hotel, where the terms of the certificate of appropriateness were flouted, most significantly in the removal of original marble in the colonnade. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.  

• On Sunday, September 13, a special launch of the walking tour booklet Hudson: A History of Whaling & Maritime Commerce begins at 11:00 a.m. at Promenade Hill. Members of the Hudson Area Library's History Room Committee will be on hand for this free community tour. To register for the tour, email brenda.shufelt@hudsonarealibrary.org.

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Who Knew?

In April, a reader sent me this picture:

The picture was accompanied by this message:

This past autumn, there was an old European-looking canal boat tied up to the Colarusso shed peninsula. Just walking around and noticed it sunk. Seems a shame, cool old boat. You know the story behind this thing?

I did not know anything about the boat docked in the southernmost embayment at Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, bordering the Colarusso property. Sadly, other concerns distracted me from finding out. Today, a story in the Register-Star by Shawn Ness and Spenser Walsh identifies the boat and explains how it got there: "Historic boat from WWII likely to be scrapped."

The boat is/was a 70-foot Dutch tugboat built in 1903 called the Golden Re-Al. Most notable in the vessel's long history is its use in World War II. During the Dutch famine of 1944-1945, known as "Hunger Winter," when the German army occupied the Netherlands and people in Dutch cities were facing starvation, the Golden Re-Al, then called the Wilhelmina, brought critically needed food and supplies. 

According to the article, the Golden Re-Al has been docked here in Hudson for the past five years. Now, because of weather damage and vandalism, the owner, Richard Manack, intends to scrap it. Manack is quoted in the article as saying, "The vessel's destroyed. Ice has been doing a number on it, so inside the vessel now, it's destroyed, and because it's destroyed, they're going to scrap it." 

The article is accompanied by photographs provided by Manack that show the boat in its current location at some point before it sank.

Photo: Richard Manack | Register-Star

Photo: Richard Manack | Register-Star

It's regrettable that information about this boat was not generally known in Hudson until now, when its destruction seems evitable.

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

The big event in this final week of February is the nor'easter that's expected to begin any time now. But once that's over and done with, there's a lot more happening before February ends and March begins.

• On Tuesday, February 24, at noon, The Olana Partnership presents a webinar titled "The Geography of Color: Frederic Church's Autumn." The webinar, offered in conjunction with Frederic Church 200, presents new research on Autumn, a painting in Olana State Historic Site's collection, and highlights the scholarship of Nicholas Robbins, lecturer in History of Art at University College London and a contributor to the forthcoming publication, Frederic Church: Global Artist. To learn more and to register for the webinar, click here.

• On Tuesday, February 24, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting at 6:00 p.m. The agenda for the meeting can be found here. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• Also on Tuesday, February 24, the Hudson City School District Board of Education meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting, which is described as a "Community Budget Workshop," takes place in the Hudson High School auditorium. It will also be livestreamed on YouTube. 
• On Thursday, February 26, Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 
• At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 26, Mayor Joe Ferris holds a town hall meeting for the Fourth Ward in the Community Room at the Hudson Area Library, 51 North Fifth Street. This is his fourth town hall for this round. The final one, for the First Ward, takes place on Monday, March 2.

• On Friday, February 27, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. The meeting includes two public hearings: one on the proposal to create more occupiable space at 26 Warren Street by adding dormers to the 1810 Federal house; the other on the proposal to demolish the house at 309-311 Union Street and the accessory buildings behind it and build new structures. The meeting is hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

26 Warren Street

309-311 Union Street

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

As we move deeper into autumn and closer to Election Day, here is what's happening.

• On Monday, October 20, the Seneca Chief  docks in Hudson as part of the bicentennial celebration of the opening of the Erie Canal. The boat is expected to arrive at Henry Hudson Riverfront Park at 3:00 p.m. The ceremony celebrating the planting of a White Pine tree on Promenade Hill will take place at 3:30 p.m. Programming at the Seneca Chief, hosted by the Buffalo Maritime Center, happens from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.

• At 6:00 p.m. on Monday, October 20, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners holds its monthly meeting. As always, the meeting may provide information about HHA's ambitious redevelopment plans. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person in the Community Room at Bliss Towers, 41 North Second Street, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

• On Tuesday, October 21, the Common Council Finance Committee meets at 5:15 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 
• At 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 21, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting. Although no agenda for the meeting has been published, it is expected that, among many other things, the Council will vote on adopting the new comprehensive plan, Hudson 2035. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

• On Wednesday, October 22, at 6:30 p.m., mayoral candidates Joe Ferris (Democrat) and Lloyd Koedding (Republican and "Harmony Party") will meet in a debate moderated by Mary Dempsey, editor of the Register-Star. Incumbent mayor Kamal Johnson (Working Families Party) has so far declined to join the debate. The event takes place in the Hudson High School auditorium, 215 Harry Howard Avenue. It is also to be livestreamed, although the link to view the livestream has not yet been published.

• On Thursday, October 23, Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) meets at 5:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• Also on Thursday, October 23, Hudson Development Corporation hosts its second free movie night at Henry Hudson Riverfront Park. The event begins at 5:00 p.m. Story Screen Cinema will be showing two films on its inflatable screen: the animated Frankenweenie at 6:00 p.m. and the cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show at 7:00 p.m. There will be free popcorn. Vendors at the event will be Hudson Brewing Company and The Meat Hook.

• On Friday, October 24, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. The meeting includes a public hearing on the proposal to designate the Dunn warehouse building as a local landmark. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

Photo: Dunn & Done LLC

• On Saturday, October 25, early voting begins at 9:00 a.m. The polling places for early voting are the Columbia County Office Building, 401 State Street in Hudson, and Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building, 3211 Church Street in Valatie. Here is the schedule for the nine days of early voting before Election Day, on Tuesday November 4.
• Saturday, October 25--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, October 26--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Monday, October 27--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Tuesday, October 28--Noon to 8:00 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 29--Noon to 8:00 p.m.
• Thursday, October 30--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Friday, October 31--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Saturday, November 1--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Sunday, November 2--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Also on Saturday, October 25, at 1:30 p.m., Democratic mayoral candidate Joe Ferris holds a Town Hall, moderated by Mark Allen, at the Park Theater, 723 Warren Street.

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

As this glorious autumn continues and makes us want to savor every possible moment outdoors, here is what's happening indoors.

• On Tuesday, October 7, the Conservative Advisory Council meets at 6:00 p.m. Since the CAC presents its budget proposal for 2026 to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment the next day, there is a good chance one of the topics of discussion will be the CAC's ask for 2026. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Wednesday, October 8, the Housing Trust Fund Board meets at 5:30 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

Update: The Housing Trust Fund Board meeting was canceled.

• On Thursday, October 9, at 4:oo p.m., Mayor Kamal Johnson holds a public hearing on the zoning amendment that will allow the John L. Edwards school building to be redeveloped as senior housing. The hearing takes place in person only at City Hall.  

• Also on Thursday, October 9, at 5:30 p.m., Christ Church Episcopal holds its annual Blessing of the Animals in observance of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi.

• At 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, October 9, the Common Council holds a public hearing on a proposed clarification of Section 325-17.1 of the city code. The hearing is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• At 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 9, the Common Council holds a special meeting to consider the clarification of Section 325-17.1 of the city code. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Friday, October 10, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10 a.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Saturday and Sunday, October 11 and 12, it is Hudson Open Studios, the annual celebration of local artists in Hudson. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, artists open their studios to visitors. Click here for the list of participating artists. Click here for the map of studio locations.

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

Tomorrow is the autumnal equinox, marking the beginning of autumn. As the days grow shorter and cooler, here is what's happening.

• On Monday, September 22, the Common Council holds two public hearings. Both hearings are hybrid, taking place in City Hall and on Microsoft Teams.
• At 5:30 p.m.. there is a public hearing on the amendment to zoning districts necessary to allow the former John L. Edwards school building to be redeveloped as apartments. The proposed law amending the code can be found here. Click here for the link to join the hearing remotely. 
• At 6:00 p.m., there is a public hearing on Hudson's new comprehensive plan, "Hudson 2035." To review the 277-page dpcument, click here. To join the hearing remotely, click here.

• On Tuesday, September 23, at 6:30 p.m., the Planning Board continues its review of Colarusso's application for a conditional use permit for its dock operations. The meeting takes place at City Hall and will be livestreamed on YouTube. Click here to find the link to view the livestream.

• On Wednesday, September 24, at 5:30 p.m., the History Room at the Hudson Area Library presents The Wonderful World of Oysters--the incredible story of oysters, from their ancient origins to their vital role in ecosystems, history, and New York culture told by Ben "Moody" Harney, the founder of MotherShuckers, which started as the only oyster cart in New York City and currently operates as a seven-day location at Pier 57. For more information about the event, click here. Sadly, registration for the event is already filled.
  

• On Thursday, September 25, the Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) meets at 5:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.  
• On Friday, September 26, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. The meeting includes a public hearing on the proposal to replace the slate roof on the Galvan Armory, the location of the Hudson Area Library, with faux slate. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 

Update: The public hearing on the replacement of the slate roof of the Galvan Armory has been canceled. The application to replace the roof has been withdrawn.

That's it for the first week in autumn.

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

Almost midway into autumn, our glorious October weather has turned into something resembling damp, drizzly November. Things are expected to improve as the week goes on, but meanwhile, here is what's happening.

• On Tuesday, October 15, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting at 6:00 p.m. The big event of the evening will be the vote on Hudson opting in to the state's Good Cause Eviction Law. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 
• On Thursday, October 17, Hudson Community Development & Planning Agency (HCDPA) meets at 4:30 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Saturday, October 19, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., The Spark of Hudson is hosting a "celebration of the revitalization of Charles Williams Park" at Charles Williams Park. There will be food vendors, and the plans for the revitalized park will be on display.

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Meetings of Interest in the Week Ahead

As we move deeper into autumn, enjoying day after day of spectacular weather, here is what's happening on the meeting front.

• On Monday, October 7, the Common Council holds its informal meeting at 6:00 p.m. So far, there is nothing of interest on the agenda, but, if you're interested, there are seventy-four communications regarding the Good Cause Eviction Law, which the Council is expected to vote on this month. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Tuesday, October 8, the Planning Boards holds its monthly meeting at 6:30 p.m. Lots of familiar things are on the agenda, including the apartment building proposed for Fairview Avenue between Oakwood and Parkwood boulevards. It is expected that the applicant will present a response to the Planning Board's requests for change to the proposed project. 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 11, the Historic Preservation Commission holds the first of its two monthly meetings at 10:00 a.m. As always, no agenda has been made available for the meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

Today is the final day of September. October begins tomorrow, and autumn is definitely here. As we move closer to peak leaf-peeping season and savor the final month of daylight saving time, here is what is happening in Hudson.

• On Tuesday, October 1, the Conservation Advisory Council meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Wednesday, October 2, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency meets at 10:30 a.m. The September meeting of the IDA was canceled because there were "no pressing issues needing a vote." An agenda for Wednesday's meeting has not yet been made public. The 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, October 2, the Common Council Legal Committee meets at 6:00 p.m. No agenda for the meeting is yet available. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 
• On Thursday, October 3, at 4:00 p.m., Mayor Kamal Johnson holds a public hearing on the proposed law regarding commercial filming and photography in the City of Hudson. The hearing takes place in person in the Council Chamber at City Hall.
• On Saturday, October 5, from noon to 6:00 p.m., Upper Depot Brewing Co. presents Hudson Oktoberfest. The event takes place on State Street between Seventh and Green streets and features eight craft breweries and three food vendors. Tickets are available at the Upper Depot taproom, 708 State Street. Click here for more information. 

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Meetings of Interest in the Week Ahead

With Labor Day behind us, summer is unofficially over, but the actual end of summer doesn't happen until September 22. In the prelude to autumn, here is what's happening.

• On Tuesday, September 3, the Conservation Advisory Council meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
• On Wednesday, September 4, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency meets at 10:30 a.m. Updates on a number of projects are on the agenda for the meeting, including Galvan's revised proposal for 75 North Seventh Street. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at One City Centre, Suite 301, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

Update: The IDA meeting has been canceled because, as it was explained to Gossips, there were "no pressing issues needing a vote."

• At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, the Common Council Legal Committee holds its monthly meeting. It appears that opting in to the Good Cause Eviction Law is the main item on the agenda for the meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Microsoft Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely. 
• On Thursday, September 5, the first meeting of the Stuyvesant Falls Bridge Committee takes place at 6:00 p.m. The Bridge Committee was formed in response to the opposition and concern about plans to demolish the historic Stuyvesant Falls Bridge and replace it with a modern bridge. The meeting takes place at the Stuyvesant Town Hall, 5 Sunset Drive, in Stuyvesant.  

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The Word from the HCSD Superintendent

This afternoon, Dr. Juliette Pennyman, who officially began her role as superintendent of the Hudson City School District on September 1, 2023, distributed the following "Guest Column," assessing her first year as superintendent of the Hudson City School District. The text of the "Guest Column" is reproduced below. 

Pennyman’s First Year as Hudson Schools Superintendent Marked by Innovation, Successes, and Seeding the Future

When I started learning about the Hudson City School District before arriving in September 2023, I was impressed by our students’ abundant achievements every day. I also recognized the vast potential to advance educational excellence that preps students for careers, college, and life through transformative, innovative approaches.

My first year as your superintendent has been focused on just that. This journey has been an enjoyable whirlwind of activity–and incredibly inspiring.

Every school district decision has been focused on providing each student with an engaging, rigorous, and supportive education to help them succeed academically, socially, and emotionally. As I settled in, I saw the opportunity to introduce #HudsonTogetherWeCan, a hashtag/motto designed to inspire a culture of accomplishment via collaboration among schools, district leadership, students, faculty, staff, and the community. My early observations also inspired my 125-Day Plan, a blueprint of actions and plans detailed here: https://www.hudsoncsd.org/2024/02/28/progress-report-from-dr-juliette-pennyman-my-first125-days/

Our diverse student population is an asset to celebrate, and we are committed to fostering a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment. We strengthened this tenet by launching our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness Community Team, now devising programs and services that embrace our district’s unique backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives.

We are especially proud that we safeguard tax dollars. Our 2024-2025 budget, overwhelmingly approved by voters on May 21, is a result of partnering with elected representatives to advocate for state aid that, after a predicted $2.9 million reduction, now actually slightly increases that aid above the current year’s amount. In addition, the budget’s tax levy increase–the tax levy is the amount collected via property taxes–is 2%, less than the 3.42% permitted under New York State’s tax cap.

To further ease taxpayers’ burden, we prioritized securing highly competitive grants–including $5.5 million over five years for the Learning and Enrichment Afterschool Program Supports (LEAPS) program and nearly $3 million from New York State. The state grants include $1.9 million to support safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments for students and $200,000 to expand pre-kindergarten. In addition, $5,000 is being received from the American Farmland Trust’s project, Farm to Institution New York State. The district also joined Verizon Innovative Learning, which provides Chromebooks, enhanced internet and technology coaches to Hudson Junior and Senior High Schools at no cost to the district to leverage technology as a teaching tool.

I also have focused on strengthening our district’s infrastructure. This has included hiring teachers across the district, including for science, graphic arts, and robust electives, as well as assistant principal and technology instructional coaches.

Other initiatives include:

• Revamping Bluehawk Academy into a more innovative school, focusing on personal support to achieve educational excellence.

• Refreshing the student Code of Conduct. 

• Reinstating clubs and organizations such as the Student Council and the Parent Teachers’ Association at Hudson Junior High School.

• Focusing on school safety by introducing STOPit Solutions’ anonymous reporting capabilities to bolster school health and safety, and receiving top-level recognition by Utica National Insurance as a “School Safety Excellence” award recipient.

• Converting the high school football program to a modified version to overcome a lack of eligible players.

I also directed that our district ramp up communications to advance transparency. I established Pennyman’s Pen, a concise enewsletter, and oversaw the expansion of our monthly district newsletter. I also inaugurated monthly Conversations with the Superintendent public forums, created Student Advisory Committees, shadowed classrooms, and attended numerous sports, arts, and community events. We also installed monitors in our schools to provide news, information, and lunch menus.

Through it all, we have kept a focus on the future. We are now embarking on a strategic planning process, which will be unveiled in late June. This will include abundant community involvement, and our goal is to finalize this plan next autumn.

I extend gratitude to the Board of Education and our schools’ dedicated leadership teams, teachers, staff, students, families, and community members for partnering with me to support students’ success.

Congratulations to all, especially our graduating seniors, on a dynamic school year! Have a safe, enjoyable summer and we look forward to the start of the 2024-2025 school year on Wednesday, Sept. 4!

Dr. Juliette Pennyman 

Superintendent 

#HudsonTogetherWeCan

Gossips cannot resist reminding readers that the $55.6 million budget for the 2024-2025 school year was approved by a vote of 464 to 231. Only 695 people bothered to show up to vote. It seems a bit of an overstatement to say that the budget was "overwhelmingly approved by voters."

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

The temperatures have dropped, and it is now definitely autumn. As we pull our sweaters out of storage, here is what's happening.

• Tuesday, October 10, is the last day to submit written comments to the Planning Board regarding the Colarusso application for a conditional use permit for their proposed paved, two-lane haul road through South Bay. The deadline for submitting written comments is the end of the business day--in other words, 5:00 p.m. The names and email addresses of the members of the Planning Board can be found here.

• Also on Tuesday, October 10, the Common Council holds a special meeting at 5:45 p.m. to consider a resolution authorizing an additional service agreement for continued development of the ADA feasibility study for the Oakdale beach house. According to the resolution, after completion of the original feasibility study, "Youth Department leadership and the Mayor's office have determined that three of the four schematic options must be further refined before presenting the study and its recommendations to the Common Council and the public." This further refinement is going to cost $14,500. The special meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street, and on Zoom. Link here to join the meeting remotely.

• At 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 10, the Common Council holds its informal meeting. One of the highlights of the meeting will be a presentation by CGS Group of what they are proposing for the adaptive reuse of the Dunn warehouse. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

• On Wednesday, October 11, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) continues its budget workshops. At 2:30 p.m., the Police Department presents its proposed budget; at 3:3o p.m., Michelle Tullo, Housing Justice Director, presents her proposed budget. The workshops take place in person only at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street.
• At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 11, the Planning Board holds its monthly meeting. The agenda, which can be found here, includes the new location of Lil' Deb's Oasis, the subdivision proposed for Hudson Avenue, the amendments to the site plan for the proposed Galvan hotel at Fourth and Warren streets, and Phase 2 of what is proposed for Return Brewing. The agenda does not include Colarusso. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

• On Thursday, October 12, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) continues its budget workshops. At 3:00 p.m., the Senior Center presents its proposed budget; at 3:30 p.m., the treasurer's office presents its proposed budget; at 4:00 p.m., the BEA considers the Planning Board's budget. The workshops take place in person only at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street.
• On Friday, October 13, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

COPYRIGHT 2023 CAROLE OSTERINK

What Happened at the Special Meeting

Despite all the outrage and indignation expressed on Facebook, tonight's special meeting of the Common Council went forward without incident and was over in about ten minutes. 

Only about twenty spectators showed up for the meeting, with six or so more on Zoom. Eight members of the Council were present in person, three were attending on Zoom, and only one (Amber Harris) was absent.

Although there were four resolutions on the agenda for the meeting, Council president Tom DePietro started with the second one, the resolution authorizing entering into a contract with A. Colarusso & Sons for the construction of the new Ferry Street Bridge. Every member of the Council present--in the room or on Zoom--voted in favor except for Vicky Daskaloudi (Fifth Ward) and Margaret Morris (First Ward). Before casting her vote, Morris stated that she believed it was in the best interest of the city to rebid the project, and she would feel that way if the roles were reversed and Colarusso been the one that made the omission and withdrew their bid. The resolution passed with eight votes in favor and two against.

The resolution authorizing the issuance of serial bonds to finance the new bridge passed with ten affirmative votes. DePietro clarified that the bonds are necessary because, although the bridge is being financed with state and federal funds, the City does not get the money up front. The City is reimbursed after the money has been spent. When the City is reimbursed, the bonds will be paid off.

The resolution to enter into a contract with Rise & Run Permaculture to plant trees for this year's Autumn Arbor Day also passed with ten affirmative votes.

Lance Wheeler's video of the meeting can be viewed here.

COPYRIGHT 2023 CAROLE OSTERINK