Marker Unveiled

The marker in Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, commemorating Lafayette's Farewell Tour of the country in 1824-1825, was ceremonially unveiled yesterday morning. Carrying out the unveiling were Patrice Powley Birner, past New York State Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Mayor Kamal Johnson, and Julien Icher of Follow the Frenchmen and The Lafayette Trail.  

Posing with the newly unveiled marker in the picture below are (from left to right) Virginia Martin, Regent of the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the DAR, Birner, Icher, and Johnson. 

The episode of Icher's Fellow the Frenchmen, which takes place in at Niagara Falls, provides background about Lafayette and the Lafayette Trail project. Click here to view the video.

The Results Are In

In today's Hudson City School District election, only 342 people bothered to vote on the budget. Of those, 258 voted yes to approve the district's $54.5 million budget for the 2023-2024 school year, and 84 voted no. Last year, there were 699 votes on the budget. The budget then was approved 432 to 267. 

In the election for members of the Board of Education, 251 voted for Calvin Lewis, 266 voted for Kjirsten Gustavson, and 44 voted for write-in candidates. 

And so it goes. Nothing changes.

Just Beyond Hudson

On November, Gossips reported that the Galvan Initiatives Foundation was now calling itself on Facebook "Galvan Center for the Common Good."

Recently, a reader venturing out to the vicinity of Bells Pond noted a new sign at the former Sunset Motel and sent Gossips a picture. As indicated by the sign, the Galvan rebranding has extended to the Galvan Civic Motel. The original sign . . . 

has been replaced by this one . . . 

with the enigmatic tagline "Centering the Public Good."

The new sign like the old sign is anchored in a weedy raised bed.

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

It's the beginning of a week of lovely late spring days, and here are the meetings and gatherings of interest happening in the next several days.

• On Monday, May 15, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners holds its regular monthly meeting. 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, May 16, the ceremonial unveiling of the Lafayette marker in Henry Hudson Riverfront Park takes place at 10:00 a.m. The marker commemorates the bicentennial of the visit to Hudson made by the Marquis de La Fayette, the French aristocrat who served as a major-general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. Lafayette visited Hudson on September 17, 1824, during his grand tour of America which marked the country's fiftieth anniversary.

• Also on Tuesday, May 16, school district elections take place from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The polling place for Hudson residents is the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street; for residents of Greenport, Stottville, Stockport, and Ghent, the polling place is the Greenport Community Center, 500 Town Hall Drive; the polling place for residents of Claverack, Livingston, and Taghkanic is A. B. Shaw Fire House, 67 NY-23, Claverack. Voters are asked to approve the budget for school year 2023-2024, which for the first time in living memory does not increase the tax levy on property owners in the district, and to vote for two candidates, Kjirsten Gustavson and Calvin Lewis, who are seeking to be reelected to the seats they already hold on the Board of Education.

• At 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting. Among the resolutions before the Council is one to amend Article XIV of the city code, which bans formula businesses from Hudson in the interest of preserving community character. The amendment establishes the time at which a retail use is determined to be a formula retail use, as defined in the law. 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, May 17, the Zoning Board of Appeals meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting takes place in person only at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street. Among the items on the agenda is 601 Union Street, the former Elks Lodge. The ZBA is expected to discuss and possibly act on the amended use variance for a 41-room boutique hotel, with a spa, gym, kitchen, bar, and event space.

• On Friday, May 19, the walking-out ceremony for L. Edward Moore, who is retiring as chief of the Hudson Police Department, takes place at 12:00 noon at the Hudson Police and Courts Building, 701A Union Street.

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Another Phase in the Life of a Building

Yesterday's post about 726 Columbia Street and the revised plan for the building's restoration inspired a reader to send me this picture of the building from the History Room postcard collection at the Hudson Area Library.

Soon after the Gifford-Wood Company moved to its new location at the end of Hudson Avenue in 1911, William Petry opened a garage and car dealership in the building that had been the Gifford Foundry. Judging by the cars that appear in the picture, it seems this picture of Wm. Petry, Inc., was taken sometime in the 1930s.  

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Nature Unleashed

It's May, the time of year that the spirea is in bloom. Three years ago in May, Gossips mourned how the spirea bushes in the Public Square had been pruned--"three pruned into precise cylinders, mirroring the shape of the trash barrel and orange traffic barrels beside them, and one looking like a botanical replica of The Egg in Albany."

This year, things are different for the spirea. They've been allowed to grow naturally, and they now almost have the shape that nature intended them to have.

I expect we owe this lovely change to the influence and intervention of Friends of the Public Square (FOPS).

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A Change in Plan

On April 12, Gossips published this photograph by Howard Gibson from the online PhotobyGibson.com collection. 

The picture, taken in 1958, shows an intermediate step for 726 Columbia Street, between the building as it was when it was constructed in 1856 and what was revealed when the stucco was removed in March. 

Photo: Win Jackson

The same day the photograph appeared on Gossips, Walter Chatham, the architect for the project, contacted me to say, "I based the restoration of the 726 Columbia facade on my belief that we were dealing with the remnant historic facade and that we could simply 'excavate' and supplement the original facade. Now you have shown me a photo that both explains the mystery of the large blocked in opening that was revealed when the stucco came-off; and it also shows that this isn’t the original facade at all. . . . Stay-tuned but I think we are heading for some design adjustments to deal with this new information." 

This morning, Chatham appeared before the Historic Preservation Commission to present those design adjustments. The proposal is now to restore the facade to the way it was when Dick Saulpaugh's Cadillac dealership occupied the space. Chatham said they wanted to "mix it up a little," restoring 724 Columbia Street to its original 1856 appearance and restoring 726 Columbia Street, which evidence reveals was new construction in the 1950s, to its appearance in the 1958 photograph. 

Chatham described the new proposal as "a rare nod to the 1950s and '60s in Hudson, which was a wonderful period in our city's history." The HPC enthusiastically granted a certificate of appropriateness for the new design.

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The Official Announcement

Today, three days after Chief Ed Moore announced his retirement at the informal Common Council meeting and three days after Gossips reported the news, the mayor's office issued a press release on the subject. Gossips shares that press release in its entirety.

Chief of Police L. Edward Moore announced Monday, May 8, 2023, his retirement from public service effective May 19, after his appointment to the position 10 years ago and service in law enforcement for over 42 years. Mayor Kamal Johnson and Police Commissioner Shane Bower have subsequently proudly announced that Lieutenant Mishanda Franklin will succeed Moore as the new Chief of Police for the City of Hudson Police Department. Franklin is both the first woman and first woman of color to accept this position in Hudson.

"I thank Chief Moore for his service over the past decade," said Mayor Kamal Johnson. "Through periods of turmoil and a global pandemic, he's led our force extremely well."

"As Chief Moore retires from the Hudson Police Department after 10 years of distinguished service to the residents of the City of Hudson, I would like to thank him for his dedication and service," said Police Commissioner Shane Bower. "He was a mentor to me as an officer and as an equal in my present position. His constant presence in the station and on the streets will be greatly missed. We thank him for the direction he's provided to the department over the last ten years, maintaining us as a premier law enforcement department."

"I am honored that I had the opportunity to serve alongside such skilled and professional police officers," said Chief L. Edward Moore. "Every day they perform their job with integrity, patience, and bravery, and they continue to make our city proud."

"I want to personally thank Chief Moore for his many years of excellent leadership, mentorship and friendship," said Lieutenant Mishanda Franklin. "His training and experience in this field has provided the Department and the City of Hudson with a rare combination of vision, fairness and understanding which are crucial qualities of an effective leader."

In a letter to the Common Council dated May 8, Moore noted that he had "full trust and confidence that [Franklin] will complete her duties with the utmost integrity with a passion for the well-being of our citizens and our officers. Many here know that she is a product of this city and can personally attest to her intelligence, integrity, and kindness. All attributes that will serve her well in her new position. She will succeed in making this department better."

"Lt. Franklin has shown me that she has the toughness, compassion, level-headedness and open-mindedness to run this agency in this ever-changing climate," said Commissioner Bower. "She will always think issues through, looking at all sides and avenues to benefit all, not just a few. Chief Franklin has always and will always look out for her fellow officers and treat them as the family they are."

Lt. Franklin is a lifetime resident of Hudson who has served in law enforcement for 20 years. She previously held positions as an Officer and Sergeant prior to her promotion to Lieutenant in July 2022.

"My experiences in my professional career and personal life allow me to offer a different perspective and I will work diligently in the continued pursuit of excellence in serving this community," said Lt. Frankin. "I am committed to a better future that emphasizes public safety, police accountability, transparency, integrity and trustworthiness. The Hudson Police Department is comprised of an incredible group of members who, in spite of inevitable changes and challenges, protect and serve the City of Hudson with grace. I am proud to be a part of this organization."

"The future of the Hudson Police Department is in great and capable hands with Mishanda Franklin," added Mayor Johnson. "This is a new and exciting era of leadership for the Department, and I deeply look forward to working with our new Chief."

A walking-out ceremony for Chief Moore will take place at the Hudson Police Department (701A Union Street) on May 19th at 12 noon. Lt. Franklin's swearing-in ceremony will occur at the Hudson Central Fire Station (77 N. 7th Street) on May 22nd at 9 a.m. Both events are free and open to the public.

The photo below, of Mayor Kamal Johnson (center) with Mishanda Franklin (left) and Ed Moore (right), appeared earlier this week on Johnson's Facebook page.

The Future for Morgan Jones's Mansion

At its last meeting on April 28, the Historic Preservation Commission held a public hearing on changes being proposed for 317 Allen Street, the dream house of Morgan Jones, a young man who had inherited a fortune from his father's manufactured soap company. 

Jones, who was born in Pittsfield, graduated from Williams College in 1901. After graduation, he traveled in Europe, as was the custom for rich young men at the time, and the buildings he saw there shaped this taste in architecture. In 1903, he commissioned the architect Marcus Reynolds, a fellow Williams alumnus ten years Jones's senior, to design a house for him, to be built in Hudson. The Jacobean and Dutch inspired mansion, which was completed in 1906, is considered by many to be Reynolds's richest and most successful design. The original drawings for the house are preserved at the Albany Institute of History and Art. In 1910, four years after construction was completed, the house was featured in a publication called The Brickbuilder. These photographs of the house appeared in The Brickbuilder.

This may be the most celebrated house in Hudson, and it is certainly the best documented.

In what is being described as "mostly restoration," some troubling changes are now being proposed for the house, mostly notably changes in the fenestration. A bay window is being proposed for the principal bedroom, as well as the addition of large windows in the part of the house where the kitchen is located.

Also proposed is the application of a limewash to mask the "patching" in the brick that has been done over the years.

During the public hearing, Matt McGhee said he was mostly concerned about the proposed bay window, calling it "a huge departure from the original intent of the building." He argued that "the back facade accounts for quite a bit and should be maintained." He reiterated that the bay window was "totally out of character with the original intent of the building" and said of the proposed changes to the fenestration, "Disrupting the original intent and appearance to this degree is inappropriate." He also expressed concern about "the degree you intend to wash over the brick."

Discussing the proposal, HPC member Paul Barrett said he agreed with McGhee regarding the bay window. Phil Forman, who chairs the HPC, commented that it was "not in the vocabulary and style of the building." Miranda Barry noted the bay window would be "highly visible." Kim Wood, who now serves as the architect member of the HPC, suggested there were "other strategies and approaches that might be more appropriate." Barrett also questioned the limewash proposed for the brick. It was decided that the applicant should respond to the concerns raised in the public hearing and by the HPC. That response is expected to happen at tomorrow's meeting of the HPC. Forman expressed the hope that "HPC input is encouraging not discouraging."

The HPC meets tomorrow, Friday, May 12, 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. 

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Dedicating the Lafayette Marker

On Saturday, a front page article in the Catskill Daily Mail about plans to dedicate the marker at the Greene County Courthouse commemorating the bicentennial of Lafayette's Farewell Tour inspired Gossips to wonder about a similar marker to be installed in Hudson: "The Bicentennial of Lafayette's Farewell Tour." 

As it turned out, our Lafayette marker had already been installed in Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, but there remained questions about if and when it would be dedicated.

Last night, Virginia Martin contacted Gossips to share this information:

We at the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the DAR have been notified that the unveiling of the historic sign will take place at the Henry Hudson Riverfront Park Tuesday at 10 a.m.

Although it appears it has not been announced anywhere as yet, Hudson's Lafayette marker will be dedicated on Tuesday, May 16, at 10:00 a.m. You read it here first.

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More Hyperbole from the Register-Star

At the beginning of 2022, when Mayor Kamal Johnson appointed Theresa Joyner to chair the Planning Board, the Register-Star declared her "the first woman and the first woman of color to lead the city Planning Board." While the latter part of the statement was true, the former certainly wasn't. Until only six months prior to Joyner's appointment, the Planning Board was chaired by Betsy Gramkow, and Judy Meyer chaired the Planning Board, then a Planning Commission, in the first decade of the 21st century.

Today, the Register-Star is hailing Mishanda Franklin, who will succeed Ed Moore as police chief, as "the first person of color and the first woman to lead the Hudson Police Department." Again, the Register-Star is too lavish with its firsts. While Franklin will be Hudson's first woman chief of police, she is not the first person of color to serve in that role. Ellis Richardson was chief of the Hudson Police Department for more than a decade, retiring in 2013.

Ellis Richardson

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CLC Seeking to Acquire Land in North Bay

In 2011, the Columbia Land Conservancy (CLC) published its master concept plan for the area along the river on Hudson's north side called North Bay Recreation and Natural Area. The plan outlined a proposal to transform the capped landfill at the north end of Second Street and the surrounding open space of tidal wetlands and grassland habitat into a "public park and conservation area that will offer exceptional beauty, the natural resources of the Hudson River estuary, education about human settlement and industry along the river, and access to a trail network covering potentially 1,000 acres, all within walking distance of downtown Hudson."

More than a decade has passed since CLC published its master concept plan for North Bay, and in that time nothing has happened to make the plan a reality, but this morning, at the Industrial Development Agency (IDA) meeting, Gossips learned that the CLC is looking to pursue its plan for North Bay by acquiring a parcel of land along the river currently owned by the Hudson IDA. On the map below, C marks the parcel owned by the IDA, which comprises about 39 acres of tidal wetland and about 14 acres of undeveloped upland and extends from the river east across Second Street to abut Charles Williams Park.  

(On the map above, A is the landfill area; B is the location of Harney & Sons Tea; D is Charles Williams Park; and E is City-owned property on which the Hudson Dog Park is located.)

The following is quoted from the proposal presented by the CLC to the Hudson IDA:

In 2011, the Columbia Land Conservancy, with support from the City of Hudson and Columbia County created a Concept Master Plan for the North Bay Recreation and Natural Area. The plan focused on creating greater public access to this ecologically rich area that also provides incredible recreational and scenic values to the residents of Hudson. The North Bay area has been a community resource for many years. This is exemplified in the 2002 Hudson Comprehensive Plan that calls for a trail network at the North Bay, and the City’s Local Waterfront Revitalization Plan (LWRP) also endorses this vision. 

Unfortunately, this vision has been held up due to concerns with leeching around the base of the landfill. Various experts have indicated there are no environmental hazards associated with this leeching; however, concerns exist and no approval has been provided to create access across the landfill base. Instead of looking for alternatives, no work has occurred to advance the vision and it has prevented years of greater access to the outdoors. 

Today we come to you with an alternative proposal that will allow a portion of this vision to move forward. The original vision always included a trail from Charles Williams Park to the Greenport Conservation Area as well as a loop to 2nd Street and the 2nd Street dog park. . . . Most of this trail would be built on lands now owned by the City of Hudson IDA (tax parcel: 110.5-1-1.2). This land has sat vacant for many years and includes a mix of tidal marshes and upland green space. 

Our proposal is for the Hudson IDA to donate or bargain sale this property to the Columbia Land Conservancy. The Columbia Land Conservancy will work with Build Hudson, a local workforce training program, to design and build a trail from Charles Williams Park to the Greenport Conservation Area, realizing a significant portion of the vision for a trail network on this land. CLC will commit to additional fundraising to ensure the long-term care of this property including trail maintenance, educational signage, and future expansion of the trail network including the potential of an ADA trail on adjacent lands–all at no cost to the City of Hudson. 

The trail development being proposed at this time, leading directly from Charles Williams Park to the Greenport Conservation Area, passing along the base of the landfill, is outlined in red on the concept plan below. This map was part of the master concept plan published in 2011, which explains why the Hudson Dog Park does not appear on the map. 

At today's meeting, the IDA agreed to do an appraisal of the parcel to determine fair market value, which is a necessary first step in pursuing the proposal.

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Coming Up Next Month

If rescuing, fostering, and adopting dogs in need is something you care about, there's an event coming up in June that you should add to your calendar.

On Sunday, June 18, which is Father's Day, Pooches Out of Puerto Rico (POOPR), a local not-for-profit that rescues dogs from the streets and high-risk shelters of Puerto Rico and transports them to the Northeast, is holding a Dog Adoption Day, from noon to 5:00 p.m., at Henry Hudson Riverfront Park. Several activities are being planned for the afternoon--among them, a vintage car show, a kids' craft table, dog training questions and answers, information about the dog crisis in Puerto Rico--but the central feature of the event and its raison d’être will be the puppies and dogs, rescued from homelessness and distress, who need safe and loving furever homes. So, if you're open to having a sweet little pup steal your heart and fill your life with unconditional love, mark your calendar and plan to attend POOPR's Dog Adoption Day on Sunday, June 18.

News with a Hudson Connection

The Albany Business Review reported yesterday that the owners of Common Roots Brewing Co. in Glens Falls are under contract to purchase CH Evans Brewery at the Albany Pump Station from owner Neil Evans: "Common Roots plans to expand with Albany acquisition."

Neil Evans is a direct descendant of the Evanses who for more than a century brewed beer in Hudson. The article in the Albany Business Review shares this information:

Neil Evans, the owner of CH Evans Brewery, brought his family's historic brand back to life in 1999 when he opened the brewery in the original water pump station in Albany. The original CH Evans brewery started operations in 1786 in Hudson and the company operated up until prohibition in 1920, producing as much as 65,000 barrels in 1915. CH Evans produced about 550 barrels in 2022.

In 2012, Gossips published "A History of the C. H. Evans Brewery," researched and written by Walter G. Ritchie, Jr. That history, which is recommended reading, reports that the brewery was a "thriving and prominent company in Hudson, reputedly producing he finest ales in the northeastern United States." It provides this statistic for comparison: "By 1886, the company produced 550 barrels of ale per day."

C. H. Evans & Sons Brewery, 1900-1910. Historic Hudson. Rowles Studio Collection

Neil Evans' niece, Kelley Drahushuk, is the proprietor of Spotty Dog Books & Ale, the bookstore and bar (serving Evans ale) located in the building that was constructed in 1889 as the truck house for Hudson's third fire company, founded in 1799. The fire company was renamed C. H. Evans Hook & Ladder Co. in 1868 to honor its patron, Cornelius H. Evans. 

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Farewell, Chief Moore

At the informal Common Council meeting tonight, Chief Ed Moore made his final report to the Council.

Moore's report took the form of a letter, which he distributed to each councilmember and, after the meeting, shared with Gossips. The letter began in this way:

On April 24 I gave notice of my intent to retire from public service at the close of business on May 19 after my appointment as your police chief 10 years ago. Accordingly this will be my last presentation to our City Council. I am proud that over the last decade I have attended nearly all of the 120 or so police committee & informal meetings--I believe I have missed 2. From the beginning I have routinely delivered statistics and highlighted important events that impacted our city as well as your police department. I believe this transparency has kept our public informed and has better equipped our council to address the changing needs and concerns of our city.

We have been through a lot over the last 10 years. We moved our station after over 100 years on Warren Street. We lost Bill Wrigley. We had lively debates about SWAT, use of force and police reform, ICE and Sanctuary City, and drug raids. We came through a rough and violent 2017, as well as a pandemic. We also dealt with a frozen mannequin, bears, and the occasional wayward moose. Through it all your officers remained faithful to their duty--answering their calls and working those extra hours that all this demanded.

The Police Commissioner has informed me that Lt. Mishanda Franklin will be taking over as our new chief. I have full trust and confidence that Mishanda will complete her duties with the utmost integrity with a passion for the well-being of our citizens and our officers. Many here know that she is a product of this city and can personally attest to her intelligence, integrity, and kindness. All attributes that will serve her well in her new position. She will succeed in making this department better.

Moore's letter acknowledged examples of "underperformance" in his decade of service (there were three) before inventorying the many accomplishments. Among the former was this:

It was my hope back in 2013 that we could create a sustained highly visible foot patrol. While foot patrol hours were increased, we are still not at the level that I think the public would fully appreciate. Data shows us that a foot patrol doesn't necessarily prevent crime dramatically--for example during two violent shootings (10/13/17 and 5/16/20) our foot patrols were actively patrolling just a few yards from the incidents. Recently, foot patrols were in the area and close by then shots were fired on Columbia Street (01/23/23) and when The Maker's window was shot out (12/10/22). However we still acknowledge foot patrols enhance the person-to-person relationship with our citizens as well as addressing minor quality of life issues.

Moore's letter also addressed his concerns for the future, among them this:

The Council should look to remove 26 officer cap for HPD (C19-14, LL 2-2013). Looking to future, new large housing/apartment development will create a corresponding increase in calls for service. This will require more officers to answer calls. HPD has averaged 7,286 calls per year over the past 10 years with no severe fluctuations. This is a base line number that we should monitor. We should also look to lift C20-3 residency limit (20 miles) so we do not limit our already shrinking officer candidate pool.

Moore's last day as chief of the Hudson Police Department is Friday, May 19. Mishanda Franklin will be sworn in as chief of police on Monday, May 22, at 9:oo a.m.

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SPOUT Exhibition Opens on Thursday

Half a century ago, around the time that Urban Renewal reimagined much of Hudson, the city's business owners banded together to form an organization called SPOUT to counteract the effect of the strip malls cropping up in Greenport and bring people and their custom to Hudson. The acronym, meant to acknowledge Hudson's whaling roots, stood for Society to Promote Our Unique Town.

Formed in 1975, SPOUT launched a fairly robust program intended to attract visitors from near and far to Hudson. It was during the SPOUT era that Hudson street signs gained the little whale icon.

Much memorabilia from that era has found its way to the History Room at the Hudson Area Library, and the History Room staff and members of the History Room Committee have assembled it into an exhibition entitled "From Elvis to Action Windows: When SPOUT Brought Hudson Alive." The exhibition opens this Thursday, May 11, at 6:00 p.m., with a reception that includes a talk about the era as well as wine, cheese, and Talbott & Arding whale cookies. Come prepared to spend some money. SPOUT-related merchandise, designed by Kelley Drahushuk and Alan Coon, co-owners of Spotty Dog Books & Ale, and featuring the iconic SPOUT whale logo, will be for sale at the event.

Drahushuk, a member of the History Room Committee and co-curator with Gary Sheffer of the exhibition, describes it as "a great way for people to learn . . . how Hudson of the SPOUT era reflects what was going on in the country at large during the time of urban renewal and the rise of shopping malls and chain retail."

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Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

It appears that this weekend's lovely weather will continue into the week ahead. On the meeting front, here is what's happening.

• On Monday, May 8, the Common Council holds its informal meeting at 6:00 p.m. Of interest on the agenda are two resolutions amending the city charter as it pertains for the Fire Department. Both resolutions, which can be found here and here, have to do with residency requirements for volunteer firefighters. 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 Tuesday, May 9, the Planning Board holds its monthly meeting at 6:00 p.m. The agenda for the meeting has not yet has published. The meeting is 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, May 10, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) meets at 9:30 a.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at 1 City Centre, Suite 301, and Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• Also on Wednesday, May 10, Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency meets at 4:30 p.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.
• On Friday, May 12, 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.
• On Saturday, May 13, it's the annual Mad Hatters' Parade. The parade starts out at 2:00 p.m. from the Hudson Area Library, 51 North Fifth Street, and makes its way to Promenade Hill, where its ETA is 3:oo p.m. The parade route is found below. More information can be found here.

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The Bicentennial of Lafayette's Farewell Tour

HudsonValley 360 has an article today about the plans to dedicate a Lafayette marker on the lawn of the Greene County Courthouse in Catskill on Tuesday, May 16: "Catskill to mark visit of Revolutionary War hero." 

Washington and Lafayette at the Battle of Yorktown, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Center, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Hudson is to get a similar marker, to be installed at the waterfront, but it is not known when that will happen or if there will be any ceremony to mark the occasion. Gossips has posted a couple of times about Lafayette's visit to Hudson on September 17, 1824, and the differing accounts of what transpired. Those posts can be read here and here. It seems Hudson had made elaborate plans to welcome the hero, but time constraints prevented him from participating in most or all (depending on the account you read) of the festivities. For this reason, Hudson's Lafayette Trail marker will be positioned at the waterfront, where Lafayette would have arrived and departed, perhaps not even disembarking from the steamer James Kent, which was carrying him up the river to Albany.

Update: No sooner had this post been published than a reader contacted me to say that the Lafayette marker has already been installed in Henry Hudson Riverfront Park. When it was placed there is not known--not known to Gossips, that is.

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News from the Truck Route Committee

At Thursday night's meeting of the ad hoc Truck Route Committee, Margaret Morris (First Ward), who chairs the committee, proposed a first step in easing the truck traffic that passes through Hudson: eliminating the Route 9G/23B truck route through the city.

Morris pointed out that the Route 9G/23B truck route, the second in Hudson, didn't always exist. It was created in the early 1980s to accommodate L&B Furniture, which was located in the vast building behind Basilica Hudson now known as "The Warehouse." L&B received a substantial PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) when it relocated to Hudson, and for decades the City felt compelled to prop it up with foregone taxes. In 2020, Gossips reported: 

In September 2002, the Common Council waived all past due PILOT payments for L&B Furniture--payments that probably amounted to tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars. The action was taken "to insure the operation would continue" and "to keep manufacturing jobs in the City of Hudson." The resolution that accomplished that can be found on pages 286-287 of the Council minutes for 2002.   

Despite the City's efforts to keep it alive, L&B went out of business in 2008, but the truck route created for its benefit remained. Given that the truck route has lost its original raison d’être, the City should be able to make a good case for eliminating it with the Department of Transportation.

Of course, eliminating the Route 9G/23B truck route may have the effect of increasing truck traffic on Route 9 as it passes through Hudson, entering the city on Worth Avenue, turning left onto Warren Street, then right onto Park Place, then right onto Columbia, and continuing on Green Street. 

The hope, however, is that, denied access to Route 9G, trucks coming off the Rip Van Winkle Bridge headed for the malls in Greenport or points beyond will continue on Route 23 until they get to 9H instead of threading the needle through Hudson on Route 9. But there is no guarantee of that. At last night's meeting, Jason Foster, who lives on Green Street, opined that creating more conflict in some ways is a good thing.

Council president Tom DePietro, who lives on Worth Avenue, said he personally was not opposed to eliminating the Route 9G/23B truck route, but he was concerned for his neighbors. "That's asking us to bear a lot," he told the committee. He went on to predict, "If you propose this, [my neighbors] will be up in arms."

Linda Mussmann, Fourth Ward supervisor, who is a member of the committee, acknowledged what was being proposed would be good for the Fourth Ward but at the price of "making other neighbors miserable." She expressed the opinion that there needed to be a public hearing on the issue.

Abdus Miah, Second Ward supervisor, took issue with Mussmann, reminding her that relief from trucks traveling on Columbia Street through the Second and Fourth wards was what they had been fighting for. "We can't make everybody happy," said Miah. "We want to solve the problem." DePietro commented, "It's making some people happy at the expense of other people."

In the end, it was decided to pursue the idea of eliminating one of Hudson's two truck routes, the one that enters the city from the south on Third Street, goes up Columbia Street to Green Street, and continues on Green Street until it exits the city.

COPYRIGHT 2023 CAROLE OSTERINK

Of Interest

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports today in the Times Union that Claire Cousin, currently serving as First Ward supervisor, intends to challenge Didi Barrett for her seat in the State Assembly: "Didi Barrett to be challenged from left in Assembly primary." Cousin made the announcement yesterday afternoon during a protest at Barrett's Poughkeepsie office.

Photo: Roger Hannigan Gilson | Times Union

Cousin's announcement is especially interesting in light of the fact that in February, when announcing his intention to run for reelection, Mayor Kamal Johnson indicated that he was "keeping the door open" to challenging Barrett for the Assembly seat: "Johnson announces reelection bid and does not rule out Assembly run."

COPYRIGHT 2023 CAROLE OSTERINK