A Holiday Tradition Returns

Once again, the Hudson-Athens Lighthouse has been festooned with lights for the winter season, as has been a tradition for more than a quarter of a century.

A crew of fifteen volunteers, led by Mike Coon and Bill Palmer, worked for more than seventy hours to string approximately 1,600 feet of lights with 5,000 bulbs--all powered by solar. The lights are on every day from 3:45 p.m. to midnight.

The best views of the illumined lighthouse are from Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, the lower end of Mt. Merino Road as you round the curve toward the bottom of the hill, and Athens Village Riverfront Park. 

As in the past, the lights are sponsored by the Bank of Greene County.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health released its numbers earlier today. Since yesterday, there have been 7 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, 15 county residents have recovered from the virus. There is 1 fewer county resident 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 yesterday.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 42 new cases of COVID-19 from Saturday to Monday. The total number of cases was 5,658, and the number of active cases was 118. There were 187 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 105.

More Trains Between Hudson and NYC

In case you missed the news, the Kingston Freeman reported on Saturday that, beginning December 5, there will be two more trains coming from and returning to New York City: "Amtrak adds two additional roundtrip trains between Mid-Hudson Valley and New York City."

Photo: New York by Rail

Ear to the Ground

Gossips has learned that our local newspaper, the Register-Star, was taken to court this morning by its former landlord, Eight Iron Buildings, Inc., which owns One City Centre, for nonpayment of rent. 

It will be remembered that in 2012, Hudson Valley Newspapers, now known as Columbia-Greene Media, sold its historic building on Warren Street to Galvan Partners LLC for $750,000 and moved to offices in One City Centre, entering into a ten-year lease with the owner of the building. The agreed-upon rent for the space was $6,000 a month. The lease commenced on June 1, 2012, and was to terminate on May 31, 2022. Columbia-Greene Media, however, moved out of One City Centre and back to its old digs, now as the tenant of Galvan Civic I, in January 2021.

According to the complaint filed with the court, Columbia-Greene Media breached the terms of its lease early in 2020 by failing to make timely rent payments. In August 2020, the newspaper started making partial monthly rent payments of $3,000 a month. In September 2020, Columbia-Greene Media told its landlord it intended to vacate the offices at One City Center by January 1, 2021, one year and four months before the conclusion of the lease. The landlord, Eight Iron Buildings, Inc., is now seeking approximately $117,720 in past due rent, late fees, and future rent payments under the original lease agreement.

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Auction Tomorrow at Stair Galleries

Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., Stair Galleries is auctioning property from the collection of Joan Didion, an auction called An American Icon. 

Photo: Chronogram

You can preview the collection today at Stair Galleries, 549 Warren Street, or you can read this article about it by Jamie Larsen, which appeared in Chronogram: "Lots from a Literacy Icon: The Joan Didion Collection on Auction at Stair Galleries."

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Thursday, November 10, there has been another death from COVID-19 and 20 new cases. The number of active cases being reported today is 9 fewer than on Thursday, from which it can be inferred that, since Thursday, 28 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 2 more county residents hospitalized today than on Thursday, and 1 more is in the ICU. 

A year ago today, November 14 was a Sunday, and the CCDOH did not report COVID numbers. On the previous Saturday, November 13, the CCDOH reported 22 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,616, and the number of active cases was 100. There were 246 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 2 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 105.

Meetings of Interest in the Week Ahead

The unseasonably warm November days are behind us, and those ahead promise to feel more like late autumn. As we move closer to winter, here's what's happening on the meeting front.

• On Tuesday, November 15, Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) meets at 9:30 a.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join remotely. 
• At 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, November 15, there is a public hearing on the proposed budget for 2023. The budget can be found here. The hearing will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join remotely.
• Also on Tuesday, November 15, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting at 6:00 p.m. Among the resolutions on the agenda is one to accept the Climate Adaptive Design Phase II Preliminary Design Report for Henry Hudson Riverfront Park. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join remotely.

• On Wednesday, November 16, the Zoning Board of Appeals meets at 6:oo p.m. The meeting is in person only at City Hall.
• On Thursday, November 17, at 6:15 p.m., the Common Council holds a special meeting to vote on the proposed budget for 2023. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join remotely.
• On Friday, November 18, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

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Benefit Concert on Saturday

The Hudson Festival Orchestra, which presented Hudson in Concert at the waterfront last July, is having a benefit concert on Saturday, November 19, at 2:00 p.m., at the First Presbyterian Church.

The concert will feature video highlights of last summer's Hudson in Concert event and music from pianist and composer Timothy Dunne, who will be performing etudes and ballades of Frederic Chopin.

Those attending the concert are asked to support the Hudson Festival Orchestra and become a Friend of HFO by making a tax-deductible donation of any amount. Click here for more information.

Talking About Hudson's Historic Parks

In the latest History Room on Zoom, Gary Sheffer speaks with Gail Wittwer-Laird of Starr Whitehouse Landscape Architects and Planners about the recently redesigned plaza at Promenade Hill, the ongoing plans for the Public Square, and the proposal for Bronson Park, the landscape that surrounds the National Historic Landmark Dr. Oliver Bronson House on the grounds of the Hudson Correctional Facility. The conversation can be viewed here.

Waiting on the Ferry Street Bridge

Periodically, this post pops up on the Hudson Area Community Board Facebook page. 

I am fairly sure the person who posted this is not a Gossips reader, but since some of the folks reacting to it may be, I offer this update.

The Ferry Street Bridge is a bridge over the railroad tracks, so there are a lot of agencies involved in its replacement, most notably Amtrak and the NYS Department of Transportation. The process of replacing the bridge has been going on since 2016, when Mayor Tiffany Martin announced that funds had been secured to rebuild the bridge.

Here's where things stand now, according to Rob Perry, superintendent of the Department of Public Works. The issue holding things up at this point is an impasse between National Grid and Amtrak. In order to build the new bridge, a new utility pole has to be installed on Amtrak property, and a new gas main needs to be installed. Both require utility easements. The NYS Department of Transportation will not allow the City of Hudson to put the project out for bid until all utility agreements are signed. As Perry described the situation in his report to the Common Council last Monday, "That's the predicament we are in right now. Stuck between utilities and the railroads."

As an aside, this is the Facebook profile picture of the person whose post on Facebook inspired this update.

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Not So Long Ago in Hudson

A couple of weeks ago, Gossips shared these pictures, taken in 1985, showing the oil tanks that used to be on our waterfront, occupying the space that is now Henry Hudson Riverfront Park as well as the now vacant parcels north of the Dunn warehouse.

The photographs were provided by John Cody, who also provided these newspaper clippings about a group of Russian mobsters who were the last to utilize the tanks. According to the first clipping, which appeared in the New York Post on July 24, 1986, bootlegged gasoline was being stored in these tanks on Hudson's waterfront. 

The sixth paragraph of the clipping above reads:

The Post reported last week that the Hudson tank farm leased from Jolana has secretly stored 700,000 gallons of gasoline near a busy Amtrak station.

The following article provides some background information on the seven who were involved in the bootleg gas scandal. You can click on the image to enlarge it, or read the transcription of the article that follows.

"Soviet bloc" mobsters have taken root in Brooklyn's Brighton Beach section and have resorted to murder at least eight times in recent years, state and city authorities confirmed yesterday.

Working with traditional organized crime families in the metropolitan area, they are believed to have helped fleece the federal and state government of up to $90 million in gasoline excise and sales taxes in the past six years.

Edward McDonald, chief of the federal Organized Crime Task Force, said several members of "the "Brighton Beach mob" were key figures in the largest sweep of gasoline bootleggers in U.S. history.

Three of the seven gasoline dealers nabbed yesterday have been identified by Post sources as members of the Brighton Beach gang.

The mob's threat is so real that the city's Police Dept. Intelligence Division has formed a special unit assigned to the Soviet criminal network.

Sgt. Bill O'Connor, a member of the unit, said the Russian mobsters are deeply involved with "diamond schemes, gas scandals, extortion, arson, narcotics, credit card schemes and anything that will make money."  

He said most are criminals who were allowed to leave the Soviet Union after pretending to be persecuted Jewish citizens.

O'Connor compared them to Cuban prisoners who "immigrated" here under false pretenses after being released by Fidel Castro.

"They're criminals who used that [persecution] as an excuse" to enter America.

He said Russian gangsters prefer to remain loosely affiliated rather than grouping around strong "godfather" leaders common to traditional crime families.

"I don't think they will organize like the Mafia," O'Connor said. "There's no real strongman who can emerge in that group."

Soviet-bloc mobsters who have settled in Brighton Beach, which is affectionately known as "Little Odessa," have joined forces with traditional crime families, O'Connor said, because "it would be difficult for any group to operate without" their permission.

"They have to get closer to the Mafia to do business, to get along, to make money," and to learn mass marketing techniques.

One of the gas scam defendants charged yesterday, Joseph Galizia, is a suspected member of the Genovese crime family.

Nathan Riley, a spokesman for Attorney General Robert Abrams, said Russian gangsters have teamed up with refugees from Poland, Hungary, and other East Bloc countries.

They have quickly mastered the American system, Riley said, because of expertise acquired in dealings with the "very substantial underground economy in the Soviet Union."

He said the temptation is even greater in the U.S.--where constitutional rights are protected--than in the Soviet Union "where penalties are much more severe."

Those were the good old days. 

It should be remembered that in 1984 there was a plan to site an oil refinery on Hudson's waterfront--a plan that the mayor at the time and the chair of the Hudson Community Development Office considered "a matter of economic survival for Hudson." Thanks to Sam Pratt, who made this article from Hudson Valley Magazine available on his blog, you can read all about it here.

Native American Heritage Month in Hudson

November is Native American Heritage Month. In observance of the month, Mayor Kamal Johnson has announced Indigenous Dialogues, a series of six conversation events with Native cultural leaders, scholars, and artists, taking place throughout the month of November.

Friday, November 11, at 1:00 p.m.

Jeffrey Gibson and Heather Bruegl in Conversation

Time & Space Limited, 434 Columbia Street

Monday, November 14, at 6 p.m.

Lenapehoking--Return of the Lenape to Their Indigenous Homeland

with Curtis Zunigha, Co-director of Cultural Affairs at the Lenape Center

Basilica Hudson Gallery, 110 South Front Street

Friday, November 18, at 6 p.m.

Thanksgivingtaking: You Cannot Give Thanks for What Is Stolen

with Joseph Pierce, Associate Professor of Hispanic Languages and Literature at Stony Brook University

Time & Space Limited, 434 Columbia Street

Sunday, November 20, at 2 p.m.

She's Gone Missing: The Epidemic of MMIW 

with Heather Bruegl and the Red Sand Project

Window on Hudson, 43 South Third Street

Tuesday, November 22, at 6:00 p.m.

Collaborating with Native American Communities

with Dr. Meranda Roberts

Virtual

Monday, November 28, at 6:00 p.m.

What's Going on in NDN Country?

with Dr. Joe Stahlman, Seneca Indian Museum

Virtual

This series, along with the celebration of Indigenous Peoples' Day that took place on October 10, were funded by $7,000 transferred from the City's fund balance.

Hudson Observes Veterans Day

For those who missed the Veterans Day Parade this morning, you can watch it on YouTube courtesy of Chris Bellingham.

News of the 2023 Budget

In a special meeting that lasted all of six minutes, Mayor Kamal Johnson presented the proposed budget for 2023 to the Common Council earlier tonight.

The good news for property owners is that there will be no tax increase. This is attributed to "the strong performance of sales tax, lodging tax, and other revenue sources." 

Mayor Johnson quoted Council president Tom DePietro as saying this was "the smoothest budget season in history" and explained it was "due in part to department heads understanding the needs of their departments and their commitment to our city."

Johnson told the Council that ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds were being used to pay for a new finance, budgeting, and billing system. He explained that mayor's aide was now a full-time position because there were thirteen capital projects requiring oversight, hence the increase in salary for the position. He also noted that the salary for the housing justice manager was "fully funded by the Housing Trust Fund." DePietro later clarified that the money was coming from the ADLN (Anti-Displacement Learning Network) grant. 

Johnson spoke of "a greater commitment to our parks, with the inclusion of funding for trees, soil, and landscape architect consultants."

The entire presentation can be viewed here.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 11 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 1 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 12 county residents have recovered from the virus. There is 1 fewer county resident hospitalized today than yesterday, and 1 of those hospitalized is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County for a week, not since Thursday, November 3. 

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 11 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,562, and the number of active cases was 85. There were 223 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 4 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 105.

News from the HPD

Gossips received the following press release from the Hudson Police Department.

On Wednesday, November 9, 2022, at approximately 4:50 p.m., the Hudson Police Department arrested 32-year-old Malcolm D. McNeil of New York City. McNeil was charged with Robbery 3rd Degree - a class E felony and Resisting Arrest - a class A misdemeanor.

On Monday, October 9, 2022, at around 4:15 p.m., a 57-year-old Hudson resident called the Hudson Police Department to report that a man had stolen his money while he was at a convenience store located at 2nd and Warren Street. The suspect grabbed a $160.00 in cash from the victim’s hand and refused to give it back. The suspect then left the store with the money. HPD patrols and detectives reviewed the store video and recognized the suspect from previous contacts. A short time later Det. Sgt. Jason Finn spotted and confronted McNeil at the Hudson Amtrak station. He resisted arrest and ran up Allen Street. Det. Sgt. Finn was able to apprehend the suspect after a brief struggle. No one, including the victim, was injured during the incident. It is believed that the suspect was planning to leave the area. 

McNeil was arraigned by Judge Connor at the Hudson City Court. He was remanded to the Columbia County Jail with no bail based on the fact McNeil had two previous violent felony convictions for Robbery 1st (2013) and Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd degree, a loaded firearm (2008). McNeil will return to court on November 10, 2022, at 9:00am. McNeil is currently on New York State Parole.  

“I commend Det. Sgt. Finn, a 22-year veteran of HPD, for his alertness and dedication to duty. He was able to locate and safely apprehend a dangerous suspect. Quick action kept other Hudson citizens from being victimized.” Chief

At the Library Tonight

At 6 p.m. today, the Hudson Area Library, in collaboration with the FASNY Museum of Firefighting and the Greenport Historical Society, presents a lecture on the museum's current exhibition celebrating the 200th birthday of Harry Howard, chief of New York City's volunteer fire department from 1857 to 1860.

The exhibition, which features artwork and documents from the age of Harry Howard, recounts his life, accomplishments, and philanthropy, and tells of his legacy as it relates to Hudson, the city that named a street for him.

The lecture takes place in person only in the Community Room at the library, 51 North Fifth Street.

COVID-19 Update

After taking Election Day off, the Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Monday, there have been 27 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 8 fewer than on Monday, from which it can be inferred that, since Monday, 35 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents hospitalized and in the ICU remains the same today as on Monday. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Thursday, November 3.    

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported a death from COVID-19 and 15 new cases. The total number of cases was 5,551, and the number of active cases was 86. There were 208 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 105.

The Morning After

Last night, Kathy Hochul and Antonio Delgado delivered victory speeches at the Capitale in lower Manhattan, where there is a glass ceiling. If you missed it last night, you can hear Hochul's victory speech here.

Republican Lee Zeldin has yet to concede. It has been reported that he indicated last night he intended to wait until all the votes had been counted. The votes in the governor's race now being reported in Columbia County, with affidavit and absentee ballots yet to be counted, are 15,613 for Hochul and Delgado; 13,438 for Zeldin and Alison Esposito.

Update: Lee Zeldin conceded at midday on Wednesday, twelve hours after Hochul delivered her victory speech.

In three races of interest to us--U.S. House, NYS Senate, and NYS Assembly--neither the NY Times nor the Times Union have so far reported winners. In the U.S. House, with 95 percent of the votes in Republican Marc Molinaro leads with 51.1 percent of the vote, and Democrat Josh Riley has 48.9 percent of the vote. Of the eleven counties that make up the 19th Congressional District, Riley won in three: Columbia, Ulster, and Tompkins, where Ithaca is located. In Columbia County, the vote so far is 15,598 for Riley and 13,263 for Molinaro.

Update: The Times Union is now identifying Marc Molinaro as the winner in the 19th Congressional District, with 95.4 percent of the votes counted. 

A winner has not yet been reported in the race for NYS Senate in the 41st District. With 95 percent of the votes in, Democrat Michelle Hinchey has 52 percent of the votes and Republican Sue Serino has 48 percent. In Columbia County, Hinchey has 15,438 votes, and Serino has 13,285 votes.

Update: The New York Times is now identifying Michelle Hinchey as the winner.

In the race for NYS State Assembly, a winner has not yet been reported in the 106th District, but with 83 percent of the votes counted, Democrat Didi Barrett has 54 percent of the votes, and Republican Brandon Gaylord has 46 percent. In Columbia County, Barrett has 11,228 votes, and Gaylord has 8,132.

Update: On Wednesday, Brandon Gaylord conceded in a statement on Facebook, and Didi Barrett made a victory announcement, also on Facebook.

The New York State ballot proposition--the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022--now has 69 percent of the votes in favor and 31 opposed. In Columbia County the vote was 17,551 in favor and 10,194 opposed.

In Hudson, Proposition 1, amending ward boundaries to maintain wards of equal population, passed 1,328 to 383, and Proposition 2, increasing the annual funding for the Hudson Area Library from $250,000 to $350,000, passed 1,442 to 387.

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Looking Ahead to 2023

On Thursday, November 10, there is a special Common Council meeting at 6:00 p.m. to receive and consider the proposed budget for 2023. The budget can now be viewed online here. All the original budget requests from the various departments can be viewed here. 

There are a few things in the budget that are worthy of note. Last year, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA)--the mayor, the Council president, and the treasurer--raised the mayor's annual salary from $60,000 to $75,000. This year, they are recommending the salary of the mayor's aide be increased from $35,000 a year to $55,000. 

The request for an $80,000 salary for Housing Justice Director Michelle Tullo survived the BEA review, but the request for $50,000 for the Housing Trust Fund did not. That amount was reduced by half to $25,000.

Also, only $250,000 has been budgeted for the Hudson Area Library, so if Proposition 2 passes tonight, the BEA will have to find an additional $100,000 somewhere to meet that obligation.  

Thursday's special meeting will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join remotely. 

A public hearing on the budget has been scheduled for Tuesday, November 15, at 5:30 p.m., and a special meeting of the Common Council to vote on adopting the budget has been scheduled for Thursday, November 17, at 6:15 p.m.

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It's Election Day!

The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The poll sites for Hudson residents are:

• First, Second, and Third wards--St. Mary's Academy, 301 Allen Street
• Fourth Ward--County Office Building, 401 State Street
• Fifth Ward--Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street

To view the sample ballot before you get to the polls, click here. To learn about the three propositions on the back of the ballot, click here and here. To find poll sites in Columbia County outside of Hudson, click here.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Friday, there have been 44 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 5 more than on Friday, from which it can be inferred that, since Friday, 41 county residents have recovered from the virus. There is 1 more county resident hospitalized today than on Friday, and, as on Friday, none is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Thursday, November 3.

A year ago, November 7 was a Sunday, and the CCDOH did not report COVID numbers. On the previous Saturday, November 6, the CCDOH reported 11 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,508, and the number of active cases was 80. There were 202 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 6 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.

Urban Renewal Revisited

The long-awaited RFQ (request for qualifications) from the Hudson Housing Authority, seeking a development partner "for the planned redevelopment of its entire portfolio of 135 public housing units and to construct additional mixed income units on multiple sites," was released last Thursday. The entire RFQ can be viewed here. 

Newly completed Bliss Towers, in 1973--Photo by Gibson

The following is an excerpt from the Scope of Work that appears in the RFQ:

HHA anticipates (not necessarily in this order): (1) the demolition and new construction of the Bliss Towers and Columbia Apartments Site; (2) the construction of housing units at the Columbia Street Site and State Street Site; and (3) the construction and/or rehabilitation of housing units at the City Owned Sites and any Co-Developer Sites. . . . Respondents are not expected to provide HHA with a proposed scope of work for the Property. HHA anticipates that a final scope of work will be developed collaboratively with HHA, the City and the Selected Respondent. HHA anticipates that the Project will involve the following:

• The HHA anticipates the construction of the Project at the State Street Site and Columbia Street Site will happen first and the Bliss Tower demolition and replacement will occur last subject to any required approvals. HHA will facilitate the relocation of the few remaining tenants at Columbia Apartments and upon completion of the portion of the Project to be built at the State Street Site, the HHA residents in the Columbia Apartments will be given the option to transition their housing to the new development at State Street Site. Upon all units in the Columbia Apartments being vacated, the HHA anticipates the demolition of Columbia Apartments, followed by the construction of the Project at the Columbia Street Site. Once all 135 low-income units have been completed to replace the HHA's existing public housing units and all residents have transitioned from Bliss Tower to the new low-income units, the HHA would anticipate the demolition of Bliss Tower, followed by the redevelopment of the Bliss Tower site as agreed by the Selected Respondent, the HHA and the City through the design charrette process.

According to this scenario, all 135 units currently owned and managed by HHA would be replaced with new structures built on lot at the northwest corner of Second and State streets and on the current site of Columbia Apartments--property currently owned by HHA. Once that has been accomplished, the RFQ makes it clear that HHA intends to expand its portfolio of rental units not only by building on the current site of Bliss Towers, after its demolition, but also by building on the three sites it now has the option to buy from Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA). The following is also quoted from the RFQ:

• In addition to the development of replacement public housing units on the HHA Property, the Project will include the development of additional replacement affordable mixed income housing units on properties currently owned the the City's Hudson Community [Development] and Planning Agency (HCDPA). The HHA and HCDPA have entered into an agreement to make these properties available for acquisition and development by HHA and its selected Development Partner.

The RFQ also contains this curious statement:

• It is anticipated that the Project will be funded in part by a New York State Downtown Revitalization Initiative Grant ("DRI") previously awarded to the City of Hudson. It is HHA's understanding that the City intends to dedicate a portion of its DRI award for the implementation of the Project. When completed, the Project will reflect a collaboration among the HHA, the City and the Selected Respondent to address the long-term affordable housing needs of the City.

It will be recalled that the City, after a long public process, proposed projects to be funded by the $10 million DRI grant, and the projects that would actually be funded and the amount of funding for each were determined by the Department of State and Empire State Development. Among the thirteen projects to receive DRI funding, announced in July 2018, is this:

• Construct Mixed-Use and Mixed-Income Housing on State Street ($800,000)

That's all the DRI money there is for this project. It doesn't seem $800,000 will go very far in paying for the demolition and construction that HHA is proposing.

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Meetings of Interest in the Week Ahead

We have entered the dark days of standard time, and the balmy temperatures of this weekend don't promise to continue much longer. Meanwhile, here is what's happening this week in terms of city meetings and related things.

• On Monday, November 7, the Housing Trust Fund Board meets at 5:00 p.m. The meeting is in person only at City Hall and will have to be over in 45 minutes, because there is another City meeting scheduled for 5:45 p.m. in the same place.
• At 5:45 p.m. on Monday, November 7, the Common Council holds a special meeting to consider a resolution to transfer funds within the Sewer Department accounts. The meeting will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 
• At 6:00 p.m. on Monday, November 7, the Common Council holds its informal meeting for the month. On the agenda for the meeting is a resolution to accept the final preliminary design report created by the Hudson Valley Collaborative and adopt "the recommendations contained therein as a framework to facilitate future improvement to Henry Hudson Riverfront Park." The meeting will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.  

• Tuesday, November 8, is Election Day. The polls are open from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. The poll sites for Hudson residents are:
• First, Second, and Third Wards--St. Mary's Academy, 301 Allen Street
• Fourth Ward--County Office Building, 401 State Street
• Fifth Ward--Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street

To view the sample ballot, click here. To learn about the three propositions on the back of the ballot, click here. To find poll sites in Columbia County outside of Hudson, click here. 

• On Tuesday, November 8, the Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) meets at noon. The meeting will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.  

Update: The HCDPA meeting was canceled. 

• At 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, November 8, the Planning Board holds its monthly meeting. On the agenda are, among other things, the continuation of public hearings on the plans to create a residential subdivision on Hudson Avenue and on the renovation and reuse of the former Community Theatre building at Columbia and Seventh streets and an amendment to the site plan for Return Brewing, 726 Columbia Street. The meeting will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 

Update: The Planning Board meeting has been canceled for want of a quorum.

• On Thursday, November 10, at 6:00 p.m., the Common Council holds at special meeting to receive and consider the proposed city budget for 2023. The meeting will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• On Friday, November 11, the Historic Preservation Commission meets at 10:00 a.m. The city calendar indicates that the meeting will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. November 11 is Veterans Day, and City Hall will be closed that day. Although members of the HPC have made plans to get access to the building, there is no guarantee there will be anyone present who can manage the technology to share the meeting on Zoom. Gossips recommends that those interested in attending the meeting do so in person.

Update: The HPC meeting has been rescheduled for Friday, November 18.
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Hello Darkness, My OId Friend

Today, the sun set at 5:44 p.m. Tomorrow it will set at 4:43 p.m.

It's that time of year again: the return of standard time. Remember to set your clocks back an hour when you go to bed tonight.

Happening Tomorrow

There's still time to brush off your tweeds and polish up your velocipede for the annual Hudson Tweed Ride.

The Hudson Tweed Ride, in the tradition of the annual Tweed Run through the center of London, happens tomorrow, Sunday, November 6. Those participating will gather, dressed in retro style British cycling attire, at Warren and Front street, in the newly redesigned entrance to Promenade Hill, at 3:00 p.m.

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 the same as yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 10 county residents have recovered from the virus. There is 1 fewer county resident hospitalized today than yesterday, and none is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since yesterday. Before yesterday, there had not been a COVID death in Columbia County since October 5.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 10 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,482, and the number of active cases was 85. There were 168 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 6 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.

Early Voting Continues

Early voting continues today through Sunday, November 6. Here's the schedule:

• 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.

The sites for early voting are 401 State Street in Hudson and the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building, 3211 Church Street, in Valatie.

Photo: Hudson Democrats | Facebook

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8. On that day, the polls are open from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. The polling places for Hudson residents are:

• First, Second, and Third Wards: St. Mary's Academy, 301 Allen Street
• Fourth Ward: County Office Building, 401 State Street
• Fifth Ward: Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street

If you live outside Hudson, click here to find your polling site.

Rally on Sunday

On Sunday, November 6, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado will be in Hudson for a Get Out the Vote Rally in Seventh Street Park.

The rally is for Democratic candidates Josh Riley (19th Congressional District), Michelle Hinchey (NY State Senate), and Didi Barrett (NY State Assembly).

A Subtle Message in Graphic Design?

The following was posted on Instagram this morning by HillsdaleHamlet.

Brandon Gaylord, of course, is the Republican who is challenging incumbent Democrat Didi Barrett for a seat in the NYS Assembly.

St. Winifred

Last week, the plaza that is the entrance to Promenade Hill was officially reopened, giving access once again to views of the river and to the statue of St. Winifred, which has been a feature of Promenade Hill since 1896.

A reader just reminded me that today, November 3, is the Feast Day of St. Winifred. For those who don't know the story of St. Winifred, you can find it here on Catholic Online. To honor St. Winifred on her day, you may want to pay her a visit before the sun sets.

Update: Because today is her Feast Day, Joey and I made a visit to Promenade Hill on our afternoon walk to pay homage to St. Winifred.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Although we like to think the pandemic is over, there has been another death from COVID-19 in Columbia County in the past 24 hours. A press release from Matt Murell, chair of the Board of Supervisors, identifies the person who died as "a man in his 80s with comorbidities." Also in the past 24 hours, there have been 21 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 11 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 9 county residents have recovered from the virus. There is 1 fewer county resident hospitalized today than yesterday, and none is in the ICU.   

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 26 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,472, and the number of active cases was 74. There were 120 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 5 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.