Observing Indigenous Peoples Day

Late this afternoon, the following press release was issued regarding an event arranged by the Mayor's office for observing Indigenous Peoples Day in Hudson on Monday.

The office of Mayor Kamal Johnson proudly presents an intimate celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2022 with Native musician, storyteller, artist, and ceremonial space holder Shawn Stevens on October 10, 2022 from 5 to 6:30 pm at the Henry Hudson Riverfront Park, free of charge. All are welcome to attend and encouraged to bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. Light refreshments will be provided. 

Shawn Stevens, also known as Red Eagle, is a tribal member of the Stockbridge-Munsee band of Mohican Indians, whose ancestral homelands cover the area now known as the Berkshires and Hudson River Valley. Stevens is a culture and language helper, storyteller, artist, craftsman, Indigenous medicine practitioner, ceremonial space holder, and musician, specializing in traditional Native American drums, singing, dance, and flute. He is an ordained minister of the Universal Church of Light and a certified facilitator of White Bison’s Mending Broken Hearts. 

This celebration is the first of an upcoming series of events arranged by the Mayor’s office in collaboration with Indigenous historian and decolonial education consultant Heather Breugl that will center on the Native history and present of the region during Native American Heritage Month in November 2022. These events follow the unanimous resolutions of the City of Hudson’s Common Council to designate the second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and May 5, 2022 as National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls in the City of Hudson.

Inquiries or requests regarding accessibility for persons with disabilities may contact Mayoral Aide & ADA Coordinator Michael Hofmann at 518-828-7217 or mayoralaide@cityofhudson.org.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 25 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 12 more than yesterday, from which it was be inferred that, since yesterday, 13 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 3 fewer county residents 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.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 6 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,138, and the number of active cases was 90. There were 278 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 5 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 102.

Happening This Weekend

Next Monday, October 10, is Indigenous Peoples Day, a.k.a. Columbus Day, and this weekend, the city will likely fill up with visitors. On this three-day weekend, which promises to be pleasantly autumnal, there are a couple of events that merit mention.

• Open Studio Hudson, the annual artist studio tour, returns for its third year on Saturday and Sunday, October 8 and 9. More than forty artists are participating this year, exhibiting their work from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day, in their work spaces and at Hudson Hall, 327 Warren Street, and the Flow Chart Foundation, 348 Warren Street. Click here for a complete list of participating artists and for a map of the studio sites.

• On Saturday, October 8, from noon to 2 p.m., the Hudson City Democratic Committee and the Columbia County Democratic Committee sponsor a Rally to Get Out the Vote! The event takes place at Henry Hudson Riverfront Park. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to info@hudsoncitydemocrats.org.

Surprising News

The Hudson City School District announced today that the remainder of the varsity football season, including homecoming, has been canceled. What follows is the press release that made the announcement.

After serious consideration, the Hudson City School District and athletic department has made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of the varsity football season due to lack of eligible participants.

We understand the frustration that may be generated from this action. However, it's important to note that this is the option the district and athletic department selected due to several extenuating circumstances.

The decision stems from active injuries sustained to a few student-athletes, disciplinary and academic ineligibility of other student-athletes, and consideration for the opposing school districts so they have ample time to find a replacement game.

"We as a district empathize with our courageous scholars who gave their all this season, those who are ready and able to play and their faithful fans," Superintendent Dr. Lisamarie Spindler said. 

As many of you know, many school districts state and nationwide have seen declines in participation in all sports, particularly football with recent health studies. Hudson CSD is proud to also offer Cross Country, Golf, Soccer and Volleyball for boys varsity sports during the fall season.

In a proactive attempt to secure future opportunities with the football program, the district is actively seeking a relationship with other districts that are struggling with roster depth. This would be similar in the way the district actively has a merger for its swimming program. 

Bluehawk Sports Complex, the main element of which is the football field,
dedicated in September 2017

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. There may be declarations that the pandemic is over, but people are still dying. The CCDOH reported a death from COVID-19 today and 13 new cases. The number of active cases being reported today is 6 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 6 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.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 10 new cases of COVID-19. There were 252 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 6 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 102.

Another Meeting Canceled

This afternoon, Gossips was notified that tomorrow night's meeting of the Common Council Truck Route Ad Hoc Committee has been canceled. There is no word about the meeting being rescheduled. 

Some History of Activity at the Waterfront

Recently, Sam Pratt brought to Gossips' attention documents found among others he received a few years ago in response to a FOIL request. They reveal some history relevant to the current situation regarding the Planning Board and A. Colarusso and Sons.

Back in October 1996, the Planning Commission granted site plan approval and a conditional use permit to allow salt to be delivered by barge to the dock, then owned by Independent Cement Co., and stored in the building located there. In August 2010, Sarah Sterling, then an alderman representing the First Ward, brought it to the attention of the Common Council that the salt was no longer being delivered by barge but was being trucked in and trucked out. She suggested that the parties involved--then Cargill (the salt operation) and Holcim (owner of the dock)--needed to go back before the Planning Commission for a review of the activities now being conducted at the dock.

Salt being stored at the dock in 2010

Sterling's initiative led to Peter Wurster, then Hudson's code enforcement officer, issuing a Notice of Violation, in September 2010, directing and ordering Cargill "to immediately cease and desist: 1) accepting any shipments of salt by means of transport other than via ship; and 2) storing any additional salt out of doors at this location."

In the Settlement Agreement reached between the City of Hudson and Cargill at the end of 2010, it was agreed that, among other things, Cargill would:

1. immediately and permanently cease and desist from transporting any salt to the dock;
2. remove all salt currently stored out of doors by May 1, 2011, and all of the treated salt currently stored inside the 25,000 square foot storage building by May 1, 2012; 
3. cease all operations at the dock by May 1, 2012;  
4. remove any salt residue from the water retention pond associated with the salt storage operations.

In sending the documents to Gossips--the record of the 1996 Planning Commission action, the 2010 Notice of Violation, and the 2010 Settlement Agreement--Pratt observed:

An interesting aspect of the settlement is the City’s strong assertion that Cargill was not allowed to deliver anything to the dock by truck.

Another is that Cargill was not allowed to store more than a small amount of salt at the site.

Furthermore, it shows that the City had at that time a strong interest in regulating not only truck traffic to the dock, and outdoor storage of materials there, but also a concern about the use of retention ponds there. 

All of this is very strong evidence that the Planning Board has a great deal of power to regulate and even end activities at the dock, contrary to the claims of people like Colarusso’s lawyer.

Asphalt being stored at the dock in 2017

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News from City Hall

The budget workshops scheduled for this afternoon--Housing Justice, Mayor's Office, and City Clerk, Common Council, and Parking Bureau--have been canceled.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 14 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 6 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 20 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 today is the same as yesterday, but 1 fewer is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since September 12.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 19 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,122, and the number of active cases was 97. There were 241 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 7 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 102.

Prepare for November 8

The sample ballots for the general election on November 8 are now available online at the Columbia County Board of Elections website. This year, it's important to turn the ballot over,, where there on three propositions.

The first is State Proposal 1, the Clean Water, Clean Air, and Green Jobs Environmental Bond Act of 2022, which will make historic investments in protecting drinking water, creating new parks and trails, making communities more resilient to flooding and other climate impacts, conserving food-producing farms, and preserving habitats. Scenic Hudson describes the proposition as a "once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect clean water, update infrastructure, and improve quality of life in every county in the state."

The next proposition, Proposal 1, approves the amendments to the ward boundaries in Hudson required to maintain five wards of equal population.

The changes that are involved and the reason the changes must be made are explained in a presentation that can be found here.

The final proposition, Proposal 2, would, if passed, require the City of Hudson to contribute an additional $100,000 annually to the Hudson Area Library. The City currently contributes $250,000 annually to the library's operating budget.  

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8. Early voting begins on Saturday, October 29, and continues through Sunday, November 6. The two sites for early voting are 401 State Street in Hudson and the Martin H. Glynn Municipal Building, 3211 Church Street in Valatie. 

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Of the Housing Trust Fund and the 2023 Budget

The Housing Trust Fund Board meets today at 6:00 p.m. At the last meeting of the HCDPA (Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency) Board, the Housing Trust Fund's expectations from the 2023 City of Hudson budget were revealed. They are recommending a salary of $80,000 for Housing Justice Director Michelle Tullo. In 2022, Tullo's salary was paid for by the anti-displacement grant.   

There were also recommendations for contributions from the city budget to the Housing Trust Fund. The fund has established with $600,000 in seed money from the anti-displacement grant. In 2022, the City contributed $20,000 to the housing trust fund. Going forward, the board is  proposing contributions from the City of $40,000 in 2023, $45,000 in 2024, $50,000 in 2025, and $55,000 in 2026.

The Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA), consisting of Mayor Kamal Johnson, Council president Tom DePietro, and city treasurer Heather Campbell, is scheduled to consider the budget requests relating to housing justice on Wednesday, October 5, at 2:30 p.m. The BEA's budget workshops are open to the public, but they are in person only. 

The schedule for the BEA's budget workshops, which was revealed today, begins this week and continues through the rest of the month. Here are the topics of the workshops this week.

• Monday, October 3, at 2:30 p.m.--Department of Public Works
• Tuesday, October 4, at 2:30 p.m.--Youth Department
• Tuesday, October 4, at 3:00 p.m.--Conservation Advisory Council
• Wednesday, October 5, at 2:30 p.m.--Housing Justice
• Wednesday, October 5, at 3:00 p.m.--Mayor's Office
• Wednesday, October 5, at 3:30 p.m.--City Clerk, Common Council, Parking Bureau
• Thursday, October 6, at 2:30 p.m.--Assessor's Office
• Thursday, October 6, at 3:00 p.m.--Planning Board
• Thursday, October 6, at 3:30 p.m.--Senior Center
• Friday, October 7, at 2:30 p.m.--Treasurer's Office
• Friday, October 7, at 3:00 p.m.--Legal Counsel
• Friday, October 7, at 3:30 p.m.--Non-Departmental

All the BEA meetings are in person only at City Hall.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Friday, there have been 29 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 14 fewer than on Friday, from which it can be inferred that, since Friday, 43 county residents have recovered from the virus. There is 1 more county resident hospitalized with COVID-19 today than on Friday, and 1 fewer of those hospitalized is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since September 12.

A year ago, October 3 was a Sunday, and the CCDOH did not report COVID numbers. On Saturday, October 2, the CCDOH reported 14 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,103, and the number of active cases was 105. There were 352 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 4 were hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 102.

Meetings of Interest in the Week Ahead

With frost warnings now a regularly occurring thing, autumn is definitely upon us. In the week preceding Indigenous People's Day, a.k.a. Columbus Day, here is what's happening on the meeting front.

• On Monday, October 3, the Housing Trust Fund Board meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting takes place in person only, presumably at City Hall.
• On Tuesday, October 4, the Conservation Advisory Council meets at 6:00 p.m. This meeting, too, is in person only and takes place at City Hall.

Update: Tuesday's CAC meeting has been canceled. It may be rescheduled for another time later in the month, but that is yet to be determined.

• On Wednesday, October 5, the Hudson Industrial Development Agency (IDA) meets at 9:30 a.m. At its last meeting, the IDA adopted its new guidelines for evaluating projects that apply for financial benefits, so presumably the moratorium on reviewing hotel projects has ended. If that's the case, the IDA will resume its review of the application for Hudson Public, the hotel the Galvan Foundation plans to develop at Fourth and Warren streets, which was granted site plan approval by the Planning Board last week. 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.

Update: The IDA meeting scheduled for Wednesday morning has been canceled.

• Also on Wednesday, October 5, the Common Council Legal Committee meets at 6:00 p.m. The word is that the issue of a sidewalk law/policy has been moved from the ad hoc sidewalk committee to the Legal Committee, so it is likely the discussion of sidewalks will be taken up at this meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

• On Thursday, October 6, Mayor Kamal Johnson holds a public hearing at 4:00 p.m. on a number of amendments to local laws, all of which are described here, and on the local law extending the lodging tax. The hearing takes place in person only at City Hall.
• Also on Thursday, October 6, the Common Council ad hoc committee dedicated to the issue of solving the problem of trucks passing through the city meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

Update: The meeting of the Truck Route Ad Hoc Committee has been canceled.

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Conflicting Environmental Interests

In late August, when the drought was putting the City of Hudson's water supply in jeopardy, the Water Department issued an advisory about conserving water which began with an explanation of where our water comes from.

The City of Hudson receives the raw water for its public water supply from the 78-million-gallon Churchtown reservoir. That man-made water body is primarily filled by water diverted from the Taghkanic Creek in the Town of Taghkanic. Our watershed encompasses 55-square miles in the Towns of Claverack, Hillsdale, Taghkanic and Copake and its regulations are codified by State Law under 10 NYCRR 109.1.

On Friday, an open letter addressed to Mayor Kamal Johnson and Matt Murell, chair of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, which appeared as a full-page ad in the Register-Star, warned that the Hecate Solar Project proposed for Shepherd's Run in Copake could adversely impact Hudson's water supply. The following is quoted from that letter:

Last week, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner announced the Taghkanic Headwaters Conservation Plan. The Plan maps five areas of exceptional importance including the Taghkanic Creek which supplies drinking water for the City of Hudson and other residents of Columbia County.

This essential water source is at risk from Hecate Energy’s proposed Shepherd’s Run solar project (DMM #21-02553) which is located in the broad alluvial floodplain of the Taghkanic Creek, its associated wetlands and tributaries.

Hecate’s consultant recently made regulatory filings identifying 21 wetlands (159.53 acres) in the Project Area, and 17 streams, 9 of which are NYS protected streams including the Taghkanic Creek.

Construction of a project on this scale could adversely impact drinking water for the City of Hudson. Significant concerns include: 

• The boring of underground electrical lines under NYS Protected Waterbody Crossings
• Excavation and grading near NYS Protected Waterbodies
• Clearing of 40 acres of forest
• Oil in large transformers requiring a spill containment plan
• Steep slope erosion
• Road construction 

There are many disturbing statements in the application (Petition Items 53 & 54 filed 7/29/22). Exhibit 13 “Water Resources & Aquatic Ecology” and Exhibit 14 “Wetlands” describe the construction process which will take place over 9 to 12 months. We encourage you to read Exhibit 13 and 14, namely:

1. HDD [Horizontal Directional Drilling] boring methods are proposed for burying electrical lines under NYS protected waterbody crossings [which we assume is the Taghkanic Creek]. A total of five streams are being crossed using HDD boring, and one stream is having trees cleared from its banks. [Exhibit 13, Page 23].

2. Short term minor stream impacts (i.e. increases in downstream turbidity levels and sediment deposition downstream) are possible with the open stream crossing method [Exhibit 13, Page 14]

3. Certain construction activities have potential to result in direct and/or indirect impacts to surface waters. These activities include the installation of access roads, and the installation of buried electrical collection lines. [Exhibit 13, Page 15]

4. The volume of oil in the large power transformers located at the substation is expected to trigger the requirement for a SPC and Spill Containment Plan. The other large storage site is located at the inverter-transformers. [Exhibit 13, Page 21]

5. There will be some unavoidable impacts to the 100 ft. adjacent area of state regulated wetlands, specifically the adjacency of six delineated State regulated wetlands will include some disturbance from . . . installation of solar arrays, clearing and/or maintenance of adjacent area vegetation, earthwork for the placement of roads, placement of security fence, trenching of buried electrical collection lines, forest clearing . . . and planting for visual screening . . . . [Exhibit 14, Page 7]

6. Slope and Erosion Considerations in Relation to NYS Protected Waterbodies--There are two areas of steep slope, greater than 35%, within the project area. . . . [Exhibit 14, Page 17]

The private developer, who is motivated solely by large potential profits, will claim they have mitigation plans for all of these hazards. Given the importance of protecting the drinking water supply to the citizens of Hudson and Columbia County, we should not rely on a private developer’s assurances when no independent oversight is in place. . . . 

We must carefully implement the DEC’s Conservation Plan, whose vision statement is:

“The Taghkanic Headwaters and the lands that surround it support clean water for the people, plants and animals, and provide vital wildlife habitat connections between New York and New England. We envision a future Taghkanic watershed that is cared for by local communities and landowners to protect clean water. . . .”

The application referenced in the letter can be found here.

The map of the Taghkanic Creek Headwaters below shows the location of the proposed Hecate Project construction area in relation to the City of Hudson's Churchtown reservoir. Compare this map with the one shown earlier. The red outline marks the 55-square-mile area that is the City of Hudson watershed. 

This project appears to pit the benefits of renewable energy against the inarguable need to protect our water supply. This is a project that deserves the attention and intervention of both the City of Hudson Conservation Advisory Council and the Columbia County Environmental Management Council.  

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Addendum: The Columbia County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution (R151-2021) opposing the Shepherd's Run Solar Project in May 2021. The resolution was introduced by Hudson Third Ward supervisor Michael Chameides.

COVID-19 Update

Gossips is a day late. Here are the COVID numbers reported by the Columbia County Department of Health yesterday. Between Thursday and Friday, there were 13 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases reported on Friday were 10 more than on Thursday, from which it can be inferred that, from Thursday to Friday, only 3 county residents recovered from the virus. The number of county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 and in the ICU remained the same. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since September 12.

A year ago on September 30, the CCDOH reported 13 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,075, and the number of active cases was 99. There were 301 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 4 were hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 102.

Arbor Day on Sunday

Tomorrow at 10 a.m., the Conservation Advisory Council observes Arbor Day by planting five trees in various locations around the city. Yesterday, however, the Department of Public Works did the hard work of digging the holes and setting the trees in place. What is left for the volunteers is filling in the holes, attaching the tree watering bags, and posing for pictures.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health released its numbers earlier today, while Gossips was getting a booster shot. Since yesterday, there have been 18 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 2 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 20 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 and in the ICU is the same as yesterday. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since September 12. 

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 8 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,062, and the number of active cases was 107. There were 325 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 4 were hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 102.

News from the Planning Board

The Planning Board meeting this afternoon lasted for only about half an hour, but in that time, the five members present--Theresa Joyner, Valerie Wray, Dustin Duncan, Gene Shetsky, and John Cody--accomplished a fair amount of business. They made a negative declaration, approved the merging of parcels, and granted site plan approval to Hudson Public, the hotel the Galvan Foundation plans to develop from the buildings at northeast corner of Warren and Fourth streets.

They granted site plan approval to 508-510 State Street, which is being renovated to be an eight-unit residential dwelling. The building, now vacant, previously had six units. 

And they voted to authorize the attorneys handling the latest lawsuit brought by A. Colarusso & Sons against the Planning Board to file a Notice of Appeal. They voted unanimously, as Victoria Polidoro, legal counsel to the Planning Board, explained, to authorize the attorneys to do what they have already done.

Other items on the agenda--the public hearing on the proposal to create a kind of subdivision on Hudson Avenue and the public hearing on the redevelopment by the Galvan Foundation of the former Community Theater into a theater to be called Hudson Forum--were postponed until the Planning Board's next meeting, which takes place on October 11.

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Of Interest

In an episode of History Room on Zoom, Chief Ed Moore talks with Gary Sheffer, library trustee and chair of the History Room Committee, about the long history of the Hudson Police Department, the legendary state police raid on Hudson that took place in June 1950, and the plan to create a memorial garden at the Hudson police and courts building. Click here to view the conversation.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 14 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 7 fewer than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 21 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 and in the ICU remains the same as yesterday. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since September 12.  

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 22 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,054, and the number of active cases was 114. There were 278 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 3 were hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 102.