While Most of Hudson Was Sleeping

Gossips just received this press release from the Hudson Police Department.

On Tuesday, October 18, 2022, the Hudson City Police Department arrested 37-year-old Arley L. Dahlberg, an inmate at the Hudson Correctional Facility.

On Tuesday, October 18, 2022, at around 1:26 a.m., the HPD patrol observed a white SUV traveling east on Union Street traveling at a high rate of speed. The operator drove through a red light at Union and 5th Street. The vehicle was stopped by patrols at North 6th and Warren Street. It was determined that the vehicle, a white 2017 Audi Q5, had just been stolen from the 400 block of Union Street. Patrols learned that Dahlberg had an active arrest warrant from the Hudson Correctional Facility for absconding from their temporary release program. Absconding is a class E felony under NYS penal law. Dahlberg was arrested by HPD and transported to the Hudson Police Department for processing and arraignment. At the time of the arrest, Dahlberg was found to be in possession of crack cocaine.

Dahlberg [was] charged with Grand Larceny 3rd (Stolen Vehicle) a class D felony, Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th Degree a class A misdemeanor and was arraigned before Judge Connor. He is to return to Hudson City Court on October 24, 2022, at 11:00 a.m.

The New York State Correctional Division picked Dahlberg up from the Hudson Police Department and transported him to the Coxsackie Facility. 

“This was a good example of proactive policing by our night shift uniform patrol.” Chief  

HPD is also investigating whether Dahlberg was involved in the attempted burglary of a N. 5th Street residence that occurred just before this incident.  If you have any information to share please reach out to the Hudson Detectives Division at 518 828 3388.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 16 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 8 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 8 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 and in the ICU remains the same today as yesterday. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Wednesday, October 5.

A year ago today, October 18 was a Monday, the CCDOH reported 22 new cases of COVID-19 since the previous Saturday. The total number of cases was 5,277, and the number of active cases was 72. There were 172 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 5 were hospitalized, and 1 was in the ICU. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the county at this time last year was 103.

Progress for HHA Development

At last night's meeting of the Hudson Housing Authority (HHA) Board of Commissioners, the four commissioners present--Revonda Smith, Claire Cousin, Rebecca Wolff, and Nick Zachos--voted unanimously to enter into an option agreement for three parcels owned by Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA). The three parcels are 202-206 Columbia Street, what remains of the community garden at the corner of Columbia and Second; 2-4 Warren Street, now an urban renewal era park known fondly to some as "Promenade Prospect Park"; and 2 to 14 State Street, the land on the north side of the street from Front Street east to the park across the street from Bliss Towers.

The option agreement is for one year with the right to renew the agreement for an additional two years. HHA will pay a $25,000 fee to HCDPA for each year the option is in effect, and payments will be applied to the purchase price of whatever parcels they decide to use. 

The parcels will be offered to potential development partners in the RFP (request for proposals), and the developers will decide which parcels to propose for development. The goal is to build replacement housing so HHA will be able to demolish its existing properties, Bliss Towers and Columbia Apartments. Jeffrey Dodson, executive director of HHA, promised the RFP would be ready to be released as soon as possible.

Dodson, who became executive director in May, said of the agreement, which he called "a step in the process," "This is exciting, and this is one of the reasons I chose to come to Hudson." He told the commissioners he had in the past month visited the HUD field office in Buffalo and reported, "They have confidence in my leadership."

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Of Interest on the Council Agenda for Tonight

At the informal meeting last week, Common Council president Tom DePietro noted there were not many resolutions to be introduced at that meeting, but there would be "quite a few next week." Some of the resolutions that will be introduced and voted on tonight are now available on the City of Hudson website. A couple of them are worthy of note.

There is a resolution authorizing the mayor to sign a grant agreement with the Eutopia Foundation, the same group that has partnered with the Spark of Hudson to fund HudsonUP, the universal basic income pilot program. The grant is for $350,000 for "the restoration, enhancement, development and operation of Charles Williams Park." The possible projects to be funded include "the replacement, update, and refreshing of the park's seating, landscaping, playground equipment, basketball court, trash receptacles and plant care, and may include removal of extraneous structures or signs as mutually agreed between the City and the Eutopia Foundation." 

The park was originally built with a $250,000 grant from the NYS Environmental Protection Fund. The grant was awarded in 2007, but work on the park did not begin until around 2009. It was finally declared "all built out and complete" in 2015.

Also of interest on tonight's agenda is a resolution authorizing a settlement with Galvan Initiatives Foundation and Galvan Civic I in an Article 7 proceeding. It seems Galvan's request for property tax exemption for 614-620 Columbia Street (the former Community Theatre building) and 612 Columbia Street (the house just west of the theater building) was denied by the city's assessor. 

According to the resolution, the City and Galvan have agreed to settle the proceedings by deeming the two properties exempt from taxation. The resolution also indicates that Galvan has not paid property tax on the two parcels, together assessed for $1.375 million, since acquiring them in 2021.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Thursday, October 13, there have been 37 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 16 fewer than on Thursday, from which it can be inferred that, in the past four days, 53 county residents have recovered from the virus. The number of county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 and in the ICU has not changed since Thursday. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Wednesday, October 5. 

A year ago, October 17 was a Sunday, and the CCDOH did not report COVID numbers. On Saturday, October 16, the CCDOH reported 4 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,255, and the number of active cases was 78. There were 267 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 103.

Remembering Vincent Mulford

It's hard to imagine that it's been a year since Vince Mulford left us, but it has.

Photo shared on Facebook by Erika Clark

On Sunday, October 23, at 3:00 p.m., people will gather at 827 Union Street to share favorite memories and stories of Vince. If you plan to attend, you are asked to RSVP to mwprojects@aol.com by Thursday, October 20.

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

After a glorious autumn weekend, here's what's happening this week on the meeting front.

• On Monday, October 17, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA)--the mayor, the Council president, and the city treasurer--meets at 2:30 p.m. to consider non-departmental expenses. The budget workshop takes place in person only at City Hall.
• At 6:00 p.m. on Monday, October 17, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners holds its monthly meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person in the Community Room at Bliss Towers and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
• On Tuesday, October 18, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting at 6:00 p.m. At the informal meeting last Wednesday, Council president Tom DePietro told the councilmembers there would be "quite a few" new resolutions introduced 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 Wednesday, October 19, the BEA holds a budget workshop to consider revenue at 2:30 p.m. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.
• At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 19, the Zoning Board of Appeals holds its monthly meeting. The agenda for the meeting includes a public hearing on a proposal to remove an existing accessory building at 220 State Street and replace it with a single family residential structure with a carport, a proposal that requires area variances for lot width, side yard, and lot coverage. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.

Photo: Zillow

• Also on Wednesday, October 19, the Legal Committee meets at 7:30 p.m. The Legal Committee was taken up the issue of sidewalks, and it appears from the documents on the agenda for this meeting that the committee will be exploring how other municipalities, in particular Ithaca, Cortland, and Mechanicville, deal with sidewalks. The meeting will be a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and in Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

• On Friday, October 21, the BEA holds a budget workshop at 2:30 p.m. The specific topic of this workshop has not been revealed. The workshop takes place in person only at City Hall.

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Rally in Catskill on Monday

On Monday, October 17, Natalie Merchant will perform and a number of New York State Democratic Committee members and candidates will speak at the SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY RALLY at Catskill Point, 1 Main Street in Catskill. The event takes place from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

    

The purpose of the rally is to articulate the vision of our local Democratic candidates who are seeking to protect women’s rights, protect voting rights and to create a more diverse, inclusive and just New York State. The rally is free to attend and will be held indoors at Catskill Point. Presented by the Columbia County and Greene County Democratic Committees in conjunction with Club Helsinki and Melmar Productions, it comes in advance of the November elections and will encourage participation in the upcoming elections. 

The Columbia County Democratic Committee and Greene County Democratic Committee will be represented along with a number of their endorsed candidates. Among those speaking will be Michelle Hinchey, New York State Senator; Josh Riley, Congressional Candidate; Heidi Cochrane, NYS Supreme Court candidate; Megan Galligan, NYS Supreme Court candidate; Sharon Graff, NYS Supreme Court candidate; Lori Torgerson, Greene County Legislature; and Sam Hodge, Chairman of the Columbia County Democratic Committee. 

Natalie Merchant’s forty-year career has earned her a place among America’s most respected recording artists as well as garnering a reputation for her quality songwriting. Over the course of her solo career and as lead singer for the group 10,000 Maniacs, she has also been active in promoting a number of non-profit organizations by lending both financial support and raising public awareness, particularly in the Hudson Valley where she resides. 

Melmar Productions is a collaboration between Cameron Melville and Randall Martin and is a progressive event and multi-media production company. This will be the second official production of the company. Their most recent effort was raising money for medical supplies for Ukraine. Club Helsinki has been a longstanding presence in the Hudson community championing music and activism. 

Free parking for this event will be at Dutchman’s Landing. The Catskill Visitor’s Center will provide golf cart rides to and from Catskill Point.

Arbor Day 2023 Assured

As Gossips reported, Arbor Day 2022 almost didn't happen. But in the nick of time, a generous donor contributed five trees, a gift facilitated by Hudson Development Corporation, enabling Arbor Day 2022 to happen as planned on Sunday, October 2.

Next year, Arbor Day in Hudson will happen in the spring, and the Conservation Advisory Council will be planting twenty-four trees!

At the informal Common Council meeting on Wednesday, a resolution was introduced authorizing the CAC to accept a grant of $7,850 from National Grid, an amount considered sufficient to plant nine trees. It was also noted during the meeting that the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA), made of up the mayor, the Council president, and the treasurer, has agreed to include funds for fifteen trees in the 2023 city budget. All in pursuit of the CAC's new motto: "Keep Hudson Shady: Plant Trees."

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Waiting for Promenade Hill to Reopen

Earlier this week, Gossips got word that the fence was down at Promenade Hill, so that afternoon, Joey and I headed down to Front Street on our afternoon walk to check it out. By the time we got there, the fence was back in place, but I managed to take this picture through a gap in the chain link.

At the informal Common Council meeting on Wednesday, Rob Perry, superintendent of Public Works, reported that the plumbing is now being assembled for the water feature in the children's playground. Perry also indicated there is an issue that has to be worked out with National Grid involving the lighting. The lamp posts have been installed, but National Grid needs to attach the luminaires. The problem stems from the fact that, in Perry's words, "they can't just pull up in their bucket trucks" to do the installation. They need to find another way to gain access to the lamp posts.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 30 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 3 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday,  27 county residents have recovered from the virus. There is 1 fewer county resident hospitalized 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 Wednesday, October 5. 

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 15 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,226, and the number of active cases was 75. There were 250 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 103.

It Isn't Over Until It's Over

A press release received today from Matt Murell, chair of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, contains this update on the state of COVID in the county. 

The numbers of positive COVID-19 cases rebounded this week after last week’s slight drop-off, with 85 positives in the first four days of the week, said Columbia County Department of Health Director Jack Mabb today.

"We don’t have any major clusters as we have in the past few weeks. This is just a sign that the virus is making the rounds in the community,” said Director Jack Mabb. He noted that his department has had a number of positives among staff, with all of them repeat cases and all fully vaccinated and boosted.

"We know that we have very contagious variants making the rounds and the three months of immunity we had from the earlier variants doesn’t seem to apply. People are getting sick again just a month or two out from previously being positive," said Director Mabb. The county’s high rate of vaccinations and booster shots has had a positive effect, though, as hospitalizations remain low with 9 hospitalized and no one in the ICU.

The county vaccinated 167 at last week’s COVID-19 clinic at A.B. Shaw, with most of the shots the bivalent booster. The county also vaccinated 43 against monkeypox this week–10 of those were first doses.

“Demand for the vaccination is definitely slowing down,” added Director Mabb.

Don't abandon your masks just yet. Caution is still called for. 

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 12 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, 20 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 2 more county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 today than yesterday, but the number in the ICU remains the same. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Wednesday, October 5.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported 38 new cases of COVID-19 after a holiday weekend. The total number of cases was 5,211, and the number of active cases was 79. There were 243 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 4 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 103.

Anyone Recognize This Ceiling?

The History Room at the Hudson Area Library is looking for help in identifying the location shown in this photograph, found among the Arthur Koweek Urban Renewal Papers. Assuming the building still exists, the key to identifying the building may be the tin ceiling. 

If you know what building this is, please share the information in a comment or email me at carole@gossipsofrivertown.com.

COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since Friday, there have been 51 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 2 more than on Friday, from which it can be inferred that, since Friday, 49 county residents have recovered from the virus. There is 1 fewer county resident hospitalized today than on Friday, but the number in the ICU remains the same. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Wednesday, October 5.

A year ago today, October 11 was a holiday, and the CCDOH did not report COVID numbers. On Saturday, October 9, the CCDOH reported 6 new cases of COVID-19. The total number of cases was 5,173, and the number of active cases was 67. There were 269 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 2 were hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU. The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 103.

Developing the Budget

After canceling all the budget workshops last week, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) this morning scheduled a number of additional workshops for this week. Here is the complete schedule:

• Tuesday, October 11, at 2:30 p.m.  Police Department
• Wednesday, October 12, at 2:30 p.m.  Planning Board
• Wednesday, October 12, at 3:00 p.m.  Senior Center
• Thursday, October 13 at 2:30 p.m.  Cemetery, Water and Sewer

The BEA workshops take place in person only at City Hall. 

Meetings of Interest in the Week Ahead

Indigenous Peoples Day is coming to an end, Yom Kippur is behind us, the concrete blocks marking outdoor dining areas are soon to be removed, and the leaf peeping season may have already peaked. Meanwhile, here's what is happening on the meeting front in the week ahead. 

• On Tuesday, October 11, Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) holds its monthly meeting at noon. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join remotely.
• At 2:30 p.m., on Tuesday, October 11, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) meets to consider the proposed budget for nondepartmental expenses. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.
• Also on Tuesday, October 11, the Planning Board meets at 6:00 p.m. The agenda for the meeting, which can be found here, includes public hearings on the subdivision proposed for 6 to 12 Hudson Avenue and the proposed redevelopment by the Galvan Foundation of the Community Theater as Hudson Forum. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 

• On Wednesday, October 12, 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 on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 
• At 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 12, the Common Council holds its informal meeting for the month. So far, there's not much on the agenda for the meeting, but that is sure to change. The meeting will be a hybrid, taking place at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 
• On Thursday, October 13, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) meets at 2:30 p.m. to receive the proposed budgets for the cemetery and water and sewer. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.
• At 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 13, the Common Council ad hoc Truck Route Committee has its monthly meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely. 

• On Friday, October 14, at 10:00 a.m., the Historic Preservation Commission holds the first of its two monthly meetings. The meeting takes place in person only at City Hall.

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The Perennial Problem of Sidewalks

Gossips has shared this little news item about sidewalks before, but with the intensified effort to solve the problem and the fast-approaching deadline to do so, it seemed an appropriate time to share it again. It's from the Hudson Daily Star for August 5, 1851, and it provides a few hints about the sidewalks of Hudson 171 years ago: they were brick, they were the responsibility of the City, and there was reason to complain about them.

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COVID-19 Update

The Columbia County Department of Health has released its numbers for today. Since yesterday, there have been 13 new cases of COVID-19. The number of active cases being reported today is 2 more than yesterday, from which it can be inferred that, since yesterday, 11 county residents have recovered from the virus. There are 2 more county residents hospitalized with COVID-19 today than yesterday, and 1 those hospitalized is in the ICU. There has not been a death from COVID-19 reported in Columbia County since Wednesday, October 5.

A year ago today, the CCDOH reported a death from COVID-19 and 16 new cases. The total number of cases was 5,154, and the number of active cases was 97. There were 264 county residents in mandatory quarantine, 1 was hospitalized, and 0 were in the ICU.  The total number of deaths in Columbia County attributed to COVID-19 at this time last year was 103.

There's Nothing Like a Deadline

People have been discussing the sorry state of Hudson's sidewalks for more than a decade. The Common Council--first the Legal Committee, then an ad hoc committee, now the Legal Committee again--has been talking about a solution to the problem for nearly four years. At the end of September, it seemed the ad hoc committee was getting down to the business, setting forth an action plan, but then Council president Tom DePietro decided to reassign the issue to the Legal Committee. 

At the Legal Committee meeting this past Wednesday, Councilmember Margaret Morris (First Ward), who chairs the committee, explained DePietro had asked the Legal Committee to take up the sidewalk issue in order to meet the requirements of the City's settlement agreement with the Department of Justice over ADA accessibility. Before the end of the year, the Council must come up with a policy and a local law and update the code regarding sidewalks. To accomplish this, the committee will be meeting more than once of month. Morris proposed that they meet every other week.

Since January 2019, the Council has been struggling between enforcement of the current code, which holds property owners responsible for the sidewalks adjacent to their property, and adopting a policy modeled on the one in place in the City of Ithaca, which funds sidewalk replacement and maintenance with an annual sidewalk assessment fee. At the last meeting of the ad hoc Sidewalk Committee, Councilmember Vicky Daskaloudi (Fifth Ward) brought up yet another means of getting sidewalks replaced or repaired: requiring sidewalk repairs at the point of sale. Daskaloudi suggested that buyers might be given sixty days to make any necessary repairs to the sidewalk adjacent to their newly acquired property. 

Promoting the idea at the Legal Committee meeting on Wednesday, Daskaloudi said, "If twenty houses sell in Hudson next year, at least we will have those sidewalks fixed." Morris said the point of sale solution appealed to her because of the rate of turnover of properties in Hudson. She suggested, however, that sidewalk repair should be the seller's responsibility, but it could be done after the sale when the seller has the money from the sale to use to repair the sidewalk. She also suggested that point of sale might be combined with the assessment model.

There are five councilmembers on the Legal Committee, but only two--Morris and Theo Anthony (Fourth Ward)--were present for the meeting on Wednesday. The video recording of the meeting can be viewed here.

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