What's Happening at the First Presbyterian Church

Today Gossips noticed ladders propped against the facade of the First Presbyterian Church, on either side of the rose window. Here's the word on what's happening.

The rose window, which is a significant feature of the church's facade, is being covered with plywood because of the serious deterioration the window has suffered over the years. Appeals for money to repair the window have so far failed to raise sufficient funds to finance the restoration, and the church is reluctantly taking this measure to protect the window from further deterioration and the public from the possible hazard of falling glass and debris. 

A statement released by the church and received by Gossips today reads in part: 

It is the sincere hope by the church that this action is a temporary solution and that funds necessary to restore and repair the window will be quickly found. We ask the community for their patience and generosity in helping us obtain the monies so desperately needed to make the window once again a centerpiece among Warren Street's wonderful architectural treasures. Donations designated for the window can be mailed to the church at 369 Warren St., Hudson, NY 12534.

The First Presbyterian Church is an integral part of our community in so many ways. If you can add Hudson's most historic church to your list of holiday gift recipients, please do.

Still More on the Register-Star Story

Sam Pratt has a new post on his blog about last week's developments at the Register-Star, with a link to Jim Romesko's latest post: "Commentary: A media double standard."

There's an article about the firing and the resignations on the website of a journalism school in St. Petersburg, FL, the Poynter Institute: "3 journalists quit N.Y.'s Register-Star after colleague is fired."

Closer at hand and more familiar, the Columbia Journalism Review reports the story: "A reporter is fired; colleagues quit in protest."

Even farther afield--in Colorado--the Aspen Daily News has picked up the story: "Hudson Hubbub."

A Novel Idea for "Black Friday"

"On the largest shopping day of the year, don't just shop local--swap local!" That's the invitation being extended to the community this holiday season by Hudson Wellness Collective--"to participate in the Gift Economy and enjoy an alternative to disposable culture." If you have usable gift items--for example, something you were given but never used or something you bought for Great-aunt Lucy in Iowa but never mailed--bring them to 514 Warren Street on November 23, from 2 to 5 p.m. Even of you don't have items to add to the swap, you can come in and browse and maybe find a gift or two for people on your holiday shopping list. Suggested items include: "housewares, toys, clothing, winter coats, shoes, books, &c. . . . stuff you wouldn't mind receiving or giving!"

On Friday too donations will be accepted for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Still needed are nonperishable foods and canned goods, aluminum pans, baby food and baby supplies, toilet paper and paper towels, adult diapers (all sizes), cleaning supplies, bleach, saline solution, water, flashlights, batteries, work gloves, sleeping bags, blankets--but no clothing at this time. Click here to find updated lists of items needed.

Photograph by Peter Blandori from Winter Walk

Hudson in 1905: Part 84

The following is an excerpt from the booklet Illustrated Hudson, N.Y., published in 1905.

P. H. MULLINS--Shaving Parlors. No. 344 Warren street. Telephone 191-R. The prominent establishment of Mr. Mullins has been in operation here for the past twenty years, and can truthfully be said to be the finest barber shop in the city of Hudson. The character of the work performed by the artists employed herein is too well known to require any lengthy mention in this place, while the arrangement of his parlor is unsurpassed anywhere in town. A specialty is made of massage and shampooing, and in this respect he has won a reputation  all his own.

344 Warren Street today--Marx Home

The Story Continues

The Times Union story about Hudson's most recent "Gang of Four," whom the article calls the "Recently Unemployed Four," is now online: "Fired for taking stand on a story about sitting." It should be noted that writer Chris Churchill's assertion that "Friedman has been declining to stand for many months" is something of an exaggeration. Gossips is present at all Common Council meetings, and this behavior on the part of Alderman John Friedman (Third Ward) was noticed for the first time on November 8, when the start of the Pledge of Allegiance was interrupted by Alderman Robert "Doc" Donahue (Fifth Ward) wagging his finger and denouncing Friedman for not standing. After the meeting, Friedman admitted to Gossips that he had done it once before, because he "didn't feel like it." 

On the same topic, Victor Mendolia has announced that, in addition to airing the prerecorded interview with Tom Casey, Francesca Olsen, and Adam Shanks, this Wednesday's @Issue will feature a live interview with John Friedman, the alderman whose sin of omission is at the heart of the turmoil. @Issue can be heard at 10 a.m. on WGXC 90.7 FM or online at wgxc.org.

The photograph by Lori Van Buren is from the Times Union.

Big Disappointment

Two of the regulars on WAMC's The Media Project--Alan Chartock and Rex Smith--were absent tonight, and Daily Freeman publisher emeritus Ira Fusfeld moderated a discussion with Judy Patrick, of the Schenectady Daily Gazette, and Mike Spain, associate editor at the Times Union, which, it was touted at the beginning of the show, was supposed to focus on print journalism. The participants responded to a question from someone named Bill about providing context for news stories, they talked about the press's gentle treatment of David Petraeus, they probed the bias of MSNBC vis-a-vis Fox News, they marveled at the impact of a harsh restaurant review in the New York Times, but they spoke nary a word about an issue involving print journalism right in their own backyard.     

How the Money Will Be Spent

Tomorrow night at 6 p.m. there is a public hearing on the City of Hudson budget for 2013. The hearing takes place it City Hall. The budget can be reviewed here. 

A Judgment in Gavin Investigation

There's news on the outcome of the investigation into the allegations of sexual harassment brought against Hudson High School principal Tom Gavin by HCSD superintendent Maria Suttmeier. Lynn Sloneker, on her blog Unmuffled, reports that Questar III BOCES investigators have ruled the allegations unfounded.

Turn Your Radios On

Although Gossips has been unable to confirm this, there is a good likelihood that last week's events at the Register-Star will be a topic of discussion by Times Union editor Rex Smith, University at Albany communication professor Rosemary Armao, and Daily Freeman publisher emeritus Ira Fusfeld on WAMC's The Media Project. The show, which was taped earlier this week, airs tonight (Sunday) at 6 p.m. and tomorrow (Monday) at 3 p.m. If you're near a radio at six o'clock tonight, it's worth tuning in to 90.3 FM (Albany) or 97.1 FM (Hudson) to hear what they may have to say about the issue.

Hudson in 1905: Part 83

The following is an excerpt from the booklet Illustrated Hudson, N.Y., published in 1905.

WOLF'S CAFE--409 Warren street. John Wolf, proprietor. In the forty years in which this establishment has been in operation here it has always held a popular place among institutions of its character for the freedom of expression and the sociability of its atmosphere which has tended to make it the success it has been. In connection with the dispensing of stimulating beverages, a very fine lunch is served each day, and this fact, added to its other features, has been an attractive inducement to patrons of the resort. Two bartenders are constantly employed to attend to the ever-increasing trade, while the SUMMER GARDEN in the rear is becoming an attractive card to the establishment.

409 Warren Street today

After the Insurrection

The Register-Star carries on, but with fewer news stories (or so it seems) and some embarrassing bloopers. An item with no byline, which apparently is the caption for a photograph by David Lee, reports on the last day of the Hudson Farmers' Market at Sixth and Columbia streets and describes a shopper "choosing a bunch of cale to buy from Nicholas Pandijiris of the Fag and Thistle Farm in Germantown." The name of that dark green leafy vegetable is spelled kale not cale, and the name of the farm is Fog and Thistle Farm.

Times Union Picks Up the Story

The Times Union is announcing that the story of the firing of Tom Casey and the resignation in protest of three of his colleagues will appear in tomorrow's print version of the newspaper. If you want to read it online, you'll probably have to wait until Monday--or perhaps even longer.

Gathering the History of Hudson's Prison

Tomorrow--Sunday, November 18--the Prison Public Memory Project is conducting a photo and story sharing event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hudson Area Library, 400 State Street. Members of the community are invited to help preserve and tell the history of the Hudson Correctional Facility, formerly the Girls' Training School and originally the Women's House of Refuge. Throughout the day, volunteers will copy photographs brought to the library and record the stories about them.

The program for the day also includes: 

• At 1:30, a presentation by public historian Kathleen Hulser about the training school movement in the United States and the Girls' Training School in Hudson.
• At 2:45, a conversation with Hudson resident Sue Tenerowizc, who will share her grandmother's photo album about working at the Girls' Training School.     

A written overview and annotated bibliography about the Girls' Training School, prepared by PPMP contributor and Columbia County resident Russ Immarigeon, will be available during the event and afterward in the History Room at the library.

The photograph reproduced here was discovered by Cherie Miller Schwartz in the archives of the Hudson Correctional Facility. Gossips borrowed it from the Dr. Oliver Bronson House Daybook.

Keeping Up with the Joneses

Gossips' attention earlier this week to Morgan A. Jones and the early automobiles being sold in Hudson at the beginning of the 20th century inspired Melanie Basner to share some of the extensive research she has done on the man who built the extraordinary house that is now the Inn at Hudson. This post is based on Basner's research.

Morgan A. Jones lived at 317 Allen Street with his wife, Clarice, the "belle of Honolulu" whom he married in 1911, his mother, Mary E. Jones, and his sister, Mary E. Jones 2nd. The Hudson Evening Register for July 8, 1913, in its "Personal Notes and Jottings" column, reported this about the Joneses:

Mr. and Mrs. Morgan A. Jones and Mrs. Mary E. Jones and daughter, of this city, are enjoying an auto tour through New England for two weeks. Daniel Farrell is chauffeur, the party being in Mrs. M. E. Jones' car, for whom Mr. Farrell works.

The automobile in which the Joneses were traveling was a Lozier, registered, according to the 1914 Official Automobile Directory of the State of New York, not to Jones' mother but to his sister, Mary E. Jones 2nd. 

The Lozier Motor Company was founded in Plattsburgh, New York, by Henry Abraham Lozier, a sewing machine and bicycle manufacturer originally from Indiana. From 1900 to 1915, the company produced luxury automobiles in a factory located at 3703 Mack Avenue in Detroit. In its time, the Lozier was the most expensive automobile in the United States, and its price gives some insight into the wealth of the Joneses. In 1910, a Lozier could cost anywhere from $4,600 to $7,750. In the same year, a Cadillac could be purchased for about $1,600, a Packard for about $3,200, and the average annual salary in the United States was about $750.

Hudson in 1905: Part 82

The following is an excerpt from the booklet Illustrated Hudson, N.Y., published in 1905.

HUDSON DENTAL PARLORS--Dr. E. Barlow,  proprietor. Mr. C. A. Walker, associate. No. 524 Warren street. Hudson River Telephone 64-W. A successful business is not the result of an accident; there is behind every successful business some man, or men, who are largely responsible for its success. This is especially true of the Hudson Dental Parlors, managed by Dr. E. Barlow and his associate, Mr. Chas. A. Walker. These men make an exceptionally fine combination for this business, especially in point of experience. Dr. Barlow has had 25 and Mr. Walker nine years experience in dentistry. They have been established here as a firm for the past three years, and the Hudson people have shown their appreciation of good work and reasonable prices by their generous patronage. The Parlors are nicely located and elegantly equipped for the business, which necessitates the constant use of five large rooms. In the front of the building there are three operating rooms, well lighted and ventilated, and in the rear is a large experimental laboratory. They employ one assistant. These men are preeminently fitted for success, and their work is as well and as favorably known as any of its kind in the State.

Reception room of the Hudson Dental Parlor from Illustrated Hudson

Operating Room of the Hudson Dental Parlor from Illustrated Hudson

524 Warren Street today--Gottlieb Gallery

Register-Star Management Speaks

Roger Coleman, publisher of the Register-Star, and Theresa Hyland, executive editor, finally comment on the firing of Tom Casey and the subsequent resignations of three more staff members, and Sam Pratt comments on their statement.

@Issue: An Interview with Former Register-Star Staff

Victor Mendolia did an interview today with former Register-Star city editor Francesca Olsen and former reporters Tom Casey and Adam Shanks. The interview will be aired on WGXC 90.7 FM on Wednesday at 10 a.m., but it can be heard now on the @Issue Facebook page. 

Hudson in 1905: Part 81

The following is an excerpt from the booklet Illustrated Hudson, N.Y., published in 1905.

C. F. BOOTH--Portrait Photographer. No. 545 Warren street. A most important illustration of the metropolitan character of Hudson is found in the business conducted by Mr. Booth. This studio has been in existence for the past six years, and is by far the finest quarters in the city, consisting of seven finely furnished rooms, fitted up with elegance and style. Mr. Booth is acknowledged to be an expert and artistic photographer, understanding every minor detail of the art, and doing all his own work. Portraits are made at $4.00 per dozen and upwards, the best portraits to be secured anywhere in this section of the State for such reasonable terms. Although Mr., Booth controls a large trade, he devotes some time to amateur photographic work, such as printing, developing and printing [sic]. Nothing except the best work at the fairest prices to be found at the Booth studio.

545 Warren Street today--Ammi Ribar Antiques & Fine Period Frames

Gossips Note: Readers with good memories will recall that, according to an earlier entry from Illustrated Hudson, Sheldon's Bazaar was located at 545 Warren Street. An explanation of the duplication may be that the "seven finely furnished rooms" that made up C. F. Booth's studio were located on the second floor.  

Get Ready for Winter

Tomorrow is the last day for the Hudson Farmers' Market. Time to stock up on squash, root vegetables, kale, cheese, bread, pies, and everything you need for your Thanksgivings dinner, and say farewell to the market until spring. 

The market at Sixth and Columbia streets may be going away for five months, but many of the HFM vendors will back in just two weeks for the Holiday Market at Christ Church Parish Hall, 431 Union Street. For four Saturdays--December 1, 8, 15, and 22--The Farm at Miller's Crossing, The Red Barn, Pigasso Farm, Northern Star Farm, Cedar Flower Farm, and others will be offering vegetables, meat, milk products, baked goods, handmade gifts, and everything needed for the Hanukkah and Christmas season. The hours for the Holiday Market are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Hudson in 1905: Part 80

The following is an excerpt from the booklet Illustrated Hudson, N.Y., published in 1905.

W. H. VAN TASSEL--Pharmacy. No. 547 Warren street. Telephone, H. R. 92-R. Dealer in pure drugs, proprietary medicines, toilet articles, stationery, etc. Compounding of prescriptions a specialty. Every resident of this city is familiar with this old established drug store, which has been in business here for the past thirty-four years, and has always been prominently before the public, having always taken a great interest in all that was for the advancement of the city of Hudson. The store is centrally located, handsomely and conveniently arranged, equipped with the most modern fixtures known to the business, while the stock carried comprises everything to be found at a first-class establishment of this character. Due regard is always taken to procure the very best quality of articles incident to these lines, and none but the freshest and best goods are offered to the public. In the preparation of physicians' and family prescriptions a specialty is made, and the well-known reputation of the house becomes a sufficient guarantee that the greatest care is exercised as to details and the quality and freshness of the ingredients. Mr. Van Tassel also conducts in connection with the general business the finest soda fountain in the city, where all the most delightful beverages of the season are dispensed. The large business requires a constant force of six people. In the prescription department specialists are employed. The business of Mr. Van Tassel has been built on the lines of the most advanced ideas in his profession, and these have been a potent factor in his natural success.   

Interior View of W. H. Van Tassel's Pharmacy from Illustrated Hudson

547 Warren Street today--part of Stair Galleries