The Mayor Comments on ICE

In today's Register-Star, there is a followup article about the detention, by Immigration & Customs Enforcement, of three men in Hudson on Wednesday. The article quotes a statement from Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton:

After the actions ICE has taken over the past couple of weeks, it has become painfully clear that ICE, at President Trump’s direction, is disregarding the right to due process for undocumented individuals. We are now seeing firsthand the negative impact these actions are having on our neighbors: a daily reality of ever-increasing distrust, panic and fear. This flies in the face of the core values upon which our country was built. I have asked the city attorney to explore ways we can, as a city, form a more protective circle around the members of our community who are most at risk.

A resolution to declare Hudson a sanctuary city was last discussed in the Common Council Legal Committee on January 25, and Andy Howard, counsel to the Council, was asked to prepare a draft resolution for consideration at the committee's next meeting, which will take place on Wednesday, February 22, at 6:15 p.m. There is also, as the Register-Star article points out, a bill in the state legislature to make New York a sanctuary state.

In the meantime, the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement is holding a gathering tonight in support of the immigrant community in Columbia County. CCSM made the following statement about the event:

Over the past two weeks Immigration and Customs Enforcement has detained 680 people for deportation across the United States. ICE has been active in Hudson, detaining four people in the last week. They are members of our community; they are husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, friends. We are gathering in support of the immigrant community in Columbia County and calling for a stop to the separation of families here in our neighborhoods and across the country.

The event takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Columbia County Courthouse, 401 Union Street.
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Happy Coincidence, Awesome Outcome

Last summer, Peter Jung posted the picture below, showing the view at sunset from Promenade Hill, on Facebook and asked, of no one in particular, if the utility poles that studded the slope of the bluff had any function and wondered why, if they didn't, they were still there.

Photo: Peter Jung

Mayor Tiffany Martin Hamilton saw Jung's Facebook post and decided to try to do something about it. She began by contacting CSX, since she'd been advised that the utility poles related to the railroad. It turns out the poles belonged to Amtrak, and several weeks ago, as part of a general cleanup and maintenance project unrelated to the desires of those savoring the view from Promenade Hill, the poles were removed.

Photo: Peter Jung

How's that for a pleasant surprise in the bleak midwinter?
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Day Without Immigrants

Today has been declared "Day Without Immigrants." The New York Times, NPR, and USA Today report that in cities across the country immigrants are not working today to protest the Trump administration's policies toward them and to bring attention to the contributions of immigrants to the life and culture of this country.

Because it is Day Without Immigrants, and because I heard on the radio a few minutes ago reference to President Barack Obama's 2012 executive action that protected people who came to the United States as children (DACA--Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) and President Donald Trump's promise to terminate such protections, I was inspired to publish this picture of my paternal grandfather as a young man. He was the last of my immigrant ancestors to come to the United States from the Netherlands, brought here by his parents as a babe in arms in 1890.

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It's Official

The Columbia County Board of Elections has announced the completion, on Tuesday, of the city voter database realignment. The map below shows the new ward divisions--five wards of very nearly equal population.

The new wards will elect representatives to the Common Council in November 2017, and beginning in January 2018, the aldermen then elected will cast votes of equal weight, thus ending the arcane weighting voting system in Hudson. You can read the details in the Register-Star: "Hudson city wards realigned."
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"Enhancing Public Safety" in Hudson

On Saturday, Gossips reported about an executive order, signed on January 25, bearing the title "Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States," which expanded the definition of "removable alien." Today, the Register-Star reports an incident that shows how that executive order is playing out here in Hudson: "Immigration officials detain 3 men in Hudson, defense attorney says." Each of the three men had, in separate incidents, been charged but not convicted of driving while intoxicated. 

Attorney Michael Howard, who represented two of the men, one privately and the other through the Public Defender's Office, is quoted in the article as saying, "Due process requires that you have some sort of conviction. Now, they're saying you just might have to have committed a crime. . . . That's a huge, huge problem. This is a catastrophic shift in immigration policy. So while we talk about executive orders . . . banning Muslim entry, in our little community, we have tons and tons of agricultural workers and restaurant workers, and all those people are subject to deportation."
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Pilgrim Pipeline and Why It Matters to Us

There is a proposal to build a pipeline on the other side of the Hudson River, mostly along the New York State Thruway, which would carry crude oil from Albany to refineries in Linden, New Jersey. The proposed Pilgrim Pipeline Project is actually a dual pipeline system: one pipeline would carry Bakken crude oil, derived from fracking in North Dakota, from Albany to Linden; the other would carry refined products (gasoline, diesel, heating oil, and kerosene) from Linden to Albany. Each pipeline would move about 200,000 barrels (8.4 million gallons) a day.

Oil refineries in Linden, NJ

The Pilgrim Pipeline Project was a topic of discussion at last week's Conservation Advisory Council meeting. CAC member Holly Gardner, who had attended a Pilgrim Pipeline educational forum in Kingston, told her colleagues that the proposed pipeline project would have far-reaching environmental and social impact on the entire region and stressed the following:

• The Hudson Valley is turning into an energy superhighway. There are already trains and barges carrying up to ten million of gallons Bakken crude oil through our region everyday. The Pilgrim Pipeline would double that amount.
• The pipelines will not replace the trains. It is more likely that they will increase the number of trains. 
• Oil pipelines are statistically three times more likely to have spill accidents than trains or barges; this is true regardless of the age of the pipes.
• Although the proposed route is on the west side of the Hudson River, the east side of the river will be equally impacted. The proposed pipelines would cross over 257 streams and water bodies and would cross the Hudson River twice just south of Albany.
• On either side of the pipelines, which would run for 170 miles, large tracts of land would be torn up and forests would be felled. There would be 296 crossings of wetlands, including 25 crossings of NYSDEC freshwater wetlands.

The State Environmental Quality Review process is now underway, and a public comment period will begin in the near future. You can follow the progress of the project at the DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation) website. To learn more about the project's hazards and what you can do to oppose it, visit CAPP (Coalition Against Pilgrim Pipelines).

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Lecture on Columbia County History

On Tuesday, February 21, the Columbia County Historical Society Volunteers present a lecture by local author Allison Guertin Marchese about the hidden history of Columbia County. Among the little-known stories to be shared is the one of the last hanging in New York State, which took place right here in Hudson before hundreds of people who had purchased tickets to witness the event. The lecture which is free and open to the public takes place at 7 p.m. "below stairs" at the James Vanderpoel House, 16 Broad Street, in Kinderhook. For more information, visit the CCHS website.
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Of Interest

Roger Hannigan Gilson reports today in the Register-Star on a bill introduced in the State Assembly that would facilitate voting: "New voting rules proposed for state." The proposed changes are based on recommendations made by Attorney General Eric Scheiderman in response to reports of voting issues after the 2016 presidential primary.

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Buy Socks, Do Good

This Saturday, you have the chance to acquire for yourself (or someone else) a fabulous pair of unique and colorful hand-knitted socks and in doing so help someone in need. The Hudson Neighborhood Knitters, who gather weekly at Verdigris to knit and crochet, have created dozens of pairs of socks--socks for men, women, and children--which will be auctioned on Saturday, February 18, from 7 to 9 p.m., in the very spot where they were produced (at least in part): Verdigris Tea & Chocolate Bar, 135 Warren Street. The goal is to raise enough money to purchase 500 pairs of high quality thermal socks, which will be distributed by the Salvation Army to local people in need.

Not surprisingly, socks are the item most requested by homeless people. That fact is what inspired Claudia Krisniski, owner of Countrywool and founder of Hudson Neighborhood Knitters, to conceive of the Charity Knitting Sock Auction. Professional auctioneer Rupert Fennell is volunteering his time on Saturday to auction off the socks, and many local businesses have donated "stocking stuffer" prizes that will be hidden in each pair.

To learn more about the auction, read Jamie Larson's piece in Rural Intelligence: "Hudson Sock Auction Brings Warmth at a Cold Time." To preview the socks, go to Verdigris, where some of the socks are now on display.
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Help for the Beleaguered Ash Trees

As Gossips has been reporting since April 2013, the deadly emerald ash borer is active in our region, and the vast majority of the ash trees in Hudson--nineteen in all--are located along Front Street, planted as an exclusive species during Urban Renewal in the early 1970s. In 2013, the insects presented a threat; today, they are a reality. These photographs, taken in May 2016, show evidence of the presence of the emerald ash borer on a particular tree and its effect on the health and vitality of the tree.

Photo: Timothy O'Connor

Photo: Timothy O'Connor

Photo: Timothy O'Connor

Last night, at the informal meeting of the Common Council, a resolution was introduced to approve and endorse the Conservation Advisory Council's application for a DEC Urban and Community Forestry Grant for up to $25,000 "to do whatever is possible to prolong the life of those [nineteen ash] trees, as well as planting additional trees on Front Street, in spaces where tree are missing now, so that when the ash trees eventually die, the street will not be left without trees." 

At the CAC's January meeting, CAC member Dale Schafer proposed a plan for interplanting new trees, of different species, along Front Street.

The large brown dots in the image above represent the existing ash trees. The smaller dots--some yellow, some red--indicate the placement of new trees. (Click on the image to enlarge it, and you should be able to see those smaller dots.)
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The Dog Population of Hudson

Tonight, at the informal meeting of the Common Council, city clerk Tracy Delaney will present her annual report for the year ending December 31, 2016. That report is already available on the City of Hudson website, and because the snow is making this a pretty slow news day, I will share my favorite data from that report: dog licenses issued.

Here are the numbers for 2016:

• Exempt dogs (i.e., service dogs)    2
• Spayed female dogs                       108
• Unspayed female dogs                      6
• Neutered male dogs                       101
• Unneutered male dogs                    21

As it happens, this isn't the first time I have reported these statistics. I did it in 2014 and in 2015. What is curious is that the dog population seems to be decreasing. In 2016, the total number of dogs licensed was 238, down from 254 in 2014 and 266 in 2013. The greatest decline seems to be among neutered male dogs: there were 114 in 2013, 115 in 2014, but only 101 in 2016. Of course, there's no way of knowing if these numbers reflect the actual dog population of Hudson or just the number of humans who comply with the law and license their dogs.
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Snow Parking Alert

All cars should be parked on the even side of the street now, where they should stay until midnight tonight. 

At midnight, you should follow the signs . . . that's assuming the DPW crews don't run out of signs, as they did on Friday night, leaving parts of the city without direction.
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General Worth: A Discovery

On this snowy Sunday afternoon, Gossips once again took up browsing the Hudson Daily Star from 1851. In the issue of the Star for Wednesday, September 3, the following item of interest appears:

General Worth's parents were Thomas Worth and Abigail Jenkins Worth. They were married here in Hudson in 1790, and their son William Jenkins Worth was born here in 1794. Sometime before 1800, the family returned to Edgartown, where Thomas was from, and soon after Abigail died, in 1800. Twelve years later, on May 28, 1812, Thomas died of consumption. By that time, though, William was off on his own, first returning to Hudson where he trained and worked as a clerk and then volunteering for the army at the outset of the War of 1812.

It's interesting that the editor of the Star refers to William Jenkins Worth as "the brave old veteran." Granted when General Worth died of cholera in San Antonio in May 1849 he had served in the army for more than three decades, but he was only 55. One wonders if the monuments to his parents were ever erected. A search online finds this modest tombstone for Capt. Thomas Worth in the Westside Cemetery in Edgartown but none for Abigail Jenkins Worth.

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Another Snow Emergency

Starting at noon today, Hudson embarks on another snow emergency. From noon today (Sunday) until 8 a.m. tomorrow (Monday), cars must be parked on the odd side of the street. Click here for the full parking schedule from City Hall. 

In case you're interested, the snowstorm we just finished cleaning up from was called Niko; this one is called Orson.
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Among the Executive Orders . . .

On January 27, President Donald Trump signed an executive order with the title "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States." This was the executive order that blocked travel from seven predominately Muslim countries. Two days earlier, however, on January 25, he signed another executive order with the title "Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States." Section 5 of this executive order is of particular interest.

This executive order changed the priorities for Immigration & Customs Enforcement, presumably with the goal of fulfilling Trump's promise to deport 2 to 3 million immigrants with criminal records. NPR reported yesterday, however, that "immigration experts say that while the Department of Homeland Security estimates there are 1.9 million 'removable criminal aliens' in the United States, only about 690,000 are in this country illegally and have been convicted of a felony or serious misdemeanor." The executive order expands the definition of "removable alien."
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First News of a New Event in Hudson

A reader discovered this notice in today's Register-Star.

A Fools Run is not an original concept. There's been a Fools Run on April 1 in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, for the past twenty-six years. The event in Kutztown takes place in the morning and offers the options of doing a 2-mile walk, a 5-K run, or a 10-K run. The event planned for Hudson this April Fool's Day is a one-mile early evening run down Warren Street, from Wunderbar to Front Street, followed by an after party at Club Helsinki. 
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Snow Emergency Update UPDATED

The snow emergency is still in effect, and cars should remain parked on the even side of the street. After 8 p.m. tonight, when the snow emergency is over, "No Parking" signs will be your guide to where your car can safely spend the night.

Snow removal begins tonight at midnight. On Warren Street, the snow will be removed from both sides of the street sometime after midnight. Code enforcement officer Craig Haigh urges everyone on Warren Street to clear the sidewalks of snow to the curb before midnight so that all the snow can be taken away and great mountains of snow will not remain for pedestrians to have to clamber over.

On streets other than Warren Street, residents should refer to the signage. If the "No Parking" signs are on your side of the street, it is your chance to clear the sidewalks to the curb. 

If the placement of "No Parking" signs differs from what the snow removal schedule indicates, always follow the signs.

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ICE in Hudson: The Story Continues

On Thursday evening, the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement released a statement that read in part:

Our legal support network . . . [has] confirmed that there are at least 4 people detained by ICE at Albany County Jail, all of whom were initially detained by ICE on February 6 and 7. This afternoon our legal team was granted access to those detained and were able to confirm that only one individual from Columbia County was among them.

In addition to those detained, we have confirmed that ICE has interrogated at least one other individual in Hudson, taken their passport, and attempted to coerce them into signing a voluntary departure form, which they refused to do without legal representation.

We have received numerous other reports of ICE activities around the county and are working to verify those activities.

Saving Hudson's Most Beloved Church

In November, Gossips shared the sad news that the First Presbyterian Church had been found to have serious structural issues. A report by Ryan Briggs and Clark Davis, engineers and recognized experts in assessing historic structures, warned that the roofing framework had deteriorated significantly. Some roof rafters and beams had become detached from exterior load bearing walls. Others were no longer solid--having suffered from 180 years of stress, settling, and moisture. The news was a particularly hard blow for those who only a year before had celebrated the restoration of the church's major stained glass window.

Photo: Dan Region

The First Presbyterian Church is an integral part of Hudson's history. The first church to be established in Hudson, it was once the largest congregation in the Hudson Valley. It is also an integral element of the architecture of Hudson's main street. Nearly every photo of Warren Street includes the church and its iconic steeple. Hudson would not be Hudson without this majestic church building.

Photo: Tony Cenicola|New York Times

"Because our membership assembles in this beautiful building, the public assumes there is funding for overhead and maintenance," explained Kathryn Beilke, pastor of the church. "The truth is that we are a very small congregation, and one of our core principles is that we welcome everyone. That often includes people without the means to support such a massive undertaking. We realize we have a duty to the city of Hudson to ensure that this historic treasure doesn't deteriorate. But we can't do it alone."

To enable everyone who values this church to assist in the effort to preserve it, the Friends of the First Presbyterian Church have created a donation page to raise the money needed to correct the structural issues and open the church to its congregation and the public once more. Click here to go that page and make a contribution. Questions about the preservation efforts can be directed to the president of the Friends of the First Presbyterian Church, Philip Forman.
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ICE in Hudson and the County

Yesterday, the Register-Star reported that one person, with a felony warrant, had been detained by Immigration & Customs Enforcement in Hudson on Tuesday. Yesterday, too, the Columbia County Sanctuary Movement announced on Facebook that they had "confirmed that there are at least 4 people who have been detained in the area by ICE and are being held in the Albany County Jail." CCSM provided no information about why the people had been detained or where in the area the action had happened.
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