The Gossips of Rivertown

Sunday, January 21, 2024

Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead

In a week that is predicted is see the return of 40-degree weather, here is what's happening.

On Monday, January 22, the Housing Trust Fund Board meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street, and on Microsoft Teams. Click here to find the link to join the meeting remotely.

Update: The Housing Trust Fund Board meeting scheduled for tonight was canceled.

On Tuesday, January 23, the Planning Board meets at 6:00 p.m. Since this is the meeting originally scheduled for January 9, it is expected the items on agenda will remain the same: the subdivision proposed for Hudson Avenue, the relocation of Lil' Deb's Oasis to 735 Columbia Street, and the boutique hotel proposed for 601 Union Street. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street, and on Microsoft Teams. Click here to find the link to join the meeting remotely.

On Wednesday, January 24, the Columbia County Board of Supervisors holds a public input meeting at 3:30 p.m. at 401 State Street. The purpose of the meeting is "reviewing the County's proposed plan for the use, by department, of the 11 Warren Street building." Anyone wishing to speak at the meeting must register in advance. This can be done by calling (518) 828-1527 or sending an email to kelly.baccaro@columbiacountyny.com before 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 22.

Update: If you cannot make it to the public input meeting on Wednesday, written comments regarding 11 Warren Street and the County's proposed use of the building can be submitted by email to kelly.baccaro@columbiacountyny.com. It is recommended that written comments be submitted before noon tomorrow, Tuesday, January 23.

On Thursday, January 25, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., the Hudson Area Library, in collaboration with the Jacob Leisler Institute for the Study of Early New York History, presents "Grain and Tobacco, Wampum/Sewan, and Beaver/Drielings: Making Sense of Money in Seventeenth-Century New Netherland and North America," a talk by Simon Middleton. The event will be held virtually on Zoom. To register, visit the Hudson Area Library History Room website.
On Friday, January 26, the Historic Preservation Commission holds its second meeting of the month at 10:00 a.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at the Central Firehouse, 77 North Seventh Street, and on Microsoft Teams. Click here to find the link to join the meeting remotely.

Hudson at the Beginning of the 20th Century

In 1909, the Hudson Morning Republican ran a series called "Men We Know." Every week, the newspaper featured a drawing of a prominent Hudsonian (all men, of course) accompanied by a four-line rhyme. The subjects of drawings were not identified, but hints to their identities could be found in the drawings. There were fifty-two drawings in the series, one for each week of the year. Below is an example from the "Men We Know" series.

The rhyme accompanying the drawing reads:

He leaves this bride and groom to settle for themselves

Whether one chair will not do for two.

And he has the goods wherewith to furnish all their house,

If they'll cut out that bill and coo.

A clue to the subject's identity is on the spine of the tome lying atop the armoire:

The notable depicted in the drawing is William Gray, son of Rensselaer Gray and the proprietor of R. Gray's Sons Furniture. The furniture store was located at 547-549 Warren Street, the building that is now Stair Galleries.

If people were unable to figure out the subjects of the "Men We Know" series, a volume called "Just for Fun" reproduced all the drawings and identified them. This is the drawing of William Gray as it appears in "Just for Fun."

Recently, Frank Meyers donated a set of "Men We Know" clippings from the Hudson Morning Republican and a copy of "Just for Fun" to the History Room at the Hudson Area Library.

The material can be viewed at the History Room by appointment. To request an appointment, contact history@hudsonarealibrary.org.

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Following Up

On December 27, 2023, Gossips posted about a notice that appeared in the Hudson Weekly Star for January 1, 1874, reporting that Frederic Church had completed "one of the largest landscapes he has painted for a long time." The painting was Syria by the Sea, and it was painted for James Frederick Joy of Detroit. In 1910, Joy's widow donated the painting to the Detroit Institute of Arts. Today, a Gossips reader visiting DIA provided this photograph of the painting on display there.

Whodathunkit? It's Been 14 Years!

On January 20, 2010, The Gossips of Rivertown published its very first post. Fourteen years, 13,000 posts, and 12 million pageviews later, Gossips is still going strong. It has become a valued source for local news and history, earning the respect of many and the disdain of a few. The ability to search fourteen years of posts makes Gossips an amazing archive of Hudson's most recent past.

Today, as I do every year on Gossips' anniversary, I humbly acknowledge all the readers whose interest and loyalty have made Gossips a success and offer my profound gratitude to the generous Gossips supporters and advertisers whose monetary contributions help pay the bills. Today, too, I invite readers to celebrate fourteen years of sharing news, history, and occasional gossip about the trials and triumphs in our river city by joining those readers who have already shown their support for The Gossips of Rivertown in 2024.

For those who read Gossips on a computer, the process is easy. Just click on the "Donate" button near the top of the right column. For those who read Gossips on their phones, the process is a bit more complicated. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and touch "View web version." Then find the "Donate" button in the right column.

Your support--in any amount--will be gratefully acknowledged and will ensure the continuation of Gossips for yet another year.

Friday, January 19, 2024

The Way It's Done at the County Level

On Monday, Gossips reported that the Columbia County Board of Supervisors was planning to hold a public hearing on Wednesday, January 24, about the future use of 11 Warren Street. The official announcement of the hearing, billed as a "Public Input Meeting," appeared today on Facebook.

It turns out the meeting will take place at 3:30 p.m. next Wednesday, not at 4:00 p.m., as originally indicated, and people who wish to speak at the meeting must register in advance with the clerk of the Board of Supervisors. The deadline for registering is Monday, January 22, at 4:00 p.m. This is reminiscent of the bad old days of Hudson government, when residents had to ask for permission, in advance of the meeting, from Mim Traver, then Common Council president, to speak at a Council meeting. As I recall, you had to make your case for why you should be allowed to address the esteemed body, and she didn't always grant permission.

Thursday, January 18, 2024

They're Back

At the beginning of the year, the City switched from Zoom to Microsoft Teams for hybrid meetings. As a consequence, posting the meetings to YouTube became more complicated, and it didn't happen as quickly as many of us expected it to.

Today, Gossips can report that all the meetings of the Common Council that have taken place since the beginning of the year can now be viewed on YouTube. The links are provided below.

Organizational Meeting, Monday, January 8
Informal Meeting, Monday, January 8
Regular Meeting, Tuesday, January 16

Get Ready to Slow Down

Hudson has been talking about reducing its speed limit for at least four years now, a conversation initiated by Councilmember Dominic Merante (Fifth Ward). In 2021, the Common Council voted to reduce the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph on Glenwood Boulevard and on Union Street. New York State law at that time prohibited making a citywide reduction in the speed limit.

In August 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation to allow cities in New York to lower their speed limit to 25 mph, and Hudson is now pursuing that. Part of the process is having an engineer do a speed limit evaluation, and earlier this week, the Common Council passed a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with Creighton Manning Engineering to do the evaluation. The study will cost $7,500.

Councilmember Margaret Morris (First Ward), who is shepherding this initiative through the process, told her colleagues that studies she has looked at indicate that reducing the speed limit from 30 mph to 25 mph results in close to a 50 percent reduction in traffic fatalities, significant decreases in collisions and accidents, because there is sufficient stopping time, and reduces the stopping time for trucks and larger vehicles. When Councilmember Gary Purnhagen (First Ward) asked what the likelihood was Hudson's request to lower the speed limit would be rejected by the state, Morris responded, "Very close to zero."

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Paying Last Respects

Service arrangements for Senior Sergeant Christopher Filli, who died while on duty last Friday, are taking place today, Wednesday, January 17, and tomorrow, Thursday, January 18.

Calling hours are today, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., at St. Mary's Church/Holy Trinity Parish, 429 East Allen Street.

The funeral service will take place tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. at St. Mary's Church/Holy Trinity Parish, 429 East Allen Street.

Vehicular access to East Court Street, East Allen Street, and Power Avenue will be prohibited from noon to 10:00 p.m. today and from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. tomorrow.

Not Too Soon to Be Thinking About Summer

This summer, as it has for the past fourteen summers, The Olana Partnership will offer four weeks of hands-on exploration for children ages 6 to 11, from July to August, at Olana State Historic Site. Discounted early bird registration is now open.

Children can experience art, science, and nature through sketching, lake exploration, hiking, painting, play, and more, all while meeting new friends and learning from the experts. The whole summer focuses on art and nature with special guest visits and different activities each week.

Highlights for each of the four weeks include exploring habitats, animals, and ecosystems within Olana's 250-acre artist-designed landscape with Taconic Outdoor Education Center and Columbia Land Conservancy; unleashing your inner sculptor by experimenting with clay, wire, and paper mâché; creative cooking classes with The Sylvia Center; a special visit from beekeepers at Fox Farm Apiary; and experimenting with professional materials like paint, charcoal, and collage.

The program runs Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Secure your space now. Early bird registration is available from January 1 through February 29 and offers a $50 discount. Registration will close on June 1, 2024. The cost of attendance is $350 a week for members of The Olana Partnership and $450 for nonmembers. To become a member, visit Olana.org/membership. Early bird pricing is available until February 29 and is $300 a week for members and $400 a week for nonmembers.

Full scholarships and financial support for transportation are available for students who attend Title I schools and/or receive SNAP and EBT benefits. To learn about this opportunity and apply for funding, email education@olana.org.

To learn more about the program and to register, visit olana.org/panorama.

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Considering Committees

The offices of City Hall (now located at the Central Fire Station) closed today at noon because of the snow. So far, the snow has not caused tonight's meeting of the Common Council to be canceled, but apparently that could still happen. If the meeting does take place as scheduled, it is expected that the discussion about standing committees that Councilmember Margaret Morris (First Ward) wanted to have at the organizational meeting last week will be taken up at this meeting.

The document, which is essentially a proposal, Morris wanted to talk about is now on the City of Hudson website. It presents the following reasons why standing committees, which were eliminated three years ago by Council president Tom DePietro, should be reinstated:

To provide focused opportunities to address/discuss department specific updates
To provide forums for members of the public to bring up specific concerns
To eliminate detailed departmental reports from the informal meeting so that that meeting can focus on review and discussion of upcoming resolutions and local laws that will be subject to a vote at the regular meeting of the Common Council

Morris proposes six committees, all of which have existed in the past or are a variation of committees that have existed previously.

Finance (Treasurer; monthly YTD reports compared with prior year)
Public Safety (Police, Fire)
Infrastructure (DPW, Water/Sewer, Code Enforcement)
Youth and Aging (Youth Dept, Senior Center)
Legal
Economic Development (Hudson Business Coalition, Hudson Development Corporation)

The notion that the Hudson Business Coalition (HBCi) and Hudson Development Corporation (HDC) should report to a committee of the Common Council seems like a bit of overreach, but who knows. They may welcome the opportunity.

It seems tonight's Common Council meeting will take place as scheduled. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street, and on Microsoft Teams. Click here to find the link to join the meeting remotely.

A Hudson Connection

Last Friday, there was an article in the Times Union about The Free School in Albany and its financial problems: "How the Albany Free School sold off its real estate portfolio." The article reports that the school, which Wikipedia claims is "the oldest independent, inner-city alternative school in the United States," has in recent years "hemorrhaged money and students."

Photo: Jim Franco | Times Union

One passage in the article is of particular interest for us in Hudson:

When the Times Union visited the school in November, it was down to a single teacher and fewer than two dozen students. A housing nonprofit from the city of Hudson had agreed to pay the school’s bills in exchange for tuition, while the nonprofit's senior policy advisor, Quintin Cross—who had been in a relationship with the school's sole instructor—had joined its board of directors. Its leadership said the school had spent its small endowment and was effectively out of money.

The article the Times Union published in November 2023 about the Free School, "Albany's Free School, nation's oldest urban alternative school, is dying," provides more information about the relationship between the Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition and the Albany Free School. The following is quoted from that November article:

In a last-ditch attempt—and unusual move—to save the school, a housing nonprofit from 35 miles away in Hudson has taken over. The coalition got involved two years ago because its senior policy advisor, Quintin Cross, advocated for the school. Cross' children attended part-time while being homeschooled, and his mother, Sanon, is the head teacher.

The Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition said it is now paying the school’s National Grid bill and any other bills, which would include teacher salaries. In exchange, it is keeping all tuition payments and 5 percent of any fundraising.

It seems that in the months that have passed since November, the Times Union realized that the only teacher at the Free School is not Cross's mother but rather someone with whom he "had been in a relationship."

Following Up: The February newsletter of the Hudson Catskill Housing Coalition includes this information about the Albany Free School.

Monday, January 15, 2024

Meetings of Interest in the Week Ahead

In this week, which begins with the observance of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, there are just two meetings.

On Tuesday, January 16, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street, and on Microsoft Teams. Click here to find the link to join the meeting remotely.
On Wednesday, January 17, the Hudson Housing Authority Board of Commissioners meets at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person in the Community Room at Bliss Towers, 41 North Second Street, and on Zoom. Click here to join the meeting remotely.

A Misleading Headline

On Friday, a front-page article in the Register-Star bore the headline: "Murell shares plans for 11 Warren St."

Anyone who read the article found that very little of it was actually about 11 Warren Street, and it provided very little new information about the county's plans for the site. Regarding 11 Warren Street, the article quotes Matt Murell, chair of the Columbia County Board of Supervisors, as saying:

"We want to complete the 11 Warren St. project, which will occur throughout the remainder of 2024. . . . [The renovation] solves many issues. Firstly, we have to find a new space for the Board of Elections and the storage of the voting machines, which is a big investment on the county's part. We bought all new voting machines. Potentially, this will enable us to move the departments that are in the 610 State St. buildings, which will enable us to liquidate that building. It might serve a purpose if someone else wants to purchase it, but in terms of the county, it's just not functional anymore."

The county paid Galvan $3.35 million for 11 Warren Street, and the estimated cost of renovating the building is between $6 and $8 million.

It was promised that input from the community would be sought before decisions were made about which county departments, in addition to the the Board of Elections, would be relocated at 11 Warren Street. For this purpose, apparently, a public hearing is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, January 24, at 4:00 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors chamber at 401 State Street. Currently, the Probation Department and the Public Defender's Office are located at 610 State Street, the building the county is planning to "liquidate." Hence these departments are likely candidates for relocation to 11 Warren Street.

Sunday, January 14, 2024

Of Interest

On Friday, the Register-Star weighed in on the issue of the Shacks in an editorial: "The work of restoring the Furgary must go on." In defense of preserving the site, the editorial makes this somewhat bewildering argument:

The Shacks offer a counter-history, a glimpse of how Hudson once lived and worked and how it can move the city forward. Like the three notches that marked the path to Jules Verne's center of the Earth, the 17 cabins of Furgary point the way to the future, offering a sort of instruction manual for the city to build what it needs to advance.

Although the Register-Star editorial refers to seventeen shacks, at the time it was written there were only thirteen. One of the four shacks that have already been demolished was the most historically interesting. That was Shack #13. The images below, which were posted recently on the Furgary Fishing Village Facebook page, show Shack #13 not long before it was demolished and in its heyday.

The drawing of Shack #13, which was his grandfather's shack, is the work of Michael Williams.

Saturday, January 13, 2024

A Tragic Loss for Our Community

Last night, a number of people replaced their Facebook profile pictures with this symbol:

This morning, the Hudson Fire Department suspended a giant American flag over Green Street near the intersection with Fairview Avenue, a traditional gesture of remembrance and respect.

Photo: Gini Casasco | Facebook

This afternoon, the Hudson Police Department issued this statement:

It is with deep sorrow and heavy hearts that the City of Hudson Police Department announces the untimely passing of Senior Sergeant Christopher Filli after suffering a medical emergency while on duty Friday, January 12, 2024. Senior Sgt. Filli’s dedicated service to our Department and City will be remembered, and his loss is felt profoundly by our community.

Senior Sgt. Filli was a respected and dedicated member of HPD for 22+ years. His commitment to duty and selfless service left an indelible mark on those who had the privilege of working alongside him. He was an exceptional officer and will be greatly missed by all.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Senior Sergeant Filli’s family, friends, and colleagues during this challenging time. We extend our deepest condolences, and we stand together as a community to support each other through this loss.

We would like to thank surrounding law enforcement and public safety agencies to include but not limited to: New York State Police, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Columbia County 911, Hudson Fire Department, Greenport Fire Department, Greenport Police, and Greenport Rescue Squad for their unwavering support while our department mourns the loss of our officer.

At this time, the cause of Sr. Sgt. Filli's passing is unknown, and an ongoing investigation is underway. We ask for the privacy of the Filli family and members of HPD to be respected during this difficult period.

Further information regarding memorial services and tributes will be communicated as details become available.

Friday, January 12, 2024

Let It Be

The Historic Preservation Commission held a public hearing on 501 Union Street this morning. Then, after some discussion, the HPC made a decision about how to deal with the problem.

To review the situation, in September, limewash was applied to the building in violation of this stipulation in the building's certificate of appropriateness: "The original patina of brick shall be maintained." A stop-work order was issued, but in violation of the stop-work order limewash was applied to the newly reconstructed brick chimneys as well.

Last month, the Galvan Foundation, which owns the building, proposed resolving the problem by applying more limewash. Kurt Hirschling from Jan Hird Pokomy Associates, the expert Galvan hired to advise them, explained that two coats of a 3 percent solution (97 percent water to 3 percent hydrated lime) with been applied to the Union Street side of the building, and one coat of the 3 percent solution had been applied to the other three sides. His recommendation, and what Galvan was seeking a certificate of appropriateness to do, was to apply another two or three coats of a 20 percent solution of limewash (80 percent water and 20 percent hydrated lime). He told the HPC the limewash already applied to the building could not be removed without damaging the brick and predicted it would take three to five years for the limewash now on the building to wear away naturally.

Today, it was revealed that there was something more at stake. Apparently, work on the building is now complete, but a certificate of occupancy cannot be issued while the building is in violation and a stop-work order is in place.

The four people who spoke at the public hearing--Margaret Morris, Christabel Gough, Matt McGhee, and me--all advocated for letting the building to remain as is and not allow the application of any more limewash. Earlier this week, McGhee sent these photographs of 342 Allen Street to the HPC, which he said "illustrate what 501 Union would look like if allowed to age and patina over time."

Hirschling argued that leaving 501 Union as it is now would result in uneven weathering and applying more limewash would ensure uniform weathering. By more, he meant three more coats of a higher lime concentration. The HPC briefly entertained the possibility of allowing a second coat of the 3 percent solution on the three sides of the building that had gotten only one coat, but in the end the unanimous decision by the HPC was to approve the existing condition and deny the request to apply more limewash or anything else. Based on the HPC's decision, code enforcement officer Craig Haigh said he would lift the stop-work order and initiate the inspection required for issuing a certificate of occupancy. Commenting on the rationale for the decision, HPC member Paul Barrett said the HPC had chosen to "live with the damage that was done rather than increase the damage."

Thursday, January 11, 2024

In the Lobby of the Library

On Tuesday, Gossips reported about an exhibition of photographs from the History Room's extensive collection currently on display in the lobby of the Hudson Area Library at 51 North Fifth Street. That post included one of the photographs on display, one showing the Hudson post office under construction in 1912. Today, we share another photograph from the exhibition. This one shows the audience at the opening of The Playhouse Theatre on March 25, 1912. They were there to see the play Everywoman: A Modern Morality Play, by Walter Browne.

The Playhouse, which seated 1,500, stood at 347 Warren Street, now the site of BackBar. It was a movie house and also a live music and theater venue which brought well-known performers, musicians, and shows to Hudson. In its day, it was the center of theatrical activity in Hudson. Its slogan was: "The modern way to enjoy life, with a modern theatre to enjoy it in."

On the evening of February 25, 1938, The Playhouse was irreparably damaged by fire. It was never reopened.

To see the rest of the exhibit, go to the Hudson Area Library and linger in the lobby. To learn more about The Playhouse, you can explore the William E. Kline Hudson Playhouse Collection in the History Room at the library.

New Year, New Council, New Rule, New Strife

The Common Council held its first meeting of the new year on Monday. The first part of the meeting was the body's annual organizational meeting, when various things typically happen, among them adopting the Rules of Order for the year and announcing the majority and minority leaders for the upcoming term.

Regarding the Rules of Order, which can be found here, there was one substantive change: Rule #8, which has to with comments from the public. The text of the amended rule follows:

Rule #8 Non-Members Addressing the Council

At the discretion of the Chair, non-members, after identifying themselves and providing their place of residence, may address a question before the Council or new business at the new business portion of the meeting, in each case, after council members have discussed the issue at hand. As with council members, non-members first must be recognized by the Chair. The Chair has the authority to limit the number of speakers and the time allocated to each person. Any non-member seeking to speak must do so in an orderly manner and shall not engage in conduct which disrupts, disturbs, or otherwise impedes the orderly conduct of the meeting. Nor shall any non-member engage in any threatening manner or abusive language directed at any member of the Council, City Department representative, or member of the public. If any person continues to engage in such behavior after being warned by the Chairperson to cease such behavior, Chair may order the removal of said person from the meeting.

Previously Rule #8 consisted only of the first three sentences of the text reproduced above. The amended Rule #8, which could be given an eponymous title, was undoubtedly inspired by an incident that incurred at the informal Council meeting in November.

As has happened frequently in the past, the Common Council is once again made up exclusively of Democrats. As a consequence, the idea of a majority leader and a minority leader seems a bit meaningless. Still there are duties in city government assigned to councilmembers holding these titles--serving on the IDA (Industrial Development Agency) and HCDPA (Hudson Community Development & Planning Agency)--so Council majority and minority leaders must be named. At Monday's meeting it was announced that, for the next two years, Margaret Morris (First Ward) will be the majority leader, and Dominic Merante (Fifth Ward) will be the minority leader. Merante was majority leader in the previous term (2022-2023).

In the past, the organizational meeting was also the time when the makeup of committees was announced. Instead, Council president Tom DePietro asked councilmembers to volunteer for committees. The committees that currently exist are the Legal Committee and two ad hoc committees--one devoted to the truck route and the other to parking. At the meeting, councilmember Morris brought up the issue reinstating standing committees.

Standing committees had been part of the structure of the Common Council for more than 150 years, but in January 2021, DePietro eliminated all standing committees and decreed that department heads would report to the full Council at its informal meeting rather than making their reports at committee meetings. A few months later, in August 2021, the Legal Committee, one of the traditional standing committees, was revived. There were calls last year to reinstate the Police Committee, after a shooting incident that shattered a plate glass window at The Maker, but instead DePietro asked then councilmember Theo Anthony (Fourth Ward), to conduct a quarterly forum on public safety. If those forums ever happened, they were not announced on the city calendar.

In arguing for the return of standing committees, Morris mentioned five committees in particular, all of which have existed previously in some form:

Finance
Public Safety
Infrastructure
Youth & Aging
Economic Development

Morris suggested there might be a discussion among councilmembers about reinstating standing committees, but DePietro interrupted her. He complained she had never spoken with him about the issue, and it was he who controlled the committees. He told her he disagreed with her, and it was not a matter for open discussion.

After that, the organizational meeting was adjourned.

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Visiting Olana

The Olana Partnership will hold its first Olana Third Thursdays on January 18 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Olana State Historic Site. Olana Third Thursdays are monthly days of free tours of the historic landscape and house, as well as programs for all ages.

On January 18, a special drop-in "Artmaking in the Afternoon" will take place in the Wagon House Education Center for all ages and skill levels. Professional art supplies and refreshments are included.

"Olana State Historic Site's landscape is free and open to all, year round, but monthly Olana Third Thursdays makes every aspect of Olana free, including guided tours and inspiring events like drop-in artmaking, even more accessible to all," said Carolyn Keogh, director of education and public programs at The Olana Partnership.

Photo: Peter Aaron

Visitors on Thursday, January 18, are also invited to attend free tours of the historic landscape, the main house, and the special exhibition "SPECTACLE: Frederic Church and the Business of Art." Space is limited. Participants are required to have a ticket to attend the tour. Tickets can be reserved in advance online. A limited number of tickets will be made available on site that day at the Visitor Center. Tours and programs will be offered in both Spanish and English.

Looking ahead, February's special Olana Third Thursdays program will partner with the Kingston Cacao Lab. This program encourages participants to drop in, peel and taste cacao, ask questions, and sample chocolate. A Lunch & Learn titled "The Underground Railroad Revisited," with Paul and Mary Liz Stewart from the Underground Railroad Education Center in Albany, will also be offered at 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 15. Participants can learn more about the history of the Underground Railroad and the work of the Underground Railroad Education Center during the special free lecture celebrating Black History Month.

In March, Women's History Month will be observed with a Lunch & Learn titled "The Women of Olana," with associate curator Allegra Davis. There will also be a drop-in printmaking workshop.

Generous support for Olana Third Thursdays is provided by Art Bridges Foundation's Access for All program. To learn more about upcoming events and programs and to secure free tickets, visit Olana.org/ThirdThursdays or call 518 751-0344.

Flooding Alert for Route 9G

Gossips has just learned that Route 9G is closed in both directions just beyond Power Avenue--right where the controversial Colarusso "haul road" will cross 9G on its way to the river.

This is the second time this stretch of Route 9G has flooded since the Planning Board granted site plan approval to the haul road only a month ago, on December 12. It will be remembered that one of the two conditions that would allow Colarusso to use the streets of Hudson to transport gravel to the river after the haul road is constructed is any situation that makes the road impassable. It would seem that flooding at the intersection of the haul road with 9G might be sufficient to make the haul road impassible. Even after the haul road is constructed, it is likely we will still have to put up with gravel trucks on the streets of Hudson with some frequency.