The Register-Star just published an update on James Dolan, who remains in critical condition at Albany Med: "Greenport's Dolan 'fighting' for life after cardiac arrest."
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
On the Path to Charter Revision
At its meeting last night, the Common Council passed a resolution enacting a local law that established a Charter Revision Commission. The law describes the number and method of appointing members in this way:
The Commission shall consist of nine members and a quorum shall consist of five members. Seven community members shall be appointed by the President of the City of Hudson Common Council in consultation with the Common Council. At least one resident from each Ward shall serve on the Commission. The Common Council President and the Majority Leader shall serve, ex officio, as the eighth and ninth members.
Today, Gossips reveals the identity of the nine members of the Charter Revision Commission, along with the wards in which they reside:
- Steven Wilson (First Ward)
- Bill Hughes (Second Ward)
- John Friedman (Third Ward)
- Kevin Turner (Third Ward)
- Rob Perry (Third Ward)
- Linda Fenoff (Fourth Ward)
- Caitie Hilverman (Fifth Ward)
- Margaret Morris (Council President--First Ward)
- Dominic Merante (Majority Leader--Fifth Ward)
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A Legal Decision in the Weed Wars
Riverbend had sued the Cannabis Control Board for granting a waiver to Blaze NY, Bill Hughes' dispensary proposed for 519 Columbia Street. State regulations require that cannabis shops be at least 2,000 feet apart in municipalities with fewer then 20,000 residents. The location of Blaze NY is just a block away from Riverbend, which is located at 531 Warren Street.
The Register-Star article reports:
Riverbend had to prove the board's decision to greenlight the [Blaze NY] dispensary actually harmed its business, and economic harm resulting from foreseen market saturation or economic competition is not a high enough threshold, Albany Supreme Court Justice William Little said in his ruling.
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Difference of Opinion
At its September 29 meeting, the Common Council passed a resolution expressing the opinion that the Mill Street parcel, the proposed site of Mill Street Lofts, was municipal parkland and conveyance of the land may constitute alienation of parkland requiring authorization by the New York State Legislature. Two days later, Mayor Joseph Ferris vetoed that resoluition.
Ferris's veto statement was on the agenda for last night's Common Council meeting as a communication. In introducing the veto statement, Council president Margaret Morris cited Section C6-2 of the City Charter before making this statement:
As you know, this resolution was not legislative. It did not authorize the City to take any action. As such, the veto I consider to be irrelevant. There will not be a vote to override the veto. We have expressed our opinion, and there's nothing further to say on the matter, as far as I'm concerned.
When the Council voted on the resolution in September, nine of the eleven members voted in support of the resolution, and two--Mohammed Rony (Second Ward) and Claire Cousin (Fifth Ward)--abstained.
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Tuesday, October 27, 2026
An Unexpected Development
At its meeting tonight, the Common Council unanimously passed a resolution enacting a local law establishing a charter revision commission.
The same resolution and local law were tabled in August. As Gossips reported at the time, the greatest objection to what was proposed came from C0uncilmember Claire Cousin (Fifth Ward), who took issue with the process for appointing members of the commission described in the law:
Seven community members shall be appointed by the President of the City of Hudson Common Council in consultation with the Common Council. At least one resident from each Ward shall serve on the Commission.
In August, Cousin argued that the law as written placed too much appointment power in the hands of the Council president Margaret Morris. At tonight's meeting, Cousin thanked Morris for her hard work on this initiative and acknowledged she had reached out to people in her ward but found none who wanted to put in the time required to serve on the charter revision commission.
At the end of tonight's meeting, the Council went into executive session to discuss the people Morris is proposing to serve on the commission, all of whom volunteered to step up and do the hard work of revising the charter.
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An Announcement from Hudson Hall
This is a hugely significant milestone in a journey that's been going on for more than three decades.
Hudson Hall at the historic Hudson Opera House today announced the successful completion of its Rise Up! campaign and the full retirement of the debt on its home at 327 Warren Street. Launched in 2021 and sparked by a $500,000 matching grant from the Reinhart Foundation, Rise Up! reduced the loan from $3 million in 2017 to under $1 million. An extraordinary gift from the Reinhart Foundation in early 2026 retired the remaining debt in full.
Built in 1855 as Hudson's City Hall, the building fell into disrepair after city offices were relocated in 1962. In 1992, a group of local citizens banded together to save it and establish the arts nonprofit, Hudson Opera House. Their efforts culminated in a comprehensive $9.5 million restoration, completed in 2017, that made the building fully ADA accessible for the first time in its history and returned New York State's oldest surviving theater to the public. Hudson Hall took out a $3 million loan to complete the project.
Ending principal and interest payments on this loan--more than $60,000 a year in interest alone--lets Hudson Hall redirect those resources to sustaining community programming and to building an operating reserve. The milestone comes as Hudson Hall approaches the tenth anniversary of its 2017 restoration and reopening.
"Hudson Hall exists today because people in this community believed this building was worth saving," said Paul Barrett, President of Hudson Hall's Board of Directors. "That commitment has carried us through more than three decades of restoration, reopening, and rebuilding. The Rise Up! campaign is another example of what people can accomplish together, and we're enormously grateful to everyone who contributed, especially the Reinhart Foundation, for helping us reach this milestone."
"For the first time since our theater reopened in 2017, we can plan for the future without the burden of this debt," said Adam Weinert, Executive Director of Hudson Hall. "That means more of our resources can go toward the work we're here to do: bringing artists and audiences together, supporting young people, and making Hudson Hall a place where the whole community feels welcome. It's an exciting moment to be thinking about what's next."
The Next Chapter: Securing Hudson Hall's Future
With this debt behind us, more of Hudson Hall's resources can go directly toward the artists, performances, educational programs, and community gatherings that bring the building to life. Last week, the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) announced awarding Hudson Hall $45,000 to seed its first-ever Reserve Fund--an important first step toward financial resiliency. The fund will help the organization navigate unexpected challenges and safeguard its programs and its historic building. The award is made possible by NYSCA with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
Since reopening in 2017, Hudson Hall has grown into a year-round destination for the performing arts and a vital community gathering place, serving approximately 40,000 people annually through more than 800 programs. Its acclaimed Hudson Jazz Festival and the Handel on the Hudson opera series bring internationally recognized artists to the region, alongside free arts education, community partnerships, and accessible programming for people of all ages.
Shocking News from Greenport
Tassilo von Parvesal reports on The Greenport Perimeter that Jimmy Dolan, who will be remembered by Hudsonians who have been here for a while, suffered an apparent heart attack last night: "Councilman Dolan collapses during Greenport special town board meeting."
Update: The Register-Star just reported on Dolan's current condition: "Greenport's Dolan in critical condition after mid-meeting collapse."
Monday, October 26, 2026
News of the Bridge
Gossips has been following the efforts to save and protect the historic Stuyvesant Falls Bridge. The bridge continues to be closed, awaiting repair. Today, we share this update from Historic Stuyvesant.
BRIDGE CLOSURE STATUS UPDATE
The county continues to drag its heels on bridge repairs.
When the county's Department of Public Works voted to move forward with repairing the Stuyvesant Falls Bridge to a 12-ton load rating, Ron Knott, Stuyvesant Supervisor and Chair of the Department of Public Works (DPW), said in March 2026 "We are working on a proposal to get this work done with hopes that it can happen this summer and get reopened before winter." It is now the end of October 2026 and, according to Ray Jurkowski, Commissioner of DPW, the work has not gone out to bid. At this week's DPW meeting, Jurkowski confirmed there is no clear timeline for construction.
The current closure is the result of years of neglect by the county. Not only is the bridge beautiful, it is vital to the daily lives of Columbia County residents and businesses. If the Stuyvesant Falls Bridge remains closed, it will be closed at the same time that the nearby Rossman Bridge is out of service. Detours would force vehicles to drive upwards of 6 extra miles. With the high costs of fuel, every mile matters and public safety, commerce and public access will be negatively affected by the closure of both bridges.
SECTION 106 HISTORIC REVIEW UPDATES
As part of the federal Section 106 process, the County's consultants, EDR, determined that the bridge is eligible for individual listing in the National Register of Historic Places; a significant upgrade from its current status as a "contributing factor" to the Stuyvesant Falls Mill District.
EDR stated that the bridge represents the "work of a master" and is demonstrative of the features of a rare bridge type. You can read the full report here.
As we continue through the Section 106 and 4a(f) processes, the county must prove that there are no prudent and feasible alternatives to their plan for demolition. Historic Stuyvesant is here to affirm what we have said from the beginning: rehabilitation of the existing bridge is the fastest, least expensive path toward an open bridge that meets the needs of the community and restores emergency vehicle access. The county's own consultants have reinforced our argument, and we will continue to advocate for bridge preservation.
To learn more about the effort to save the Stuyvesant Falls Bridge and to support the cause, visit the Historic Stuyvesant website.
Safe Homes Needed
If you have ever contemplated sharing your home with a cat (or two), this press release from the Columbia-Greene Humane Society is for you.
The Columbia-Greene Humane Society/SPCA (CGHS/SPCA) is facing an unprecedented animal welfare challenge following the rescue of 96 cats and one dog from a Catskill residence, bringing the number of cats received from two separate cruelty cases to a staggering 158 in approximately one week.…
While these cats have suffered from neglect, their outlook is positive. Some were underweight, and many were infested with fleas and affected by internal parasites. Fortunately, these conditions have been treated, and most of the cats are expected to make a full and relatively quick recovery with proper nutrition, veterinary treatment, and the compassionate attention of shelter staff. The cats are expected to become available for adoption soon, once they have received the necessary medical care and clearance.…
To help accommodate the enormous influx, CGHS/SPCA transferred 40 of the rescued cats to AnimalKind, a nonprofit cat rescue organization based in Hudson. The collaboration will help ensure that the animals receive individualized attention and appropriate care while preparing for their new lives.…
The latest rescue comes on the heels of another cruelty case that brought 62 cats into CGHS/SPCA's care just last week. Together, the two cases represent a record influx of cats in such a short span of time, requiring veterinary attention, housing, food, and daily care, placing extraordinary demands on shelter personnel and resources.
Although monetary donations toward the care of these animals are welcomed and deeply appreciated, CGHS/SPCA emphasizes that its greatest need is not financial assistance, but adopters. Every cat placed in a loving home creates space and resources for another animal in need, making adoption the most immediate and meaningful way the public can help.
Fortunately, the timing presents a special opportunity for prospective adopters. Through the generous support of Subaru and its nationwide Subaru Loves Pets® initiative, CGHS/SPCA is currently offering free adoptions for cats, dogs, and small animals through October 31, 2026. All cat adoption fees at AnimalKind are also being sponsored, giving the public two opportunities to welcome a new feline companion into their homes at no adoption cost.
Prospective adopters are strongly encouraged to submit adoption applications in advance, as same-day approvals are not guaranteed. Cats rescued in the recent investigation will be available for adoption as soon as they are medically cleared, while many other wonderful cats are already waiting for homes at both organizations.
For these animals, the worst is behind them. Their recovery is expected to be swift, their futures are promising, and the opportunity to give them a new beginning is within reach. What happens next depends on the generosity and compassion of the community.
Sunday, October 25, 2026
Meetings and Events in the Week Ahead
It's the last week of October and the last week of daylight saving time. Before the darkness of November descends upon us, here is what's happening.
- On Monday, October 26, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) meets at 2:30 p.m. to continue its deliberation about the 2027 budget. At this workshop, the BEA will continue its review of projected revenue. The workshop is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
- At 5:30 p.m. on Monday, October 26, the Public Works Board holds its monthly meeting. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
- On Tuesday, October 27, the Common Council holds its regular monthly meeting. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:00 p.m., but Gossips has been advised that the first thing on the agenda is an executive session, so the meeting will not actually begin for the public until 6:30 p.m. Among the items on the agenda are resolutions having to do with financing and grant administration for the redesign of the playground at Oakdale Lake, a project that is expected to cost $1.265,000. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
- On Wednesday, October 28, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) meets at 2:30 p.m. At this meeting, the BEA will begin its overall review of the 2027 budget--projected revenues and expenditures. At last word, there was a $1.5 million gap between them. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
- At 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 28, Hudson Community Development and Planning Agency (HCDPA) holds a special meeting to approve its 2027 budget, which must be submitted to the NYS Authorities Budget Office by October 31. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
- On Friday, October 30, at 2:30 p.m., the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) continues its overall review of the 2027 budget--projected revenues and expenditures. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here to join the meeting remotely.
- From 12:00 to 3:30 p.m., Howl-O-Ween: Dog Costume Contest takes place at Upper Depot Brewing Company, 708 State Street.
- Beginning at 2:00 p.m., Hudson Halloween happens on Warren Street. Here is the schedule of events:
- 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.--Trick or Treating on Warren Street
- 4:00 p.m.--Gather at Seventh Street Park for the parade
- 4:05 p.m.--The parade down Warren Street kicks off
- 4:30 p.m.--The parade ends at Hudson Hall with a Costume Contest
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Saturday, October 24, 2026
Early Voting Starts Today
- Saturday, October 24--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday, October 25--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Monday, October 26--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, October 27--Noon to 8:00 p.m.
- Wednesday, October 28--Noon to 8:00 p.m.
- Thursday, October 29--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Friday, October 30--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Saturday, October 31--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Sunday, November 1--9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
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| Photo: Lance Wheeler | Facebook |
Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, on which day the polls will be open from 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. In Hudson, Wards 1, 2, and 3 vote at the Board of Elections, 11 Warren Street; Wards 4 and 5 vote at the Central Fire Station, 77 North Seventh Street.
Friday, October 23, 2026
Acknowledgment and Gratitude
An enthusiastic "Thank you" to Jonathan of Jonathan's Computer Repair & Sales, who got the Gossips laptop up and running again--soundlessly--this afternoon.
Thursday, October 22, 2026
A Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words
Tomorrow morning, the Historic Preservation Commission will deliberate on the application for a certificate of appropriateness for the buildings at the corner of Warren and North Fourth streets, reflecting the work already done in violation of the certificate of appropriateness granted by the HPC in 2023.
At the public hearing on October 9, Matt McGhee delivered a statement about the work already done. The HPC postponed its deliberation to give themselves time to study and consider McGhee's critique. Gossips published McGhee's statement on October 11, but it is being published again with photographs provided today by McGhee that relate to his statement.
Thanks to the historic examples we have at hand to guide the outcome of restoring this importantly placed and widely visible building on Warren Street, 402 Warren St. can be as noble as it once was and a valuable asset for the people of Hudson.
The end wall (facing the alley) of the historic row houses has an installation of electrical feeds on the brickwork, destroying the former beauty of that wall. These feeds could have just as easily been placed on the new alley building's large blank wall. The original historic moldings on the roof end were replaced with plain squared-off lumber.
The three historic buildings should have period-appropriate 6-over-6 windows. The 2-over-2 windows in the new infill buildings should remain, in order to distinguish the new from the historic construction.
The historic houses on North 4th Street had a white coating at the attic level, down to and including the relief brick molding only. The area above the second floor windows was free of any coating and should remain so. Therefore the new, bright white pointing in that area needs to match the existing pointing. This is also the case for areas of the west facade of 402 Warren St. Two windows on the North 4th Street (west) side of 402 are missing their marble sills; it would be nice if they could be replaced.
The west facade at present does not conform with the original west elevation drawing as far as the corner treatment is concerned. It comes across as a heavy-handed interpretation of the west side of 701 Warren Street. The 260 Warren St. building's east side would be a better prototype for the west side of 402 Warren Street.
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| 701 Warren Street |
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| 260 Warren Street |
There were three original marble pillars on the main facade of 402 Warren; two were removed from the doorway and one was covered over at the far right-hand (east) side, adjacent to the new building on Warren Street. These pillars were all 14 inches wide and made of hard marble. There are similar 14-inch wide pillars on two buildings in Hudson at 260 Warren and 701 Warren Street.
701 also has a doorway with an opening 3 feet 4 inches wide, with one surviving marble pillar. This is very similar to the original doorway (now removed) as shown on the granite arcade elevation drawing as having as opening of 3 feet 3¾ inches. The over-door transom original to the building, also shown in the drawing, has been eliminated; and the replacement doorway opening is 46.5 inches (3 feet 9.5 inches) wide. This interferes with the harmony of the four openings on the left of the doorway; in the granite arcade elevation drawing all of the openings on either side of the doorway are the same, at 5 feet each, and the outer pillars were 20 inches wide; the remaining pillars are 1 foot 2 inches (14 inches) wide. The newly proposed division of the marble lintel is too short and should be much longer, and the original marble molding across the top of the lintel should be replaced to be more like 402 was and as 701 Warren St. currently is. The removal of the original historic material is very unfortunate and justly should be restored to match in appearance and size the transom, door, and paneled side walls of the recessed entryway, with a stone flooring of white marble, which was in place, and like the doorway at 701 Warren. The marble pillars should be restored in size and type. The end pillar, now covered over, and the pillars from the door opening demonstrate that all the pillars were 14 inches wide (the same as 260 and 701 Warren Street). This can and should follow the original historic evidence we have.
This old (2023?) south elevation drawing appears the same as the earlier granite elevation drawing and conforms to a greater degree to the historic examples we have to guide us in this endeavor. Yet what we see on Warren and North 4th Streets now has a lack of uniformity in the size and placement of the pillars and openings of the colonnades, historic and new, and this fails to conform to the previous proposals.
There is none of the refinement of the historical, pre-modernist, understated interpretation of Classical design.
The HPC meeting happens at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow. The meeting is a hybrid, taking place in person at City Hall and on Teams. Click here for the link to join the meeting remotely.
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Considering the Cemetery
Last Friday, the Board of Estimate and Apportionment (BEA) reviewed the proposed budget for the cemetery. The budget for the cemetery is a perennial issue. As city treasurer Heather Campbell explained, "The cemetery is supposed to be self-funding, but it's not." That's due in part, because, as Rob Perry, superintendent of Public Works, explained, the perpetual care fund, which is supposed to ensure the maintenance of cemetery in perpetuity, suffered from some "bad investment" in the 1970s, a decade that saw a lot of bad decisions made in Hudson.
We took out the part-timers, and I said that means that the old section does not get mowed. And in third week of June, they were getting calls and emails because it looked like a sh**hole, with a foot and a half grass, that everybody uses for their dogs and their walking and their jogging. And they called immediately to hire somebody. Of course, we hire the people in April, so those guys were no longer available. We didn't get people on until July, and then it was a bushwhacking session. And I never had that discussion again.
Perry maintained that the old section of the cemetery--the part of the cemetery that has been determined to be National Register eligible--is a city park not a cemetery, and people expect it to be maintained as a park would be. He concluded, "The part-time portion of this [budget] is $80,000. That's the price of having a pristine cemetery that nobody complains about and everybody uses as a park."
Several years ago, the idea of using sheep or goats to keep the grass trimmed in the old section of the cemetery was suggested by Friends of the Hudson Cemetery. Gossips did a post about the idea in 2018: "Sheep May Safely Graze." Other cemeteries--one in New York City, one in Schenectady, and several in the UK--use sheep to tend the grass. Why couldn't it be done here? The steep slope of the old cemetery and the seemingly random placement of the headstones and monuments make mowing a challenge, but those things would not be a problem for sheep or goats. That idea was never seriously considered. Perry made reference to it on Friday when he told Morris, "At least you spared me the goat discussion again."
When Perry spoke of the goat discussion, Campbell mentioned clover, referring to the idea being promoted by advocates for the cemetery, for the environment, and for a balanced city budget of replacing the grass in the old section of the cemetery with a low-growing, weed-resistant ground cover that does not require mowing. There are several possibilities, clover being one of them. The grass could be replaced with ground cover one section at a time over time, and different areas could possibly have different types of ground cover--clover in some places, creeping thyme in others, sweet woodruff somewhere else.
Perry, however, dismissed the idea, saying that seeds from trees would drop into the clover and germinate, causing unwanted trees to sprout. When asked if that didn't happen with grass, too, he explained that the mowers chopped up the seeds.
Former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, speaking about something else altogether, is reported to have said something that seems apt here: "The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery."
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