Bring On Da BOOT!

While in City Hall yesterday, I was told that the city is not currently BOOTing vehicles with outstanding parking tickets because the software system that the Parking Bureau uses for tracking and processing parking tickets has not been working well enough to allow the process of BOOTing to operate properly. Basically, the system is full of glitches and is outdated.

The Good, The Bad And The Ugly, All Within A Few Hundred Feet Of One Block

The smooth and the cracked, inches apart

The paving contractor for National Grid's gas line replacement project here in Hudson has been busy for the past couple of weeks. Yesterday, they finished paving over National Grid's trench on the south side of the 700 block of Columbia Street -- from just east of Park Place to about Lil' Deb's restaurant. The contractor, Bob Talham, Inc, is not here to replace just any of Hudson's cracked and troubled streets, only strips 10 or 12 feet from the curbs to replace what was temporarily covering all the trenches now holding our new plastic natural gas pipes.

It's A Good Thing City Hall Is Paying Attention To What Is Going On Around Our Planet And Underneath Their Own Sidewalk

While our earth and surrounding atmosphere are in the throes of an obvious human-caused climate change free fall death spiral, there is no shortage of evidence showing that Hudson City Hall has its collective head in the sand, treating the local environment and the entire planet like a toxic waste dump not worth any respect. Isn't it a fact that the U.S. federal government is the nation's biggest polluter? This appears to also be true on a local scale here with Hudson's government.

First there is this:

Like Lima Beans, Either You Love 'Em Or You Hate 'Em

Of all the household fixtures that this dumpster diver rues seeing headed to a landfill, vintage colored bathroom fixtures are near the top of my list. Plain white toilet, even a working one?  Good riddance!  Pink, yellow or blue toilet or sink?  "Hey, who is going to take this home?"  (It sucks that they are so heavy!)  I don't need any colored bathroom fixtures right now, but I know that there is a market for the wonderfully colored toilets and (especially) sinks from 1950's America and, well... it seems such a shame to see them trashed so easily.  Leave it at the curb for at least a few hours to see if someone will take it away before putting it in the trailer!  

What Else Does He Ignore That His "Boss," The Mayor, Allows Him To?

On too many occasions over the past seven years, I've seen it and done my best to avoid it every time I am fortunate enough to be headed to or from Lucky's after a decent rain.  Lucky me and everyone else out on two feet!  

(No, this is not another story about Michael Madison!) 

More Self-Inflicted Damage And Lost Revenue At City Hall. Is Anyone Doing Anything To Put An End To It?

Today: Lights on, blue car with flat tire 
still there and one fourth of the meters inoperable.
Oh, and the lot is a mess, including overgrown weeds.

I recently noticed that the parking meters in the City Hall Municipal Parking Lot on Columbia Street were looking ignored, so this morning I decided to count the number of inoperable meters, something I hadn't done in many months.

It's Official: Our DPW Superintendent Really Doesn't Care About You Or ...

There might as well be a hanging sign that
says "Robert Perry hopes you get run over!"

...me, your neighbors, your grandparents, your siblings, your dog, your local friends or friends visiting from out of town, your spouse or lover, your mother or father, sister or brother or anyone else you may or may not know or care about.  Robert Perry seems to only care about himself.

2 things have occurred in the past year which support my claim. 

Should We Be Surprised That There May Now Be Hypodermic Needles In The Park?

Today I heard something from a worker at a retail business on upper Warren Street that should not surprise anyone paying attention to the deteriorating situation in the 7th Street Park.  The worker told me that he has been told of recent sightings of used hypodermic needles on the ground in the park.  I have not seen any needles myself.

What A Celestial Show!

There was quite a spectacle in the western sky last night about an hour before sunset.  For at least 10 minutes, it was a stunning sight from near 6th & Columbia but must have been even more so from Promenade Park or Olana.  I think Frederic Church would have wet his pants had he seen it. 

City Hall Responds: "Let's Continue To Do Nothing About The Problem!" (And Hope No One Is Killed?)

Saturday afternoon. Ruined day, ruined car.  

On Saturday afternoon there was yet another car crash at the intersection of Columbia & 4th.  Three vehicles were involved, at least one of them appearing to be totaled.  According to what I overheard one driver explain to a Hudson police officer, the vehicle that caused the accident was a black pickup truck on Columbia that ran the red light. That vehicle had a slightly dented rear end.  The woman passenger in the car that suffered the most damage and spilled so much fluid on the street was still in her car with her steering wheel air bag employed when I arrived 5 or 6 minutes after the crash.  She did not appear to be in much pain, but most definitely required medical attention.  It's possible that she could not open the door.

Saturday's accident, like previous ones at that intersection, was likely preventable.  However, it's pretty clear that Hudson City Hall is not at all interested in preventing accidents at Columbia & 4th (as well as Columbia & 5th and Columbia & 6th).  City Hall is mainly interested in doing nothing about the problem at Columbia & 4th.  Hell, they may not even see the intersection as a problem.  It's just the way it is, always has been and always will be.  Expect accidents there!

The "Improved" Stewart's Corner 9 Months Later

There are a few things of interest going on along Green Street near the intersection with Fairview Avenue, also known as the Stewart's corner, several months after "improvements" were made there.

At 4 Stories Tall, This Tree Should Win An Award

At Green & McKinstry

If there is a prettier and more majestic chestnut tree in all of Hudson right now, I'd like to see it.  

What Code? What Enforcement? What Conflicting Arrows On A One Way Street? What "Misled or Confused Traffic"? What Wrong Way Drivers?

This business sign has been secured to a 
pair of city-owned poles for at least two years

Chapter 244 of the Hudson City Code is all about signs. Section 20 deals with ground signs. Subsection C refers to the Location and Size of ground signs. Sub-subsection 5 states:  Not to mislead, interfere with or confuse traffic. All ground signs shall conform to the provision of Chapter 244-20.

Chapter 244-20 states the following:  No sign shall be erected, relocated or maintained at the intersection of any street in such a manner as to ... obstruct the view of or be confused with any authorized traffic sign, signal or device; or which makes use of ... any word, phrase, symbol or character in such manner as to interfere with, mislead or confuse traffic.

Fifth Street, both North and South, is one the most common streets to see wrong way drivers.  I have no doubt that it is the most common street where wrong way driving occurs.

One Dollar Bail? Why Even F'n Bother?

Does trespassing count as "time served"?

Before Michael Madison was led out of Hudson City Court on Thursday to return to the county jail, Judge Cheryl Roberts explained to him and his lawyers that his case had been adjourned to June 6th and that his time spent in jail until then would count as "time served" when his sentence was decided on the 6th.  I did not hear anything about bail, but I may have just missed mention of it.

Yesterday at noon, dumbfounded to see Michael Madison walking on Warren Street, I called the Hudson City Court to see if someone could explain why he was not in jail.

Welcome To Hudson, The City of Two-Toned Streets

Our new, two-tone Warren Street, made 
narrower in perception only

With two fresh strips of asphalt on each side of the 400 and 500 blocks of Warren Street, we now have a three-striped, two-tone street.  This was forced on us by National Grid who got their orders from the NY State Department of Public Service to replace their natural gas infrastructure.  I imagine this work will be going on for several years since there is no reason to believe that under every street and into every building in town there needs to be new plastic gas pipes installed to replace the old metal pipes.  What we are seeing is just the beginning, but you wouldn't know it since our dear DPW Superintendent is averse to talking at length about National Grid's project when he bothers mentioning anything about it.

Michael Madison, The Wretched Wrecking Ball of Hudson

If you've been wondering why things have been quieter in and around the 7th Street Park for the past few days and why the park seems to be less full of litter, beer cans and vodka bottles, I have good news for you.  Michael Madison, the one-man wrecking ball of Hudson, is back in jail.  Yesterday morning, as is usual every few months, he was led into Judge Roberts' court in a striped jail uniform and handcuffs and given a seat next to his two attorneys (one public defender and a private attorney likely provided to Madison by the city, county or state). 

Notice The Cane

 

Let's See How Well This All Holds Up

If you do an online search of the words LAYING ASPHALT RAIN, you are likely to be greeted by any number of websites offering this, or a similar, warning: ASPHALT CANNOT BE INSTALLED WHEN IT IS RAINING.

Why So Quiet and Mum?

Is it time for a Galvan work in progress sign?

As Hudseen recently reported, Galvan's apartment building construction project at 7th & State has been in full swing for a few months. Typically, there is a crew of 10 - 15 laborers, supervisors and others, no shortage of machinery, noise, dust and exhaust fumes, all beginning at 7 am from Monday thru Friday.  You know, work in progress, like Galvan's many signs claim all over town, even at their abandoned projects! (Strangely, this site, their most active current project, does not display one of those ubiquitous signs!)

It's Not Funny Anymore

Chances are very good it was yet another
turning tractor trailer!

Prior to today, it had been just three and a half months since the street sign at 3rd & State was last knocked over.  This is getting ridiculous.  That sign and the trash can are being hit way too often.

Genius!

In order for HPD* to gather data on the speeds of vehicles on the 500 block of State Street for the past week or so, they had to hammer four heavy duty nails into the asphalt to secure the pair of rubber lines running across the street.  Our streets are being compromised with nails and nail holes so that HPD can gather speed data for streets on which it never enforces the speed limit.  This has been going on for years. 

What Happened To The WALK In SideWALK?

A respectable 8 feet, where 2 people can
easily walk side by side.  Shouldn't this be 
the standard requirement for a sidewalk?

Outdoor dining season, 4 feet of sidewalk 
to walk single file on.  Same as last year.

How seriously does the City of Hudson regard pedestrians, the disabled and sidewalk safety?  As long as property owners leave at least FOUR FEET of sidewalk, there is no code violation.  Or is two feet?  (Chapter 266-7 Section B-1 of the code is ambiguous.)

Why Bother?

What's the point in gathering speed data from passing vehicles on any street in downtown Hudson if HPD doesn't enforce the speed limit downtown?  

A Glimmer Of Hope, Perhaps?

Galvan's sidewalk chasm

Sometimes you just have to ask.  Or tell.

One of Hudseen's first postings, way back in February of last year, was about an obscene sidewalk tripping hazard on Columbia Street that I referred to as "the chasm."  Of all the tripping hazards in town, this one has bothered me the most ever since I came upon it about 6 years ago, and for a number of reasons.  First, it was just beyond the pale and so bloody dangerous.  Second, it was always there year after year, basically a hole in the sidewalk waiting to do someone serious damage and lacking any warning in the form of a cone or spray paint.  It was as if no one cared, especially the property owner and City Hall.  Third, it was on a sidewalk next to a property owned by Galvan, the gang that claims to love and do so much for the "Hudson community."  Obviously, they sincerely care about all of us, including our safety and health and whether or not we live to walk another day.  T. Eric Galloway cares so much about us all that it probably hurts him to wake up in the morning.

Has The Common Council Finally Reached The Dreaded Committee & Meeting Fatigue Stage?

Whatever !!!

On the 1st and 2nd of this month, the Legal Committee and the Truck Route Committee meetings were both cancelled. Neither of those meetings was rescheduled, so the committees' next scheduled meetings are in June.  Alders Margaret Morris and Mohammed Rony serve on both of those committees.

The Questions Everyone Wants Answers To Are...

... Does the City of Hudson Parking Bureau employee collecting quarters from parking meters into a plastic bucket while working in street clothes (no uniform) and working from his personal pickup truck (with no city logo on it) get paid overtime to work on a Sunday?

We Know Who Is Paying For The Flaggers, But Who Is Paying For The Dump Trucks?

The Colarusso pavement miller filling a Town of Stockport
dump truck on Washington Street in Hudson this morning. 

Tomorrow or Wednesday, on Washington Street, Colarusso will be wrapping up this year's repaving of portions of a few streets in town thanks to funds from the NY State DOT CHIPs program that our Hudson DPW is the beneficiary of every two years.  This year, Colarusso will be receiving over $600,000 in funds for their work. 

According to their website, Colarusso is a "heavy highway contractor -- creating infrastructure, roads, bridges and ports."  This morning on Washington Street, while their milling machine was busy chewing up and spitting out old asphalt into waiting dump trucks, it was interesting to see who else was in attendance besides Colarusso's workers, machinery and vehicles.  

Friday and Saturday In The Parks

The guy pictured in Promenade Park with his electric bike by his side entered the park on Friday via the ramp meant for the disabled, elderly and those with baby strollers. (There might as well be a sign at the bottom of the ramp that reads BICYCLES AND ELECTRIC BIKES THIS WAY.)  Winding his way to the top of the ramp with music blaring, he was seated on his electric bike and not moving slowly at all.  At the top, he then sped down the dirt path toward the south end of the park where you see him in the picture, never once having pushed a pedal. Moments later, a group of four women headed the same direction on the path. Two of those women needed canes to walk. 

I have seen this particular electric biker in town a lot lately -- he's one of many easily seen weaving in and out of traffic and ignoring stop signs and red lights. Clearly, he and the others know that the police won't bother them.  This guy is particularly dangerous and fast on his wannabe motorcycle, endangering others and himself.

W. A. S. A. D. F. T. T. D. O. A. F. !!!

What A Stupid & Disrespectful F'ng Thing To Do On A Friday !!!

Who Knew That Abdus Miah Was Such A Comedian?

Last week, while walking past the front of the mosque-that-may- never-come-to-be at 3rd & Columbia, I spotted 2nd ward Columbia County Supervisor Abdus Miah across the street as he was headed to the Hudson Bazaar bodega.  I yelled to him, "Hey Abdus, how are you?"  He acknowledged me and said that he was fine.  While pointing to the pile of broken marble under a window on the front of mosque-in-"progress," I asked Abdus, "Hey, when do you think the mess in front of the mosque is going to be cleaned up? Hasn't it been there untouched for like 7 months?"  He responded, "I'll call the contractor."  I had a good laugh.

We Are Going To Need More Than God To Help Us

Two weeks!

The repaving of upper Columbia Street from the triangle down the hill to Green Street was completed almost exactly two weeks ago. The work, done by Colarusso, was part of this year's CHIPs repaving project that is using over $600,000 in NY State DOT funds and is still unfinished. (The 900 block of Columbia Street is wrapping up today, while the 500 block of Washington Street, Lake Street and Franklin Street will be next and last.)

Things Are Really Looking UP In The Neighborhood!

Galvan's ill-advised 4-floor 60ish-unit apartment building project on 7th Street is in full swing now, with tons of concrete being poured and structures rising by the week.  As of yesterday, the first of many steel beams were installed.  The construction company overseeing the project goes by the name of Baxter Building Company, headquartered in Poughkeepsie.  Baxter definitely has some employees on the site, but I don't know if they are actually doing any of the building themselves or if they are merely supervising subcontractors doing the physical work, a common practice for some construction contractors, especially those that look as though their fingernails have never been dirty.