Welcome To Hudson, The City of Two-Toned Streets

Our new two-tone Warren Street, still full
of cracks.  It appears to be narrower,
like some sort of brain teaser. 

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.