More On All That National Grid Gas Pipe Project "Work"

Shortly after last week's Friday Features article went to press, I remembered the fifth infrastructure project currently taking place in the city.  I'm glad I had forgotten about it, because it really deserves an article of its own.  I am speaking of the never-ending work by National Grid (NG) on lower State Street.  It is absolutely ridiculous how long it is taking them to complete this two-block portion of the entire gas replacement project.  The words molasses, snails, forever and rude come to mind.

Where There Once Was A Dumpster Paid For By Galvan...

This is what Galvan and their tenants are offering DPW's garbage crew tomorrow for pick up and removal behind 227-235 State Street.  Of course, more blue bags will be torn into by vermin and more food and waste will be strewn around overnight for DPW to deal with.  If DPW removes all the blue bags, they will have a splendid time trying to get the contents still remaining in the open-on-top and torn-on-bottom-and-sides bags to the garbage truck hopper.  I may try to go watch and document.

Breathe Deep And Relax (If You Are Able To) For The Next Two Weeks!

It often feels to me like Hudson City Hall may never crawl its way out of 20th century thinking and bad habits if only because no one there is interested in doing so. There is visual evidence all around us, and some of the worst of it we are forced to breathe, too.

July's Fourth and Final Episode of Friday Features

There is a dizzying amount of work being done on our streets and sidewalks, from Mullen on Warren at 3rd to Colarusso on the Ferry Street bridge to Luizzi on lower Warren to Delaware Engineering and Colarusso in the 400 block of Union. (I'm pretty sure that block of Union will have to be completely shut down while that work takes place.)  I know I'm forgetting something else.

WWW.YOUARENOTPAYINGATTENTIONTOTHEROADIFYOUCANREADTHIS.COM

For over a year, HUDseen has been highlighting the unnecessary dangers on our city streets and sidewalks that DPW Superintendent Robert Perry and others can't seem to understand, care about or pay attention to.  Today's might take the cake, if only because it is so obviously wrong. 

Let's See How Long This Lovely Sidewalk Obstruction On Warren Lasts

The sign on the wall has falsely claimed it for more than a year, but it is now true.  Work is in progress on Galvan's awful plan to renovate two buildings to create a 30-room hotel and restaurant/bar with zero off-street parking at the corner of 4th & Warren. That's right, a hotel and restaurant at a busy intersection in the heart of downtown Hudson with every customer/guest who arrives by car looking for a parking space on a street or in a lot!  For those of you who drive, have you recently tried to park anywhere near 4th & Warren on a busy Saturday in downtown Hudson?

We've Been Talking To The Wrong Guy All Along!

Those of you who are under the impression that DPW Superintendent Robert Perry is the person in charge at the Hudson Department of Public Works, I am afraid you are mistaken.  I was mistaken also, until I read the 22nd chapter of our charter today, titled Department of Public Works. Section 2 states:  There shall be appointed by the Mayor a Commissioner of Public Works, who shall be head of the Department of Public Works.

Another Day, Another Sinkhole! Ho Hum.

Today, while bicycling past 510 Warren Street, my bicycle and I dipped precipitously for a moment before resuming a smooth ride.  Aha!  Another friggin' sinkhole!  I'm having trouble keeping count of all the sinkholes appearing on and under Mullen's work on Warren, but I'm pretty sure this is the 6th, possibly 7th to rear its ugly head.  Unsurprisingly, this one appeared where the new asphalt meets the old, where most of them are located.

"Recycle? What's To Recycle?"

It's time for another HUDseen rant about the issue that no one cares about anymore:  garbage! 

Why should we expect anyone in downtown Hudson to take home their empty cans and bottles to recycle them when there is a garbage can on every corner and no one cares if the cans are full of recyclable material?  DPW doesn't care what's inside the public trash cans -- they empty them regardless of what's inside.  (I counted six recyclable containers clogging the mouth of the trash can, and I could see more below.)

"Hello, Mr. Perry, Are You Able To Pay Attention While You Are Supposedly Working?"

One year and one week ago, HUDseen published nearly identical pictures to those you see here which were taken today.  Things are not improving here in Hudson; they are remaining bad or worsening, especially at DPW. 

The Continuing Story Of The Sidewalk Dumpster and So Much More [with update]

Longtime readers of HUDseen may know of my quasi-obsession with dumpsters in general, and specifically the dumpster on the Columbia Street sidewalk just west of 6th Street that has been there for about a year (really, a series of dumpsters).  I've posted about that dumpster and other nonsense there on the sidewalk so often that I thought I would give it a rest.  Until, that is, early yesterday morning.  What I came across there almost made me fall over laughing.  Thankfully, I got myself together in time to take a few pictures for you.  But to be honest, the situation with that dumpster is not funny and only further highlights how dysfunctional Hudson City Hall is (particularly DPW) and how little it pays attention to what is going on with (and what goes on) our sidewalks and streets.  

A HUDseen Twofer!

Two stories in one today!

On Saturday morning, I came across the fifth sinkhole on the new, partially repaved 400 block of Warren Street since Talham, the paving company from Troy, did their work a few months ago.  This is the fourth one on the north side of the street, all near the middle of the block. It is by far the largest sinkhole yet, and it was not there on Friday.  

Broke City In A Broke Country?

Several years ago, Robert Perry told the Common Council that the pump for the fountain in the 7th Street Park was done for and that it couldn't be replaced.  Of course, anything can be replaced, but no council members balked and now we've had a Christmas tree stand in the fountain pool for the past two years or more.  As far as I am aware, this past holiday season was the first without a real tree on the stand.  Recently, a large and lovely advertisement for the Thursday farmers market went up above the stand, further beautifying the park.  Thank goodness for the tree stand, otherwise how would the sign have gone up?

Cone In The Road! One More Try!

First on this week's list of Friday Features (FF) is the orange cone that has returned over the longtime ugly and dangerous storm drain situation on Carroll Street.  The cone first appeared early last week over the drain with the damaged and missing surrounding asphalt a few days after the first appearance of Friday Features two weeks ago.  Is it possible someone at City Hall reads HUDseen?  Alas, within a day or two someone had moved the cone to the sidewalk, but now it is back in the street where it should have been 3, 6 or 9 months ago when the damage surrounding the drain first became problematic and obvious.

The Public Service Announcement Our City Hall Hasn't Bothered With

If you see that one or more of the city's new LED streetlights are out when they should be on, don't bother reaching out to National Grid anymore since the City of Hudson now owns the lights and is responsible for their maintenance.  (Just the lights, not the wooden poles.)  If you let the DPW Clerk Samantha know about an out light anytime soon, I hope that you get as amusing a response as I got from her last week.  It made my day.

"Sorry, Sir, But You Were Definitely Issued An Overnight Parking Ticket On The Morning of July 17th For Parking On The Wrong Side Of State Street. Please Pay."

Fact: The HPD parking enforcers issuing meter violation tickets up and down Warren Street six days a week are trained to place tickets securely under a windshield wiper.  They never place a ticket in the space found between a car door and the body.  NEVER!  And for good reason.

Sometime last year, I noticed that at least one HPD police officer was placing overnight alternate side parking violation tickets not under windshield wipers, but in the cracks by doors.  There is nothing secure about placing a flimsy 12-inch long parking ticket there.  Nothing!  It is disrespectful to the car owner and the city is just asking for trouble, annoyance and wasted time by doing so. 

What Lies Below

 

South 3rd between Columbia and 
Prison Alley

This is what keeps all those trucks rolling through town.

New section of short plastic pipe installed.  That 
enormous excavation for 10 feet of pipe.

Who Can We Ask For Help?

Several years ago, during an informal Common Council meeting following Robert Perry's DPW report, I asked him what his opinion of the truck route was and how it was affecting the city and his department's work.  He quickly replied, "No comment."

During last week's informal Common Council meeting, I asked Police Chief Franklin what I thought would be a simple question for her to respond appropriately to.  Boy was I mistaken about, and disappointed in, her too!

How To Waste Time, Money and Effort While Getting Little To Nothing Accomplished, Hudson Style

If you are not sitting down, you might want to find a seat.

The subject of a new digital speed radar sign on N. 6th Street came up during Monday's informal Common Council meeting when a council member thanked the police chief (or DPW superintendent?) for getting the sign installed below the NO PARKING sign in the picture above (blocking the ANY TIME portion of the sign). The short discussion was about the fact that the sign had to come down soon after being installed to, I believe, recharge the battery because apparently the readout on the sign did not work for very long after installation. That hill along N. 6th Street is in the shade most of the day.

So That People Sitting Inside Heavy, Rolling Metal Boxes Can Remain Safe

 

America The Beautiful?

NEXT STOP: LANDFILL!

There's a good chance the little, dispisable flags were made in China anyway!

This Week's Friday Features (aka, The SINKHOLE Report)

This week on the streets: 

DPW has not touched their unfinished sinkhole repair job on Warren at City Hall Place since they left it unrepaved 9 or 10 days ago.  At one point earlier in the week the cones were on their sides scattered nearby, obviously having been hit by a car or blown over in the wind.

How The Shacks Reflect The State Of Our Litle City. That Reflection Is Not Flattering or Encouraging.

Today, down by the former Furgary shacks, I came across four parked HPD vehicles.  Three of them were idling, with no officers in them nor anywhere to be seen.

Long story short: four officers, including one detective, located a woman in a shack who was wanted for "multiple felonies."  Detective Merante told me the woman had been "stealing from cars all over the city."

We All Deserve So Much Better!

It is the hottest day of the year (and hottest day in years) during the hottest week of the year so far (and hottest week in years) during what will likely be the hottest month ever on planet earth in recorded history (following the hottest month ever on planet earth), but you wouldn't know it by visiting the City of Hudson's website.  Today we have dangerously hot conditions all over the city and especially indoors, but there is no information for seniors or anyone concerned about dying or suffering in this heat -- no information about any cooling centers in the city, if there are any.  No helpful information about beating the heat.  But thankfully, we now know the new summer hours in the very well air-conditioned City Hall!

Welcome To The Neighborhood! (or ONE MINUTE, ONE DOLLAR!)

It seems that Hudson City Hall (or possibly just DPW) has lost its mind.  Or have things ALWAYS been this bad?  (Things certainly are not improving!)

It was at least 6 weeks ago when I first noticed a bunch of upright orange temporary NO PARKING sign lining the south side of Oakwood Boulevard.  And now?  What the hell! 

Hudson Fire and HPD Are Getting Really Good At Responding To Vehicle Crashes. Preventing Them Is Another Matter.

HUDseen was a little late to the scene of a 2-vehicle crash at the intersection of Frederick & Columbia this afternoon.  It was probably a terrific collision -- there are scrapes on the new asphalt where the vehicles met.  My assumption that someone pulled out from Frederick into the path of a car coming down the hill was confirmed when I spoke to the friendly fellow who lives in the large house at the northeast corner and who can often be seen standing sentry at the corner.  He said that he heard the crash while he was inside and that it was "really bad."  The two vehicles were a minivan and a car, both of which were towed away.  He wasn't sure if anyone got into the ambulance that was at the scene, but he thought it was possible.  By the time I arrived, a fire engine was leaving and all that remained was the sand in the street soaking up the spilled engine fluid.

HUDseen Predicted This Mess! [with update]

This morning while in the 400 block of Warren Street, I was able to answer a pair of questions HUDseen had posed in an article from May 16th regarding the repaving of the street done by a company called Bob Talham, Inc. that looked suspect.  I asked the following:  Should Talham's work fail anytime soon, who will repair it?  Who will pay to repair it?

In an article from two weeks ago, I showed that two sinkholes under the new pavement in the 400 block of Warren had been repaired -- but I didn't know who did the work.  I also mentioned that a third sinkhole was forming in the block, near 414 Warren.  HUDseen PREDICTED ALL OF THIS!  In the May article, titled Let's See How Well This All Holds Up, I showed pictures of Talham repaving a portion of 6th Street and 2 blocks of Warren Street in the rain. "Just watch, soon it will begin to come apart bit by bit right along the two long seams and elsewhere," I wrote.

It Would Be Almost Comical If It Weren't Happening In Our City

HUDseen ran a short piece in April about DPW's quickly failed paint job on the curb at the intersection of 7th & State, paint that was supposed to make the intersection safer with the influx of on-street parking for the new businesses in the area.  In case you've forgotten or didn't read it, DPW had tried their best to remove one parking space at the northeast corner to create more visibility of oncoming State Street traffic for drivers entering State from 7th Street.  Yellow paint was applied to the top and side of the curb last fall, in October I believe.  I took these pictures in the last few weeks.

It Took Just Four Minutes!

On my way back from the farmers market this morning, I decided to linger a while at the notorious intersection of 6th & Columbia to observe the traffic and see how long it would take to notice something amiss with a driver, a pedestrian or both at the same time.  It's a dangerous intersection that has produced plenty of accidents, and the red lights are run regularly.  Things tend to get really dicey when the farmers market is in town, especially when the bounty is in.  (For the first market this year, there was freshly picked corn to be had!  We have the best corn in the country!)

This Week's Friday Feature

Each Friday until it is repaired by DPW, HUDseen will feature pictures of the damaged pavement surrounding the very exposed storm drain on Carroll Street near State.  I first noticed the damage over a month ago while biking directly at it, then quickly avoiding it, and can only assume that the damage did not happen overnight. I'm thinking the asphalt showed signs of failure beginning years ago.  Of course, asphalt protects storm drains from being damaged by passing vehicles and runoff.  An exposed storm drain is vulnerable to damage.  Water is supposed to flow through the drain, not flow down around it along the outside edges.  Vehicles are not supposed to be hitting exposed edges of drains.  It is as if DPW would prefer that the drain on Carroll be damaged.  "Look how busy we are.  Give us more money to replace old and damaged infrastructure we can't prevent from being damaged!"

If Someone Were To Ask...

If someone interested in moving to Hudson were to ask you if you thought it was a good idea, how would you respond?  

ALL POINTS BULLETIN: HUDSON, NY.

We are asking for the public's cooperation in locating and apprehending a mysterious person by the name of DIDI BARRETT who has left plastic lawn signs scattered around the city with his/her name on them.  This DIDI person is a habitual code violator, serial litterbug, plastic polluter and full of disrespect, though we do not think he or she is dangerous.  Do not be misled by the locations of the signs -- we understand that DIDI BARRETT does not live in the City of Hudson, but that he/she might visit the city occasionally.  Some of DIDI BARRETT'S signs have been seen in the city for several months, though no one seems to understand the reasons for the signs, especially those that are flat on the ground.  

This Is Just One Of Many Ways For Truckers To Get To Harney Tea! (Without GPS, Presumably!)

Past CMH on Columbia after having left
the truck route at the intersection of 66 & 23B

Approaching a second truck route intersection

3 Feet Is All You Need! (Life In The Walkable, Friendly City)

Chapter 266-7 of the City Code is titled Sidewalk Obstructions.  It begins, "The Common Council of the City of Hudson has determined that the obstruction of the public sidewalk is a nuisance and cannot be tolerated... the following regulations apply...[there must be] a minimum of 4 feet (sic) clear space on the sidewalk."

Yesterday, as on many other days and likely today, the hotel and cafe at 3rd & Warren was okay with offering all pedestrians almost exactly 3 feet of clear sidewalk.  If Code Enforcement doesn't care about the code, why would The Maker or any other businesses on Warren and elsewhere care either?  Why not just offer 2 feet of width?  How about none?

Open For Business! Hopin' For Busy Sidewalks!

 

An Anniversary Of Sorts!

It has been just over 6 months since this teal blue car with Maine plates and a flat tire parked unmoved in the City Hall municipal parking lot in a working metered parking space was issued a $250 parking permit by the City Clerk's office.  The City of Hudson issues permits to people so that they can place the permit in any vehicle they like, even one with 1 or 4 flat tires that remains in a metered parking space for the entire year the permit is valid.  No questions asked!  No ability for visitors to park there and feed the meter!

Meanwhile, to rid the city of its downtown parking woes, the Parking Committee is doing its very best to purchase and implement a new, improved and expensive high tech parking meter system, including in our parking lots.  Let's all celebrate!!!

How To Show You Care About Hudson, According to The City's Largest Property Owner and Their Friends At Hudson City Hall

Ever since a private sanitation company worker was killed in October 2022 while servicing the dumpster at Galvan's apartment complex in the 200 block of State Street, tenants there have had no choice but to leave their bagged and bulk trash on the ground where a large dumpster was once available for their use.  Yes, 24/7/365, Galvan's tenants are expected to leave their bagged trash on the ground in a non-enclosed space, free for any and all to see and smell, for all vermin to tear into and for litter to be blown elsewhere, especially in the recent never-ending wind.  Of course, even if Galvan's genius garbage "enclosure" were to have a gate, vermin would still have a feast every night inside of it, especially in the warmer months.