Category Archives: News

Read the latest local news from Columbia County and surrounding areas.

Funeral director closes business after 48 years

by DIANE VALDEN

George Fox stands outside the funeral home, where he has lived and worked for the past 48 years. Photo by David Lee

 

GERMANTOWN—This is an obituary for a funeral home.

The Yadack-Fox Funeral Home at 209 Main Street will close December 1 after 67 years as a hometown place where families and friends throughout the region have gone to make final arrangements for their loved ones.

While the funeral home has come to the end of its days, the funeral director, George Fox, 73, is headed to a new life in a warmer place down below—not that warm or far below—he and his bride of three years, Paula, are moving to Maryland. Read more…

Galvan expands housing projects

by JEANETTE WOLFBERG

HUDSON–The term “affordable housing” means different things to different people. Now the Galvan Foundation offers what it calls a “unique approach to housing affordability” that mixes people with varying income levels in buildings and in neighborhoods.

What the non-profit foundation plans will have an impact. The Galvan Foundation owns 86 buildings in Columbia County and operates 191 affordable housing units.

This type of housing is frequently associated with federal Section 8 vouchers, with which the government pays a portion of a qualified person’s rent. To be qualified a household must earn no more than 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI), with preference given to households making under 30% of the AMI, according to Dale-Ann Brown, state program director for Section 8 Housing. Read more…

Hudson eyes new way to train kids for college courses

by JEANETTE WOLFBERG

HUDSON–College courses in high school highlighted the Hudson City School District Board of Education meeting November 5. Antonio Abitabile, principal of Hudson High School, both raised the idea of offering college remedial courses and reported on preparations to offer more college credit courses.

Several colleges have remedial classes for students judged unqualified to take college classes. Because college introductory courses typically have number designations in the 100’s, remedial classes have taken on designations in the 90s and are called 090 (“o-ninety”) classes, Mr. Abitabile said. For 090 classes in college, a student generally pays tuition but gets no credit.

“Public schools are graduating more students who aren’t qualified for college courses,” he said. Yet they get into colleges and end up taking 090 classes. Read more…

Hillsdale readies short-term rentals law

by LORNA CHEROT LITTLEWAY

HILLSDALE–The Town Board voted unanimously this week to adopt the 2019 budget, which includes a 2% pay increase for town Highway Department workers. The $1,802,207.04 spending plan is the same amount as last year’s budget and no tax increase is anticipated.

Also at the November 13 monthly meeting board member Tom Carty reported on a draft of Local Law 1, which would regulate short-term rentals known as “Airbnb” accommodations–the name of a company that provides that sevice. He described the proposal as a “good beginning”. Mr. Carty noted that the term lodging facility will include “dwelling units” and refers to hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts, dwelling units, and any establishment providing sleeping accommodations to transient guests for compensation. A transient guest is defined as a person in continuous occupancy for less than 30 days.

All lodging facilities will be required to have an owner, manager or authorized representative residing within 20 miles of the property and must have a special permit that lists complete contact information for the owner, manager or representative. The permit would cost $50. Whether the permit fee is a one-time charge or renewable is still being discussed. Read more…

Many from county served in World War I

by HOWARD BLUE

LAST SUNDAY, November 11, marked 100 years since the signing of the armistice that ended the fighting in what we now know as the First World War.

Last week The Columbia Paper published photos of some county residents who served in the U.S. armed services during that war along with brief accounts of their service as originally reported in the book “Columbia County in the World War.” Accompanying them was an overview of the county’s contribution written by Copake historian Howard Blue. This week we conclude his presentation with additional photos he selected of other WWI veterans. Copies of “Columbia County in the World War” are available at local libraries.

Physician Hamilton Southworth of North Chatham served in the Army even though, as the father of three children, he might have been exempt from military service.

Read more…