CRARYVILLE—PEOPLE: “What are you going to do?”
BOARD: “We don’t know, what do you think we should do?”
That was the gist of the exchange between members of the public who showed up at the September 18 Taconic Hills Board of Education meeting and board members.
About 50 people crowded the public seating area in the board’s meeting room for a workshop on voter registration to find out how the board’s newly-adopted “poll registration” system was going to work. Read more…
CHATHAM – The Town Board passed a motion last week that finalizes the transfer of about 3 acres of town land to the State Police for a barracks next to the Town Hall on state Route 295.
In 2018 the board was approached by the state troopers, who asked for the land to be donated by the town so the police could move their barracks from New Lebanon to Chatham to serve the north end of the county.
At the Thursday, September 19 town meeting State Police Captain Harold Litardo said that the barracks, which will not be completed until about 2022, will house 25 to 30 officers. “It’s a long process,” he said of building the barracks. Read more…
VALATIE–The Village Board has tabled a proposed law that would ban bike riders on Main Street. At the September 10 meeting Mayor Diane Argyle said she had not heard from community members about the proposed law the board asked Village Attorney Rob Fitzsimmons to present last month.
The proposed law stated that “no person shall ride a bicycle, skateboard, non-motorized scooter, or use roller blades or other wheeled devices upon the sidewalk along Main Street between the intersection of New Street and Main Street and the intersection of Lake Street and Main Street. In such locations, bicycles may be walked along the sidewalk.” At the August board meeting, the board discussed complaints from local businesses owners about the issue of kids riding bikes on along Main Street.
At the September 10 meeting, Randall Schmit, a Main Street resident and president of VERA (Valatie Economic Redevelopment Association), said that the issue with bike riders on Main Street has “gotten a lot better.” But he said he would talk to other members of the business community who had issues with the bike riders. Read more…
HUDSON–A departing principal, a new student representative, new teachers and on-going construction work received attention at the Hudson City School District (HCSD) Board of Education meeting September 3.
Antonio Abitabile, principal of Hudson High School, will leave December 21 to become Superintendent of the Lansingburgh Central School District near Troy. His departure was confirmed by HCSD Superintendent Maria L. Suttmeier at the meeting. Dr. Suttmeier said that the search for his successor will take place during the fall.
Piper Nayowith came to her first meeting as this year’s student representative to the board. Piper, a senior at Hudson High School, is president of the Student Council. She said that her favorite subjects are English, art, and science, and that she is on the swim team. When asked if she had goals for her term as student representative, she answered, “To make sure everybody has a good school year and that there’s open communication.” Read more…
HUDSON–New officers, less in written-off debts, Section 8 vouchers, and bugs received attention at the Hudson Housing Authority (HHA) Board of Commissioners meeting September 11. The HHA runs the 135-unit, income-restricted Bliss apartments and administers federal Section 8 vouchers for housing elsewhere in Hudson.
The HHA Board selected Randall Martin to be its chair, Marie Balle vice-chair and Peggy Polenberg treasurer for the 2019-20 year, effective as of the next meeting. Mr. Martin, a videographer, has been the vice-chair. He will replace Chairman Alan Weaver. Ms. Balle, a partner at the Look Apparel store in Hudson, has been on the board since last November. Ms. Polenberg has been treasurer for a year.
Mr. Martin later said his goals as chairman include the rehabilitation and stabilization of Bliss apartments “to make sure they are safe for the inhabitants”; more transparency between the board and the public; and to work with the city to create additional affordable housing.” Read more…