HUDSON—You can’t see all of them quite yet, but all the votes cast by Columbia County voters in last week’s election have been counted and results will be placed online at the County Board of Elections website.
The election results remain “unofficial” because by law counting absentee ballots must wait until next week to be sure all ballots have been received.
The results of contested races are published below. They do not include the race for district attorney and tallies for state Supreme Court justices in the 3rd Judicial District, which are still being reviewed, according to Democratic Election Commissioner Virginia Martin in a brief phone interview Wednesday, November 13. Read more…
COPAKE—A decade’s old kerosene spill has been found on the site of a controversial proposed gas station/convenience store in Craryville.
At the Copake Planning Board’s November 7 meeting, hydrogeologist Jean Patota reported that during the excavation of four test pits at the site of the GRJH, Inc., project, she detected soil with a petroleum odor and some petroleum-contaminated ground water.
Ms. Patota said she notified the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) spill hotline according to state and federal Reporting Requirements for Petroleum Spills, Leaks and Discharges. Read more…
KINDERHOOK–Ichabod Crane Interim Superintendent Lee Bordick held a community forum Wednesday, October 30, about where students will be moved during the major construction project in the district starting in 2020.
Mr. Bordick said he would review the plans, which are preliminary until final designs are approved by the state Education Department and the work is put out for bids on construction. But he described the plans he was presenting at the meeting as “pretty solid.”
He said the district and the construction firm managing the project needed to figure out, “How do you do this project with students and staff in the building?” Read more…
CHATHAM–The Village Board has approved an updated zoning code. Monday, Mayor John Howe and Trustees Lenore Packet and Melony Spock voted in favor of Local Law #2 of 2019 to amend the zoning code of the Village of Chatham. Trustee Pete Minahan voted against. Trustee Jaimee Boehme was not at the meeting.
The board held a public hearing before the regular meeting November 4 with little comment on the updated zoning code. Three residents attended the hearing.
During the regular meeting the board went through the state environmental review (SEQRA). The board made no comments when passing the new law and Mr. Minahan did not comment on why he voted against the zoning updates. Read more…
HUDSON–“I’ve learned everybody in this community wants what’s best for our children. I just need to give them time, space and, resources to support them.” said Antonio Abitabile, principal of Hudson High School, who will leave November 22 to become superintendent of the Lansingburgh Central School District near Troy, after six and a half years in his current position and 17½ years with the Hudson City School District (HCSD).
Dr. Antonio Abitabile, Hudson High School
“We’ve taken great strides to re-establish trust between the district and the community. When I started, there seemed to be conflict between the district and the community; some doubted we had the children’s best interest at heart. Now the relation between the school and the community is the best I’ve ever seen and still getting better,” He said in an interview by phone October 2. Read more…